- Alex Ovechkin triggered his $4.75 million games-played bonus in Saturday’s win over the Sabres
- His cap hit stays at $4.25 million this season, but the bonus is expected to hit next year’s cap
- Read below for what it means for Washington’s cap and Ovechkin’s slow start
Alex Ovechkin just got a $4.75 million raise for showing up.
Saturday night’s 4-3 overtime win over the Buffalo Sabres was Ovechkin’s 10th game of the 2026-27 season. That triggered the games-played bonus in the one-year deal he signed in July, and it bumps his total take this year to $9 million.
The math is simple. Ovechkin has a $1 million base salary, a $3.25 million signing bonus and now the $4.75 million bonus. His cap hit this season stays at $4.25 million.
Here’s the part that matters for Washington. A bonus like this counts against the cap the following year, even though Ovechkin won’t be on the roster. The Capitals have about $2.31 million in space right now, mostly because Rasmus Sandin is on long-term injured reserve.
Cap projections have the Capitals about $1.36 million over by the end of the season. If that holds, the full $4.75 million rolls into next year’s available funds.
Ovechkin announced on Oct. 5 that this will be his final NHL season, as we covered in our retirement coverage. He told his teammates that morning, and the Capitals posted the news above.
The bonus is arriving during the quietest start of his career. Ovechkin has four points (one goal, three assists) through 10 games. He was averaging just 14:12 per night before Saturday, and he no longer stays on for the full two minutes of Washington’s power plays. We also looked at the two-year deal the Capitals discussed earlier this month.
Saturday belonged to Alex Tuch anyway, who beat his old team with the overtime winner. Watch it here:
Ovechkin will finish out the year at 41, with the bonus already in the bank.
