Veteran Alex Ovechkin would become an unrestricted free agent after this season, but everything indicates that he will continue unconditionally with the Washington Capitals. In this way, the rumors of his possible departure or the expiration of his contract disappear to focus on these playoff from NHL by Stanley Cup 2021.
Neither the player nor the franchise seem concerned about it and are focused on the start of the First Round, in his duel with the Boston Bruins that begin this Saturday. The 35-year-old Russian is focused on the playoffs and has agreed to suspend talks to sign a new contract until the playoffs are over. Playoff. Remember that Ovechkin in 2008 signed a 13-year contract for 124 million dollars, spending 16 seasons comfortably in the franchise of Ted Leonis. Both want their careers to end in Washington, so a new renewal seems evident. The owner pronounced the following:
“Alex has been around for a long, long time and he’s very confident in us and knows the most important thing right now is to focus on the playoffs, and that’s where we are. And I’m not worried. He is not worried. Our concern is the Boston Bruins“.
The Capitals are looking to lift their second Stanley Cup, as they did in 2018. And after two quick eliminations in the First Round, they have a new chance after finishing the regular season second in the league. East Division with 36-15-5 (77 points, the same as the leaders, the Pittsburgh Penguins).
In this regular season Ovechkin missed the most games in a season, 11, four by Covid-19 protocol in January and the rest at the end of last April due to a lower body injury. He was boosted when his family arrived and after scoring seven goals in 19 games, he scored 11 goals in eleven games. He has led the Capitals this season with 24 goals, and has totaled 42 points.
Ovechkin has a total of 730 goals in his extensive sporting career, with just one more left to reach Marcel Dionne, fifth top scorer in NHL history. This year it has surpassed Mike Gartner (708 goals) already Phil Esposito (717) from the eighth position he started. In addition, 9 of them were in Power Play, and add 269, four more than Brett Hull and only five from the record in the league Dave Andreychuk (274).
Count on him winger for these playoff it is undoubtedly a very positive plus for Washington in the fight to seek another title. Ovechkin contributed nine points when they fell to Carolina Hurricanes in 2019, and another five points achieved when they also lost in the first exchange against the New York Islanders in 2020. In total, he accumulates 69 goals in 136 postseason games, being the player who participates in these Playoffs with the most goals and being the 18th in the history of the NHL. His average is 0.51 goals per game, the highest average of active players who have played 50 games or more in playoff.
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