Alex Ovechkin scored a ton of goals in his age-40 season, but it still feels like he could have done more. But: will he do more?
By the Numbers
32
Goals
32
Assists
82
Games played
17
Minutes per game
On-ice percentages
50%
Shot attempts
51%
Expected goals
56%
Actual goals
Isolated Impact by HockeyViz
About this visualization: This image by Micah Blake McCurdy of hockeyviz.com shows how the player has impacted play when on the ice. At the top of the image is the team’s offense (even strength at left, power play at right) and at bottom is the team’s defense (with penalty kill at bottom right). In each case, red/orange blobs mean teams shoot for more from that location on the ice, and blue/purple means less. In general, a good player should have red/orange blobs near the opponent’s net at top, and blue/purple blobs near their own team’s net at bottom. The distributions in middle show how the player compares to league average at individual finishing, setting up teammates to score, and taking and drawing penalties. The number at center is Synthetic Goals: a catch-all number for the player’s impact.
Player Card by Evolving Hockey
About this player card: This card from Josh and Luke of Evolving Hockey compares the player to league averages based on their impact on on-ice statistics. GAR means “goals above replacement,” where “replacement” means an average player called up from the AHL. xGAR is the same figure but assuming league-average goaltending. The numbers at top are the player’s percentile ranks overall and then for offense and defense alone.
Player Overview by NHL Edge
About this visualization: The NHL’s advanced statistics program, Edge, tracks player and puck movement. The player’s shot speed, skating speed, and skating distance are at top along with percentile rank. At bottom left is a shot location map, and at bottom right is zone time per zone.
Gratuitous Generative Art by Peter
Peter’s Take
Alex Ovechkin scored 32 goals in his age-40 season. Only two players in history have ever done more: Gordie Howe (44), and Johnny Bucyk (36). That’s a major accomplishment, and yet it still feels like a disappointment. A big chunk of that disappointment is the power play.
Here’s a photo:
Ovechkin scored just five power-play goals, a career low. On the PP he shot 5.8 percent, also a career low and less than a third of his 2024-25 power-play shooting percentage. He still shot a lot of volume, and he still shot hard, but the Ovi Shot from the Ovi Spot was a lot less dangerous than in seasons past – and how is critical. Goalies stopped it. It wasn’t missing the net more, it wasn’t happening less (not a lot), it wasn’t weakly shot – it just got stopped by the goalie more.
(That’s just my high-level summary of what happened on the power play; there’s a lot more and a lot more nuance we could go over, but this review is over 2000 words.)
I call it the Ovi Spot, but location is just one part of it. The puck movement before the shot is crucial too, and that’s where the Caps power play was so aggravating last season. They were bad at gaining the zone, which I think was their fundamental problem, but once they were in the zone they were statuesque, which was more frustrating.
This was apparent before even Thanksgiving (US Thanksgiving, which is the only correct Thanksgiving). But the Caps did not make the obvious change they needed to make: replace the power-play coach. They didn’t, and it cost them a playoff appearance. It was a huge mistake, and Spencer Carbery has to wear it. But Kirk Muller is gone now, and that portends well for Alex Ovechkin’s 2026-27 season.
Wait, hold on a second. I’m reading here that Alex Ovechkin is not under contract for 2026-27. I’m stunned.
Scroll down in this article and you’ll see an exhaustive summary of Alex Ovechkin retirement stories from the past year. The general idea is this: Ovi punts on the idea of retirement, Nastya think he’s retiring, Tatyana thinks he’s not, every other NHL player thinks he can play until 2040, and the Caps don’t seem prepared.
But seeming is just the chunk of the glacier above the water line. Everything’s happening where we can’t see. Health evaluations, family discussions, business schemes, global politics, anchoring, signaling, posturing, planning to plan and negotiating how they’ll negotiate. If you asked me, and by opening this web page you freaking did, I think he’s coming back. Ovechkin repeatedly said his health is a chief determining factor, and I believe him on that. I also believe he’s a machine, and he’s spending the early summer running diagnostics on that machine.
This is good, even if you don’t have a business writing about the Washington Capitals. Because even if he’s slow and not defensively inclined, Ovechkin is still a very special player. Surrounded by the young pups in this new generation of Caps – the Pros and Lenos and Hutsons – he will once again do what he loves.
So I’m calling it: This is not the final Alex Ovechkin season review on RMNB.
Ovi on RMNB
Strap in.
- Alex Chiasson still has Alex Ovechkin’s Nationals keg stand jersey from 2018 Stanley Cup bender. That was about ten years ago today.
