Alex Ovechkin finally addresses Capitals contract extension originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Washington Capitals are in a rough spot once the NHL finally resumes after the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. Mathematically, Coach Spencer Carbery and Co. can still make it to the postseason. However, they are no longer allowed to lose anymore of their games. There is also another point of concern that looms over them — Alex Ovechkin’s contract extension.

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Will Ovi stay with Washington?

As it stands, the Capitals are fifth in the Metropolitan Division with their 29-23-7 record. They are just 13 points behind the Eastern Conference leaders Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning too so they can realistically still make it. However, this would mean that Ovechkin would have to double up on his work such that they get a sniff of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

With his 41st birthday coming up and Father Time catching up, he might want to find a place where he could compete for championships without having to put his team on his back. This puts his future with the Capitals into question but it looks like that is not his main concern at the moment, via Tom Gulitti of NHL.com.

“No, I don’t know yet. We have to make a decision. We have to talk with the family, with Ted Leonsis, and then we’ll see,” Ovechkin said.

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He also outlined that the Capitals are in a much better position after the Olympics because of how they’ve figured their schemes, rotations, and chemistry out.

“It’s how I said, we have ups and downs. It’s not about me. You can see everybody was maybe a little struggling because last year, we scored like five, six goals in a game and it was easy. Right now, it’s a kind of a struggling to find a way to find the net and I hope this break is going to help us, and now we’re going to play much better,” the Capitals veteran star declared.

Throughout the 2025-26 season, Ovechkin seems to be having a very decent season. He has mustered up 48 points through scoring 22 goals while also dishing out 26 assists. Furthermore, his body is proving that it can still stand as he got 98 hits, 10 blocks, and seven takeaways. He is just a year removed from winning the Messier Award which means that his intangibles and leadership clearly impact the Capitals positively.

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