“It was a good sign,” coach Spencer Carbery said. “Participated fully, didn't have to take any portions off, so that's a good step.”
Ovechkin, the NHL record holder with 929 career goals, left practice after 15 minutes Wednesday after not skating the previous three days because of his injury. The 41-year-old left wing has yet to play this preseason, and Carbery is unsure if Ovechkin will play against the Boston Bruins at Capital One Arena on Friday (7 p.m. ET; MNMT, NESNplus, SN1).
“I'm not going to definitively say one way or another,” Carbery said. “There’s a chance, but I'll talk to (athletic trainer Jason Serbus).”
Washington plays its preseason finale at the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday, so it is possible that Ovechkin, who is entering his 22nd NHL season, won’t play before the regular-season opener at the Carolina Hurricanes on Oct. 2.
Carbery doesn’t believe it’s essential for Ovechkin to play in the preseason, though.
“I don’t think so,” Carbery said. “Ideally, I guess if you ask me one or the other, I would say ‘yes’, but I don't think it's a real definitive (necessity) just because he's been through this so many times.”
Ovechkin similarly missed the first four games of the preseason a year ago because of a lower-body injury before returning for the final two. He went on to play all 82 regular-season games and led the Capitals with 32 goals and 64 points.
With training camp approximately a week shorter and the preseason shortened to four games as part of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, there is less time for Ovechkin to prepare for the opener.
But Carbery doesn’t think that will be an issue.
“I'm not worried,” the coach said. “At this point in his career, I'm pretty sure he knows what he needs to do to get up to speed for a season opener.”