- The NHL is making a ‘big film’ about him, we heard last summer. Or maybe it was this? Unclear!
- On the possibility of the Capitals trading for Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin: “It would be wonderful. If not, we will fight on our own.” That would have been so much fun. Malkin re-signed with the Pens this summer.
- On potentially breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record for combined regular-season and playoff goals: “I’m not looking that far ahead.”
- On Nicklas Backstrom: “We grew up together as hockey players, as people. One of my best partners.”
- Flyers defender Egor Zamula on defending Alex Ovechkin: “His shots break bones, legs. It is difficult to find a way to contain him.”
- The Biden administration considered expelling Alex Ovechkin and all Russian NHL players from the country to pressure Vladimir Putin to do a prisoner swap. Good thing he didn’t; it might have cost him the election!
- Ovi told CNN that he hopes hockey can help mend relations between Russia and the United States.
- A farm in Middletown honored Ovechkin for breaking the NHL goals record with a corn maze.
- Pierre-Luc Dubois on Ovechkin’s iconic belly flop celebration: “[It] wasn’t what he wanted to do at all.”
- Ovechkin was/is (?) supposed to star in a Russian comedy called ‘Hockey Dads 2’.
- He was psyched about the end of skate tests and dress codes in the new CBA.
- Ovechkin had a preseason lower-body injury. He missed the Hershey game.
- TJ Oshie shared the origin of the Stanley Cup keg stand. Alex Ovechkin was first player to participate. “There’s not a better guy to party with than the big man.” That’s only because Oshie never knew my college roommate John. Now that guy knew how to party.
- Spencer Carbery on his behind-the-scenes relationship with Ovi.
- Finally, on ice. He flattened Casey Cizikas.
- Ovechkin had the best-selling NHL jersey during the 2024-25 season.
- Bill Daly was iffy on the NHL retiring Alex Ovechkin’s number 8 jersey: “We’ve only retired one number. That’s a rarity.”
- “The guy’s just a machine, and he won’t change for anybody.” Can confirm. I’ve heard that before.
- Barking.
- Players arrived at his 1,500th game wearing outfits matching his Russian rap video appearance. Ovi was the 24th player in NHL history to play in 1,500 career games.
- Ryan Leonard on his job as Ovechkin’s linemate: ‘Try to get him the puck and go from there.”
- Alex Ovechkin had a slow start to the 2025-26 season. Carbery wasn’t worried.
- He has played against nearly a third of all NHL players ever, 40 percent of all Capitals.
- He would go back to his old mirror-tinted visor if the NHL let him, still bitter about change spurred on by Martin Brodeur.
- He won a faceoff.
- First player in NHL history to score 900 goals.
Jordan Binnington tried to steal Alex Ovechkin’s milestone 900th goal puck
- Binnington claimed he wasn’t trying to steal Alex Ovechkin’s milestone 900th goal puck: “I had full intention to give it back to him.”
- Nastya Ovechkina helped end the Capitals’ losing streak by cooking for the whole team again: “It seems like making borscht will become a must.”
- To Beauvillier: “We want you, baby.”
- Ilya Samsonov wants to interview Alex Ovechkin about how he’s able to drink so much beer in one sitting.
- Justin Sourdif grew up a Capitals fan. Now, he’s Alex Ovechkin’s teammate.
- Still 0 DZS.
- On playing his entire NHL career with the Capitals: “This is my second family. This is my second home.”
- He has been terrible on the shootout. IMO, just didn’t give him enough chances.
- Broke the record for most goals scored at a single venue in NHL history.
- Breaking the NHL record for most non-empty-net goals.
- Top 10 in NHL’s all-time points.
- Sixth oldest player in NHL history to score a hat trick.
- Ovi asks: “Taylor Swift or Messi?” Honestly, really good question, but I think it’s Messi by a lot.
- Unlike Ovi, Anze Kopitar’s retirement was known all season. Ovechkin shook his hand: “It’s just all about respect.”
- Ovechkin has scored on both opposing team’s goaltenders in the same game 13 different times during his career. They are calling it “the Fredo.”
- Bruce Boudreau on Ovechkin’s leadership: “He’s created an atmosphere in that room that is second to none.”
- He hosted a clinic for players with developmental disabilities: “A couple of kids (told me) congrats about the record and the 900, so that’s special.”
- Is 1,000 career goals doable?
- Still 0 DZS until late in the season.
- Carbery on limiting Ovechkin’s minutes: “Sometimes he’s not going to go out there and not be happy about it.”
