- Spencer Carbery says Alex Ovechkin will stay a productive impact player at 41
- Ovechkin returns for a 22nd season on a deeper Capitals team after a busy summer
- Read below for what Carbery expects from his captain on the revamped roster
Spencer Carbery isn’t worried about Alex Ovechkin slowing down at 41.
The Capitals coach got word Thursday that his captain will be back for a 22nd NHL season, and he made it clear Friday that he still sees Ovechkin as a difference-maker on a retooled Washington roster.
Carbery was asked what he expects from Ovechkin on the new-look team:
“He can still continue to defy odds and be a very productive, good NHL player for the Washington Capitals and help us win a lot of hockey games. And then also continue to be the leader that he’s been through his career as our captain.”
Watch Carbery’s full media session from development camp:
Ovechkin led the Capitals in goals (32) and points (64) last season, but Washington missed the playoffs and spent the summer getting deeper.
The Caps traded for three-time 30-goal scorers Jordan Kyrou and Alex Tuch in late June, then signed former Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner to a four-year deal and added defenseman Vincent Desharnais on the back end.
Washington made the reunion official last Thursday:
That’s a pile of new faces to fold in, and Carbery is counting on Ovechkin to smooth the transition the way he did with last year’s additions.
Carbery talked about how quickly newcomers feel at home around his captain:
“When they walked through the door, how welcome they felt and how they could be themselves so quickly and just worry about playing hockey and doing their thing and not walking on eggshells, that’s Alex Ovechkin.”
Ovechkin turns 41 on September 17. He already owns the NHL’s all-time goals record at 929 and shows no interest in stepping back from the room he leads.
Ovechkin might see a little less ice time on a deeper Washington team, but Carbery is banking on the same captain who helped the Caps finish first in the East two years ago.
