the Caps\u2019 2-1 win in Columbus to close out the regular season<\/a>. \u201cThat said, I don\u2019t think this is as simple as it may appear, as far as, \u2018Oh, he has a decision to make.\u2019 I do think there\u2019s some layers to it.\u201d<\/p>\nPlenty of people will be in Ovechkin\u2019s ear this offseason.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019ll meet with management, his doctors, his family, etc.,\u201d Raby said. \u201cI think, from what I understand, the team might be more prepared for this, might be more ready to move on than Ovechkin is.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s the fascinating aspect of this story: Franchise greats knowing when to step away before the team makes the decision for them. But Raby said that, while the team is ready to turn the page from the Ovechkin era, it doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019ll push him out the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cI should be clear that doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re tired of Ovechkin or his act,\u201d Raby said. \u201cWhen Barry Bonds and the Giants parted ways, there was an act that came with that. When the Packers turned the page on Brett Favre, there was a bit of an act with that. Alex Ovechkin the person \u2014 he\u2019s always welcome around the Capitals.\u201d<\/p>\n
Raby said the Capitals organization has a plan for 2026-27 that includes both sides of the Ovechkin retirement decision.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo the Capitals\u2019 credit, they have prepared themselves,\u201d Raby said of the Caps\u2019 life after Ovi. \u201cThey\u2019ve put themselves in position with a young core, a young nucleus. Look, you could never single-handedly fill Alex Ovechkin\u2019s skates, but they have set themselves up that these aren\u2019t going to be dark seasons up ahead. Whether Ovechkin retires now or a year from now, the team is set up for some sustained success on the other side of Ovechkin.\u201d<\/p>\n
Raby said continuing to play Ovechkin next season, which would begin around his 41st birthday in mid-September, would not be detrimental to the development of younger players for one key reason: The pivot to life after Ovi is likely to begin whether or not he\u2019s on the team.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs Alex Ovechkin saw this year, his minutes might be even more limited,\u201d Raby said. \u201cWe saw this year \u2014 his minutes, his usage, it was a little bit different. Leaning on him, for example, less than they would have in years past, and maybe utilizing him in different situations as compared to years past, when he played heavy minutes.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
Raby added that part of the reason for the transition is the Capitals\u2019 proverbial cupboard isn\u2019t bare, and the organization values its current mix of grizzled veterans, young up-and-comers and midtier tenured players.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis past season as a rookie, Ryan Leonard already hit 20 goals,\u201d Raby said. \u201cTom Wilson \u2014 he still has some tread left on the tires. He\u2019s going to be here for years to come, your captain in waiting.\u201d<\/p>\n
The team has youth up and down the depth chart to transition into a new era.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou also had double digit goals from a rookie lower down the depth chart, not a household name, Justin Sourdif,\u201d Raby said. \u201cThey are not single-handedly filling Alex Ovechkin\u2019s skates, but they are pieces.\u201d<\/p>\n
With Wilson in line to be the new captain of the Capitals, Raby said he\u2019s not on the trade block, but perhaps younger pieces could be dangled to add some elite scoring up front.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s actually a very thin free agent class,\u201d Raby said. \u201cI think there is an appetite to add through trades, as the Capitals have shown a knack for doing over the years. T.J. Oshie, once upon a time, was a pretty blockbuster trade acquisition. I think there is an appetite to do what they weren\u2019t able to a year ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Great 8 had an all-time great 21 seasons in Washington. Whether or not Ovechkin comes back for Season 22, this isn\u2019t about when the Capitals turn the page \u2014 it\u2019s about the fact they already have.<\/p>\n
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\u00a9 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"WTOP’s Ben Raby, former longtime host of pregame and postgame shows on the Capitals Radio Network, frames a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":553468,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5114],"tags":[426,62628,191,5,4,62629,190,109,5222],"class_list":{"0":"post-553467","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-washington-capitals","8":"tag-alex-ovechkin","9":"tag-ben-raby","10":"tag-capitals","11":"tag-hockey","12":"tag-nhl","13":"tag-rob-woodfork","14":"tag-washington","15":"tag-washington-capitals","16":"tag-washingtoncapitals"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nhl\/116411272040589681","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/553467","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=553467"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/553467\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/553468"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=553467"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=553467"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=553467"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}