Spencer Carbery said he talked to Alex Ovechkin on Thursday morning and said that the Washington Capitals‘ captain was really excited about the team’s offseason moves, namely acquiring Jordan Kyrou and Alex Tuch.
Now comes a report from one of the top Russian sports outlets, Match TV, citing “a source close to the situation,” that Ovechkin’s decision will come at some point after he returns from his vacation in Turkey on July 7. Perhaps more of interest, the source suggested that retiring after missing the playoffs was not “the best time to end a brilliant NHL career.” They added that “the stronger the team, the better for Ovechkin” and that “money is a secondary concern for him.”
The source’s quote comes in response to TSN analyst Jeff O’Neill, who said on Wednesday that “The likelihood of Ovechkin returning is 0 percent.”
The full quote from Match TV’s source, as translated by Google Translate:
Don’t believe all the rumors and statements. Alexander is currently on vacation in Turkey, which ends on July 7th. He’s training and working in the gym. Upon his return to Moscow, Alexander will begin preseason training, as usual, with his longtime fitness coach, Pavel Burlachenko.
Everyone understands they’re just 10 goals shy of Gretzky’s record. And that last season wasn’t the best time to end a brilliant NHL career. Washington didn’t even make the playoffs.
Ovechkin is happy that the Capitals are strengthening their roster and have acquired two top-six forwards. Alexander’s biggest dream and goal is to win another Stanley Cup. Money is currently a secondary concern for him.
Washington could get even stronger when the free agent market opens. The stronger the team, the better for Ovechkin. He’ll make a decision on a new contract with the Capitals after the holidays. There’s no cause for concern; we just have to wait a little while.
Improving the team for both now and the future has been a major theme of the Capitals’ offseason, with general manager Chris Patrick aggressively pursuing Kyrou and Tuch, then flipping depth pieces like Hendrix Lapierre and Declan Chisholm for picks and salary cap space in the last few days.
The moves come as the Capitals missed the playoffs last season for just the fifth time in Ovechkin’s 21-year career and acknowledge the team’s struggles to score consistently at five-on-five and on the power play.
Ovechkin suited up in all 82 games last season, leading the team in both goals (32) and points (64) despite being 40 years old. He said during his final meeting with Capitals media in April that the team’s ability to compete for a championship next season was the most important factor in his decision about whether to return.
While Ovechkin broke Wayne Gretzky’s goals record in April 2025, scoring the 895th goal of his career against the New York Islanders, much has been made in Russia about the Capitals forward also overtaking Gretzky’s combined goals record, which includes tallies scored in both the regular season and playoffs. Ovechkin finished last season with 1,006 career combined goals — he scored his 1,000th against the Colorado Avalanche on March 22 — while Gretzky owns the record with 1,016.
How much that will play into Ovechkin’s decision is unknown, but he seemingly dismissed the importance of the combined goals record in an interview during the season.
Ovechkin has one major event on the horizon in Russia: the “Match of the Year” on July 25, which features NHL and KHL stars playing in a charity game together. In a commercial promoting the friendly, Ovechkin made light of his upcoming decision, saying, “I haven’t made the official announcement yet.”
