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Alex Ovechkin

Alex Ovechkin Out 4-6 Weeks With Left Fibula Fracture

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Nov. 21, 4:41 p.m.: Additional testing revealed a left fibula fracture for Ovechkin, per the team. He’ll miss the next four to six weeks, putting his return around Christmas at the earliest. He was already moved to injured reserve.

Nov. 19, 11:33 a.m.: It’s a lower leg injury for Ovechkin that will leave him out on a week-to-week basis, the Caps announced. He’ll undergo additional evaluation tomorrow.

Nov. 19, 8:59 a.m.: Capitals star Alex Ovechkin is being evaluated for a lower-body injury after leaving last night’s game against Utah following a knee-on-knee collision with Jack McBain, head coach Spencer Carbery told reporters postgame, including Tarik El-Bashir of Monumental Sports Network.

The Capitals will likely issue a further update on Ovechkin’s status at some point on Tuesday, Carbery said. He left the game early in the third period after his and McBain’s left legs inadvertently collided while Ovechkin was attempting to carry the puck out of the Washington zone (video via Sportsnet). The 39-year-old tried to remain on the bench, but after testing out his leg during a stoppage in play, he went to the room.

It puts a significant damper on a monster season for the future Hall-of-Famer. After scoring twice last night, Ovechkin had five goals in his previous two outings to accelerate him to the top of the NHL leaderboard with 15 in just 18 games. Not only is he on pace to break Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894 career goals this season, he’s currently tracking to become the oldest player ever to lead the NHL in goals while also breaking Gordie Howe’s record for most goals by a player in their age-39 season with 39.

Ovechkin missing any length of time puts all those marks in jeopardy. Injuries have been a rare occurrence for the 2004 first-overall pick, who’s played in 1,444 of a possible 1,503 regular-season games over his 20-year career. His last injury absence was a three-gamer in January 2024 due to a lower-body issue, and he’s never missed more than six consecutive games in his career.

In addition to his 868 overall goals, Ovechkin is also the active leader in even-strength goals (547) and game-winning goals (132). His 316 power-play goals and 6,690 shots on goal are already league records.

His potential injury also deprives the Caps of their best goal-scoring weapon amid an incredibly resurgent start to the season. After barely making the postseason in 2023-24 with a shocking -37 goal differential, Washington is 13-4-1, has the league’s best offense and eighth-ranked defense, and ranks second in the Metropolitan Division with a .750 points percentage.

If Ovechkin is set to miss any length time, all eyes will immediately turn to Dylan Strome, who leads the team with 22 assists and 28 points and a +18 rating. While his breakout has certainly helped The Great Eight along in his chase for the all-time record, Strome’s point totals have almost certainly benefitted in kind from having the Russian on his wing. How much of that pace he can keep up remains to be seen, while others like Connor McMichael (12 goals, 19 points) and Aliaksei Protas (seven goals, 18 points) will need to keep up their scorching pace to help the Caps stay in contention for the Metro title.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Capitals Recall Ivan Miroshnichenko, Move Alex Ovechkin To IR

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The Capitals have recalled 2022 first-round pick Ivan Miroshnichenko from AHL Hershey, per a team announcement. They had a full active roster, so captain Alex Ovechkin heads to injured reserve in a corresponding move after being ruled out yesterday on a week-to-week basis with a lower leg injury. Winger Sonny Milano, who’s out indefinitely with an upper-body injury, also shifted from IR to LTIR to give the Caps additional space in their LTIR pool.

It’s unlikely that Miroshnichenko will slide into the first-line left-wing spot vacated by his countryman’s injury, but the 20-year-old deserves the recall after a hot start on the farm. The 6’1″ winger is second on Hershey in scoring with seven goals and seven assists for 14 points in 16 games, improving wildly on a per-game basis over last season’s nine goals and 25 points in 47 AHL games.

Miroshnichenko, the 20th overall pick two years ago, got his first NHL action last season. He made 21 appearances for the Caps amid several call-ups, scoring twice and adding four assists for six points with a -4 rating. He was limited to middle-six minutes, averaging 12:08 per game with minimal special teams time. However, he positively impacted their even-strength possession numbers and finished fourth on the team in hits per 60 minutes with 11.76.

He’ll likely make his season debut tomorrow against the Avalanche alongside fresh trade acquisition Lars Eller and Jakub Vrána on the Caps’ third line if line rushes at today’s practice were any indication. Hendrix Lapierre will likely remain a healthy scratch, while Miroshnichenko should also get some reps on Washington’s second power-play unit, per Sammi Silber of The Hockey News.

