ARLINGTON, VA — The Washington Capitals have already made a splash to kick off the offseason, but their biggest piece of business is yet to come.
Alex Ovechkin has spent the offseason mulling over his future in the NHL, deciding whether to return to DC or hang up his skates after a legendary 21-season career.
So far, Ovechkin has stayed mum on his plans. But if he does decide to play another year, both he and the Capitals have a sense of what his new deal would look like.
“From my conversations with Alex before he left, I think I had an understanding of if he does come back, what’s he looking at contract-wise,” general manager Chris Patrick said on Saturday.
Patrick denied knowing what Ovechkin would ultimately decide — though recent reporting from The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun suggests otherwise — but knowing Ovechkin’s theoretical salary ask has allowed Patrick to handle both this week’s moves and upcoming free agency with a better picture of Washington’s budget.
“That gave me some clarity as far as what we do spending-wise,” Patrick said.
Ovechkin, who will be 41 in September, is coming off a five-year contract worth $9.5 million per season. He suited up for all 82 of Washington’s games last season, one of just three Caps players to do so, and led the team in goals (32) despite averaging a career-low 17:27 time on ice per game.
As of Saturday, the Capitals have a projected $14.325 million in available cap space, and Patrick is confident the team can both make additions in free agency and fit Ovechkin’s potential deal.
The Capitals could also get creative with the structure of Ovechkin’s deal if their finances get tight. Ovechkin’s age makes him eligible for performance bonuses, and any cap overages caused by those bonuses would carry over to the 2027-28 season, when the cap is projected to jump by $9.5 million. Washington previously used a similar strategy to fit Max Pacioretty under the cap in 2023-24.
Either way, Ovechkin has indicated that salary will not be the primary factor driving his decision on whether to return. He told reporters in April that, in addition to family and health concerns, he wanted to see the Capitals assemble a competitive team after they failed to make the playoffs in 2025-26.
“Obviously, if I want to come back, it has to be a decision. First of all, we’re going to make playoffs, and we have to fight for a Cup,” he said then. “That’s probably the biggest thing. Otherwise, if you take different scenario, like family-wise, health-wise, but in team-wise, I think this is the most important thing for me.”
On that front, the Capitals have done their part, bringing in not one but two high-scoring wingers ahead of the draft. The team acquired Jordan Kyrou, who has hit 60 points four times in the past five seasons, from the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday, then added three-time 30-goal scorer Alex Tuch in a sign-and-trade on Wednesday.
“Alex, as you guys all know, is a really competitive person, and he wants to win,” Patrick said. “He definitely wanted to see what we did here in this offseason, help inform his decisions, so I think this will help give him some more information to make a decision on.”
Head coach Spencer Carbery told 106.7 The Fan’s Grant and Danny that Ovechkin was pleased by the pair of moves.
“I spoke to him this morning,” Carbery said on Thursday. “He’s on vacation with his family and doing some working out there. But at this point, no. There’s been no decision. He’s just spending time with his family and trying to make the best decision. And when he tells us he’s ready to decide, we’ll be right there for him. So there’s no timeline… He did mention and say today that he’s following and seeing the moves and was really happy for the organization about acquiring Jordan and Alex.”
Now, what remains is the question of Ovechkin’s timeline. Though Patrick initially indicated that the Caps would “ideally” have his answer before the draft, the team is giving him all the time he needs. Ovechkin has said that he plans to make his decision in July, and Patrick confirmed Saturday that he didn’t expect discussions to drag on through the summer.
“In my mind, I do (have a timeline). I’m not going to say it because then everyone would have a deadline,” Patrick said. “I think we’ll have a conversation in the near future and get a good sense of where he’s at.”
