“I’m making the moves for what I think our team needs, what our hockey ops group thinks our team needs and how to make us the best team possible either with Alex or without Alex in the lineup,” Patrick told Washington reporters after last week’s draft. “These are moves for the next several years in the future as well. We’ve got a really good core of players over the next several years that we have a chance to be a contending team for a while here.”
Ovechkin is the all-time leader in goals (929) and power-play goals (331), and is coming off a season in which he scored 32 goals and collected 64 points. His five power-play goals and average ice time (17:27) were career lows but with a roster that now includes Tuch, Jordan Kyrou, Boone Jenner and several intriguing young players, it no longer has to be the Ovi Show all the time in Washington.
“He’s such a legend. If I could learn a little bit from him, that would be incredible,” Tuch said on his video call last week with Washington and Buffalo reporters before he knew Ovechkin was coming back. “If you know anyone that can get me a stick, I would love a stick of Ovi’s.”
Olen Zellweger joined the Buffalo Sabres in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks and is ready to contribute to the Sabres’ top four defensemen.Â
Tuch is sure to get that now. Ovechkin obviously isn’t the same player he once was, and it was a wee bit cringeworthy to see him just standing stationary out top on the Caps’ power play at times last season. But a better team likely will rejuvenate him some. We’ll just have to see what kind of distractions the club deals with, either the questions of is this it or all the farewells if Ovechkin announces early in the year that this, in fact, is the end.
“Growing up, he was one of my favorite players for sure,” new Sabres defenseman Olen Zellweger said on his introductory video call with Buffalo reporters on Thursday. “It’s always cool playing against Ovechkin, Crosby, those kind of guys you grew up idolizing in a way. I’m really, really excited to see that. I think it’s great for the league. He’s one of a kind, so it’s pretty special. He’s going to continue to add to his goal record there.”