- Mario Lemieux congratulated Sidney Crosby on becoming new Penguins franchise scoring leader. BTW he still hasn’t congratulated Ovi on passing him in goals.
- Bogdan Trineyev will only call Ovi by his formal Russian name.
- He had a goal drought before Christmas, third longest of his career
- He got his tooth chipped after getting high-sticked in face by Blackhawks’ Louis Crevier. Days before the floss holder giveaway. Then he helped pull son Sergei’s loose front tooth. Very dental themed.
- Broke the NHL record for most home games with a goal
- Twenty-one 20-goal seasons, second-most in NHL history.
- First player in history to put 7,000 shots on goal.
- Sharing a moment with LeBron James. (Ovi is a Jordan guy, for the record.)
- Virginia native Ilia Malinin, the men’s Olympic figure skating favorite, wore yellow skate laces gifted to him by Alex Ovechkin at the Milan Olympics.
- Laila Edwards, the first Black woman to win Olympic gold with Team USA women’ss hockey, grew up idolizing Alex Ovechkin. She has a GR8 tattoo on her ankle.
- He called the John Carlson trade the toughest day of his career.
- Sergei and Ilya replicated the hot-stick and belly-flop celebrations after a Capitals practice.
- Much like me, Ovechkin thinks the 1,000 combined goals milestone is silly. His teammates think it’s “unbelievable.”
- His first defensive zone start came 73 games into the season.
- He heated up in the spring. Seven goals in seven games.
- He hopes his hockey museum in Russia will open in 2027.
- Capitals nominee for the 2026 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.
- Capitals nominee for the 2026 King Clancy Memorial Trophy.
- Tom Wilson got payback Jack McBain’s hit on Ovi, said it was not payback for breaking the hit on Ovi.
- Ovi got a standing ovation in Pittsburgh. Love it.
- Ted Leonsis attended Ovechkin’s potential final NHL game against Columbus Blue Jackets. We never know how to do those headlines – where it’s potentially Ovi’s final game, and it’s a game against the Blue Jackets, but the combo isn’t important. It’s not like Ovi scored 895 goals against the Islanders.
- TJ Oshie interviewed Ovechkin before his potential final game, offered him Subway and bag of Cheetos.
- Fifth player in NHL history to play all 82 games in a season at age 40 or older.
- Crosby on Ovechkin’s diet: “I wish I could do that.” Believe in yourself, Sid.
This is just the retirement beat
These are in chronological orders, so it’s like reading a wiki entry on significant events in the Second Age of Middle-Earth.
- He called retirement rumors “nonsense.”
- Oshie believes Ovechkin will play one more season.
- Ovechkin said he’d play out the season before making decision on his future of NHL career.
- Wilson on Ovechkin: “He could play two, three more years.”
- On not pondering his retirement during season: “I understand that hockey is not forever but I’m not thinking about it now.”
- He was getting peeved about the questions pretty early.
- On his passion for the game: “You have to enjoy the moment.”
- As of January, Caps GM Chris Patrick hadn’t talked with Ovechkin about retirement plans. Ovechkin was focused on the short term.
- Meanwhile, the KHL President was hungry.
- Ovechkin says the retirement decision will be based on “how my body gonna feel”: “I’m 40, and it’s hard to keep up with young guys.”
- Steve Levy says ABC was told not to ask Ovechkin about his future during a national pregame interview.
- Sergei Fedorov says Ovechkin should play until he breaks the combined goals record: “If he has the strength, he needs to finish this thing.” (Arbitrary.)
- Tatyana Ovechkina on her son playing another season in NHL: “If he has the desire, the health, and the ability, then why not continue playing?”
- Again: No decision until after the season.
- To Toronto media: “I don’t know if it’s the end or not.”
- Teammates on his potential retirement: “It’s going to be a sad day whenever he decides to hang them up.”
- Evgeni Malkin doesn’t believe Ovechkin will retire: “He’s back next year, for sure. He’s still hungry.”
- Henrik Lundqvist thinks Alex Ovechkin could play another three seasons: “It’s the commitment to the game and the passion.”
- He is “pretty sure” he hasn’t played his last game in the NHL, but he wants to know Capitals plan to compete for Stanley Cup.
- Young players like Hutson, Leonard, and Protas could factor into his decision.
- Decision coming in July.
- Turkey vacation before deciding.
- Alex Semin on retirement: “Because maintaining this level of fitness at 40 is quite challenging. It’s getting tough, and the younger players are overtaking and catching up.”
Your Turn
Is he done?
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