There is no question that the number-one storyline hanging over the Washington Capitals this summer is the future of legendary captain Alex Ovechkin. The 40-year-old winger is set to determine if he will be back for another season in DC, or if he will call it quits on a historic 21-season NHL career.
But while Ovechkin takes time to make that all-important decision, the hockey world doesn’t just stop moving, and the Capitals need to keep up with the rest of the pack. Caps head coach Spencer Carbery was recently asked on The FAN Hockey Show how he is preparing for the 2026-27 campaign, with Ovechkin’s ultimate decision still hanging in the air.
“Yeah, and that’s where we’ve tried to give O, especially early right now with the playoffs still going on, as much space as he needs,” Carbery said. “To be with his family, to be able to really take a minute to step back and reflect, and that’s the way the organization is approaching that, that’s how I’ll approach it now. With regards to planning – what’s it going to look like, what’s our power play look like, what’s our lines look like, there’s no time frame on it, but yeah, I’m sort of planning for two different scenarios as we speak right now.”
Beyond the emotional aspect of potentially losing the team’s focal point for the past two decades and their locker-room leader, the Capitals would have to drastically reshape many aspects of how they operate on a game-by-game basis. Ovechkin averaged 17:27 of ice time per game last season, fourth most among all Capitals forwards. He was also again a constant on both of the team’s power-play units, averaging a league-high 4:29 of power-play ice time per game.
Ovechkin and his family departed the DC area and returned to his hometown, Moscow, Russia, earlier this week. He will officially become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, but the Capitals are expected to want an answer from the 40-year-old winger before then.
Given that the NHL Draft begins on June 26 and the Capitals own two first-round picks this year, the artificial deadline for Ovechkin’s decision will likely be shortly before then, as the team explores roster moves that could impact their draft selections. General manager Chris Patrick has already made it clear that he’s seeking an upgrade to the team’s top-six forward group, and, like Carbery, has indicated that the organization has further plans in place if Ovechkin does not return for another year.
Last month, hockey insider Elliotte Friedman revealed his belief that the impressive debuts of young players like Cole Hutson and Ilya Protas may fuel Ovechkin’s desire to return for another year with the Capitals. Carbery was also questioned about whether he thought the team’s ongoing youth movement could play into Ovechkin wanting one more kick at the can.
“Yeah, I really think that has helped him the last couple of years of seeing this youth movement start to come alive in Washington,” Carbery said. “And as we get younger and as we sort of look forward to what the post-Ovi era looks like, that has given him a little bit of energy and a boost at times. Just kind of seeing how much enthusiasm those young kids have and coming in, the skill level that they have. There’s no doubt that’s helped a little bit, as O has played the last couple of years.”
Ovechkin stated on Breakdown Day that he was “pretty sure” that he hadn’t played his last game in the NHL. Whether that comes to fruition remains to be seen, but it’s clear that the Capitals won’t be caught unprepared for either scenario.