The IR placement rules Ovechkin out for at least the Capitals’ next two games, but his absence will be more prolonged than that. Milano, who hasn’t played since Nov. 6 with his UBI, is now ineligible to return before their Nov. 30 game against the Devils and will miss at least five more contests. He has no points and a -3 rating in three appearances this season amid the injury and a lengthy run of healthy scratches.

East Notes: Zub, Ovechkin, Reilly, Hatakka

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Ottawa Senators defenseman Artem Zub has suffered a lower-body injury shares Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen.

Zub has missed 42 games over the last two seasons, facing a long list of short-term but nagging injuries. That includes routine absences with lower-body injuries dating back to October of last year. He found his way to success last season regardless, recording a career-high 25 points in 69 games and spending time on the top unit of both special teams. He’s set to return to that role this year, though a precedent of injuries could force Ottawa to be cautious about how they transition him back. The Senators have five pre-season games remaining before their regular season kicks off on October 10th.

Other notes from around the Metro:

  • Washington Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery shared with NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti that Alex Ovechkin could play in multiple preseason games after returning from a minor injury. Carbery added that this is the next step in ramping Ovechkin up to speed, as he prepares for his 20th season in the NHL – the most experience of any active player. Ovechkin is chasing Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal-scoring record, currently sitting just 41 goals back. He’s played in three preseason games every season since 2021, a tradition he seems set to continue.
  • New York Islanders defender Mike Reilly has returned to the team’s practices after sitting out with illness, shares Ethan Sears of the New York Post. He’s preparing for his second season in New York after recording 24 points in 59 games with the Islanders last year. Reilly was one of the few consistent pieces on an Islanders blue-line plagued by injury, though he only averaged 17 minutes of ice time. The 2024-25 campaign will mark Reilly’s 10th NHL season. He’s managed 400 career games and 122 points, split across six franchises.
  • New Jersey Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe shared that defender Santeri Hatakka is being evaluated for an injury, per James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now. Hatakka is in competition for New Jersey’s seventh-defender role, after spending the bulk of last season in the minor leagues. Hatakka scored 20 points in 48 AHL games in that stint. He was also recalled for 12 NHL games, though he only recorded two assists. Keefe did not provide any clarity on what Hatakka’s injury is or how long he’s expected to be out, though his absence could clear more room for Nick DeSimone and Johnathan Kovacevic in their quest for an NHL role.

Morning Notes: Shesterkin, Ovechkin, Chychrun, Clifford

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Superstar goaltender Igor Shesterkin spoke highly of the Rangers organization, but added that you never know what can happen, when asked about his looming contract year shares Mollie Walker of the New York Post. Talks around Shesterkin’s next deal will be the contract negotiations to watch this season, likely to be the deal that sets the bar for goalie salaries.

That’s an apt responsibility for Shesterkin, perhaps the best goalie in the NHL. He’s coming off yet another strong season, posting 36 wins and a .913 save percentage in 55 starts – a stat line that ranked second, eighth, and 10th among the league’s goalies respectively. Those are dazzling numbers, but actually marked a career-low year for the 28-year-old, who managed a higher save percentage in each of his previous four seasons. That includes his Vezina-winning 2021-22 campaign, when Shesterkin set the second-highest save percentage since 2000 – a .935 in 53 games, then only behind Tim Thomas’ 2010-11 campaign, though Linus Ullmark has since split the bunch.

Either way, the down year is much more a testament to Shesterkin’s greatness than a sign of decline. Even at his worst, he sits among the absolute best goalies in the league. The Rangers will have the dreaded task of paying for that value next summer. They may need to prepare for a deal north of $10MM annually – which would put a second eight-figure man on the Rangers roster, next to Artemi Panarin.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The Washington Capitals returned forward Alex Ovechkin and defender Jakob Chychrun to the practice ice early this morning, looking to catch both players up after Ovechkin missed parts of training camp with a small injury, while Chychrun faced an illness shares NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti. Both players could be headed for top-line roles this season, making their conditioning a top priority for the playoff-hopeful Capitals. Ovechkin in particular will be the focus of the hockey world this year, sitting just 42 goals back from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s scoring record. He’s hit that scoring mark on 13 different occasions, including as recent as the 2022-23 campaign. That record, and their role in Washington’s long-term success, will make Ovechkin and Chychrun two names to watch closely through the rest of the Capitals training camp.
  • Veteran bruiser Kyle Clifford has been designated as day-to-day with an upper-body injury, shares David Alter of The Hockey News. Clifford signed a minor-league deal with the Toronto Marlies last month, giving him room to join yet another Maple Leafs training camp. He’ll be working towards his 15th professional season when he returns from injury. Last season marked the first year of that career where Clifford didn’t earn NHL ice time, though he stayed true to form with 140 penalty minutes in 53 AHL games.

