Ovechkin back to help new-look Capitals gear up for Stanley Cup run

It took some time, but in the end, Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals gave everyone what they wanted.

Ovechkin and the Capitals announced Thursday that the NHL’s all-time leader in goals will return for a 22nd season after signing a one-year contract that could pay him a much as $9 million: $1 million in salary, a $3.25 million signing bonus and a $4.75 million games-played bonus (10 games).

That was welcome news to the Capitals fans who chanted “One more year!” to Ovechkin at the team’s final home game last season.

Ovechkin said following the Capitals’ regular-season finale at the Columbus Blue Jackets on April 14, “I hope it’s not my last game,” knowing the five-year, $47.5 million contract he signed in 2021 was expiring and his 41st birthday is coming on Sept. 17. The left wing also wanted some assurances, though, that Washington would upgrade its roster after missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season, so he would have a chance to win the Stanley Cup again.

The Capitals took care of that in the past two weeks. First, they added three-time 30-goal-scorers Jordan Kyrou and Alex Tuch in separate trades on June 23 and 24, respectively. Then, they signed forward Boone Jenner to a four-year, $23 million contract (average annual value of $5.75 million) and defenseman Vincent Desharnais to a four-year, $16.8 million contract ($4.2 million AAV) when the unrestricted free agent market opened Wednesday.

The announcement Thursday that Ovechkin is returning turned out to be the cherry on top of an aggressive offseason in which the Capitals catapulted themselves back into the Stanley Cup contender conversation.

“The greatest goal scorer in NHL history isn’t done writing his Capitals story,” owner Ted Leonsis posted on X. “Neither are we. Let’s chase another Cup together.”

As much as Ovechkin enjoys adding to his NHL-record goal total, which stands at 929 after he led the Capitals with 32 goals last season, winning has always mattered most to him. His chase of Wayne Gretzky’s previous NHL record of 894 goals, which he surpassed when he scored his 895th on April 6, 2025, against the New York Islanders, cemented his legend and, undoubtedly, was important to not only him and his family, but also the Capitals and the League.

He was never comfortable talking about trying to break that record, though, until after he led the Capitals to their first Stanley Cup championship in 2018, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the playoffs in the process. 

That competitive drive has remained as Ovechkin has neared the end of his career. So, he wasn’t interested in coming back to play out the string on some kind of farewell tour.

“Obviously, if I want to come back, it has to be a decision on, first of all, we’re going to make the playoffs and we have to fight for a Cup,” he said on April 16.

General manager Chris Patrick knew from his end-of-season conversations with Ovechkin that he’d be watching to see what the Capitals did this off-season. The Capitals are also preparing for life after Ovechkin, though, because his retirement is coming eventually. 

So Tuch, 30, Kyrou, 28, Jenner, 33, and Desharnais, 30, were added with the intent of them being part of the post-Ovechkin era, as well as potentially playing alongside him. Tuch was acquired in a sign-and-trade deal, bringing with him an eight-year, $84 million contract ($10.5 million AAV) he signed with the Buffalo Sabres before the trade was completed. Kyrou has five seasons remaining on an eight-year, $65 million contract ($8.125 million AAV) he signed with the St. Louis Blues in 2022.

“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 said after the completion of the 2026 NHL Draft on Saturday. “And these are moves for the next several years in the future as well where I think 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.”

Although Ovechkin and forward Tom Wilson, 32, are the only remaining players from the 2018 Stanley Cup team, the Capitals have an established “newer” core that includes forwards Dylan Strome, 29, Pierre-Luc Dubois, 28, and Aliaksei Protas, 25; defensemen Jakob Chychrun, 28, Martin Fehervary, 26, Matt Roy, 31, and Rasmus Sandin (injured), 26; and goalies Logan Thompson, 29, and Charlie Lindgren, 32.  

They also have some promising young players who are expected to a big part of their future, such as forwards Ryan Leonard, 21, Ilya Protas, 19, and Justin Sourdif, 24, and defenseman Cole Hutson, 20. 

Where Ovechkin fits into the Capitals’ reconfigured lineup is something to be determined by coach Spencer Carbery. Ovechkin remains remarkably durable, playing in all 82 games last season, but his average ice time of 17:27 per game (12:56 at even strength) was the lowest of his career, and that number might be reduced further this season. His time on the power play -- he usually plays all or most of each two-minute minor -- could also be trimmed.

The Capitals are better equipped to handle that now, though. Of course, as captain, Ovechkin will be an important piece, but he might be a supporting player instead of the lead on more nights.

That probably was part of Ovechkin’s decision as well. Ultimately, his desire to compete and his love of the game brought him back for more.

“I love playing hockey and competing to win,” he said. “I’m excited to come back and join my teammates so we can fight for a playoff spot and have a chance to win.”