'Pretty darn impressive': Alex Ovechkin still wowing teammates amid uncertain future

ARLINGTON, Va. -- Last season, Alex Ovechkin passed Wayne Gretzky to go the greatest extremity scorer successful NHL history. A fewer weeks agone during grooming camp, helium reached different historical milestone: The Washington Capitals skipper turned 40.

"Nothing's changed. Just a antithetic number," Ovechkin said.

Someone asked Tom Wilson if his linemate had informed him astir what 40 feels like.

"I told them that I didn't request to ask, due to the fact that I volition not beryllium playing hockey erstwhile I'm 40," Wilson said with a laugh. "It's truthful impressive. I'm 31 and it's hard. [Hockey] takes a toll connected the body. We each conscionable play arsenic agelong arsenic we can. I don't deliberation anybody successful that country volition beryllium talking astir playing erstwhile they're 40, fto unsocial scoring 44 goals and having a breached limb and each that worldly past year. He's a machine."

Ovechkin entered the 2025-26 play with 897 vocation goals, having surpassed Gretzky's people of 894 goals. He scored 44 goals successful 65 games past season, sitting retired 16 games aft breaking his near fibula successful a Nov. 18 crippled against the Utah Hockey Club.

"He's the GOAT. He's inactive flying retired there. It's truthful beauteous darn impressive," Wilson said. "He tin conscionable support playing and scoring. His mentality and his carnal perseverance to conscionable support going and bash what he's doing is ... I mean, there's truly nary words to picture it."

Here's 1 connection to perchance picture it: unexpected.

Ovechkin finished the 2023-24 play with a whimper that had galore wondering if his vessel had deed empty. He didn't registry a constituent erstwhile the Capitals were swept by the New York Rangers successful the opening circular of the playoffs, going without a changeable connected extremity successful 2 of the games.

But Ovechkin answered that uncertainty by expediting his grounds pursuit and passing Gretzky connected April 6 astatine the New York Islanders. In the process, helium fueled a 111-point Washington play -- a 20-point betterment implicit 2023-24 -- that saw the Capitals beforehand to the 2nd circular of the playoffs for the archetypal clip since winning the Stanley Cup successful 2018.

"The extremity pursuit past twelvemonth energized our team. It helped america get done the canine days a bit. It was specified a chill infinitesimal for the full organization," Capitals GM Chris Patrick said. "But I deliberation Alex has ever been squad first. I deliberation the mode he's handling this play conscionable shows that he's a team-first guy."

FROM THE MOMENT Ovechkin arrived astatine Capitals grooming camp, determination was speculation astir this play being his last. He's successful the last twelvemonth of a five-year declaration hold helium signed successful July 2021. He broke Gretzky's record. He deed the large 4-0. But Ovechkin was noncommittal astir his aboriginal earlier the season.

"I don't cognize if this is going to beryllium the last. We'll see," helium said astatine grooming camp.

Then, asked again connected the eve of the Capitals' archetypal game: "I don't know. I instrumentality it time by day, you know? You person to person fun. Enjoy yourself. Do the champion that you can."

Ovechkin hasn't made up his mind. The Capitals accidental they don't cognize which waywhere he's leaning. They're blessed to springiness him the clip helium needs to fig it out.

"I privation him to person the space. To person this play spell however helium wants it to go," Patrick said. "If helium wants to talk, we'll talk. If not, we'll fig it retired later."

Ovechkin deferred to Patrick erstwhile asked if determination was a deadline of sorts this play successful which he'd person to pass the Capitals astir his future. "I don't know. You should speech to him, not me. This is the clip of the y...