Alex Ovechkin secured a pretty sweet payday after playing in the Washington Capitals’ 4-3 overtime victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night.
The game was Ovechkin’s 10th of the 2026-27 season, triggering the $4.75 million performance bonus in the one-year contract he signed with the Capitals to return for his 22nd and final NHL season. With the 10-game mark hit, Ovechkin will earn $9 million this year: $1 million in base salary and $3.25 million in signing bonus making up the remainder.
Despite earning the bonus, Ovechkin’s cap hit this season will remain $4.25 million. However, depending on how much cap space the Capitals have at season’s end, a portion of Ovechkin’s bonus, or all of it, will carry over and count against next year’s salary cap even though the legendary winger will no longer be on the club’s roster.
According to PuckPedia, the Capitals currently have $2.31 million in cap space, mainly because Rasmus Sandin is on long-term injured reserve. They project the Caps will be $1.36 million over the cap at season’s end, meaning the full Ovechkin bonus will likely extend into next year’s available funds.
Through 10 games this season, the 41-year-old Ovechkin has notched just four points (1g, 3a), the weakest start to a campaign in his career. He is also playing a much smaller role than in previous years, skating just 14:12 per game coming into Saturday’s contest and no longer remaining on the ice for the full two minutes of Washington’s power plays.
Ovechkin officially announced on October 5 that this season will be his last in the NHL.
