- Ovechkin says he can still play and still bring energy heading into his 22nd NHL season at 41
- Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff puts him in the same group as Gordie Howe, Jaromir Jagr and Sidney Crosby
- Read below for the full breakdown of Ovechkin’s Stanley Cup push and Washington’s revamped roster
Alex Ovechkin turns 41 next month, and he is not talking like a player winding anything down.
Washington’s captain was asked about his body and his game heading into a 22nd season, and he gave Stan Fischler of NHL.com a flat answer.
“I know I can still play. I know I still can bring energy to the locker room and energy on the ice.”
Ovechkin then walked through what the Capitals did this summer, and he listed the new names himself.
“We added Jordan Kyrou, Alex Tuch and Boone Jenner up front,” Ovechkin said. “Plus, we have Vincent Desharnais on defense.”
His verdict on the group was one sentence long: “Look at our roster. We have a Stanley Cup contender.” Dylan Strome framed the season the same way in July, calling it Cup or bust in D.C.
That one-year deal, signed July 2, carries a $4.25 million cap hit built from $1 million in salary, a $3.25 million signing bonus and a $4.75 million bonus that pays out at 10 games played. Playing it out makes him the sixth player in league history to spend 22 seasons with a single franchise.
Rival front offices are not treating this as a farewell tour, either. Winnipeg general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff was asked in the same column about Ovechkin’s staying power.
“Ovechkin defies Father Time when it comes to being an impact player,” Cheveldayoff said. “He’s like Gordie Howe, Jaromir Jagr and Sidney Crosby.”
The production held up last season. He dressed for all 82 games and led the Capitals with 64 points on 32 goals and 32 assists, and Washington still finished on the outside of the playoff field.
Career totals now sit at 929 goals, 758 assists and 1,687 points across 1,573 games, all in one sweater.
One of those goals against Philadelphia in March gave him a 30-goal season for the 20th time, three clear of Mike Gartner’s 17. Take a look at the tap-in that got him there:
Team owner Ted Leonsis explained the decision to bring the 41-year-old back in two parts.
“Ovie has maintained two constants,” Leonsis said. “His love for the game and his relentless drive to win.”
A 2018 ring is already in the case. Season 22 is about getting a second one.