Metropolitan Notes: Ovechkin, Sandin, Mayfield, Karlsson

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While Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin avoided a new injury when he left an informal skate earlier this week, he’s still not 100%. Washington head coach Spencer Carbery said Thursday that Ovi is still “a little bit nicked up” from a minor injury he sustained while training over the summer and was slightly limited during the Caps’ first full camp practices yesterday (via NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti).

The 39-year-old isn’t concerned about it as he enters a campaign that could cement him as the NHL’s all-time goals leader. “You just have to be smart, and we talked about it with our trainers and the coaching staff,” he said. “So, I went [out] there just to see how I feel, and I feel nice out there. I was skating normal.”

Ovechkin needs 41 goals to tie Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894 career snipes and 42 to break it. Before dropping to 31 tallies last season, Ovechkin had 42 goals in 2022-23 and 50 in 2021-22 – putting some April 2025 history well within reach.

More from the Metropolitan Division:

  • Sticking with the Caps, defenseman Rasmus Sandin is still absent from camp festivities Friday due to issues with his U.S. work visa, reports Sammi Silber of The Hockey News. The 24-year-old Swede had 23 points (3 G, 20 A) with a -13 rating in 68 games during his first entire season in Washington after being acquired from the Maple Leafs before the 2023 trade deadline. He projects to start the year as Washington’s No. 2 left-shot defenseman behind offseason trade pickup Jakob Chychrun after averaging a career-high 21:07 per game last season. Without a full slate of practices, Sandin appears unlikely to be able to play in the Caps’ preseason opener against the Flyers on Sunday.
  • As expected, Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield is full go as training camp kicks off. He told Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News that his ankle “feels fine” after undergoing season-ending surgery to repair a fracture in March. Mayfield, 32 in October, sustained the break in the 2023-24 regular-season opener but played through it as best he could, posting five points and a -7 rating in 41 contests. It was an underwhelming start to the seven-year, $24.5MM contract he signed to stay an Islander for likely the rest of his career in July 2023.
  • Penguins star defenseman Erik Karlsson is absent for the third straight day of camp with an upper-body injury, relays Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He remains labeled as day-to-day but should now be considered doubtful for Saturday’s preseason opener against the Sabres. The 34-year-old played in all 82 games last season in his first campaign as a Penguin, finishing fourth on the team in scoring with 56 points (11 G, 45 A).

Metropolitan Notes: Crosby, Ovechkin, Broz

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Sidney Crosby’s extension structure could help open the door to a trade deadline move in 2027 if the Penguins aren’t competitive in the final year of his new deal, Rob Rossi of The Athletic writes.

The two-year, 35+ extension Crosby signed yesterday will be paid out mostly via signing bonuses – $15.53MM of its $17.4MM total value, to be exact. That means his base salary for the final year of the contract is just $1.09MM, per PuckPedia.

By the time the trade deadline rolls around in March 2027, Crosby would only cost roughly $240K in actual cash to any team hoping to bring the generational talent to their city for a Stanley Cup run. It would also be a relatively cheap proposition for a team to acquire Crosby during the 2026 offseason after his $6.53MM signing bonus is paid out on July 1, especially if the Penguins retained half his salary to reduce his cap hit to $4.35MM, as Rossi points out.

While core piece Kris Letang is signed through 2028, Crosby’s second-in-command at center Evgeni Malkin is now slated for free agency a year earlier than Sid in 2026. “If, after next season, one or both of his dear friends have moved on and the Penguins aren’t closer to winning their first playoff series since 2018, who would begrudge Crosby for wanting what could be his final NHL season to be a shot at the Cup somewhere else?“, Rossi wrote.

More from the Metropolitan Division:

  • Moving to Crosby’s longtime rival, Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is no worse for wear after appearing to strain a muscle early in Monday’s informal skate, reports Sammi Silber of The Hockey News. Ovechkin, who turns 39 today, participated in another informal skate Tuesday with no apparent restrictions ahead of training camp beginning Wednesday. The 2004 first-overall pick enters the season 41 goals shy of Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record of 894.
  • Back to Pittsburgh, Penguins center prospect Tristan Broz is quickly pushing his way up the organizational depth chart amid a strong rookie camp performance, writes Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The Minnesota native, who turns 22 in October, was a second-round pick back in 2021 and will embark on his first professional season this fall after winning a national championship last season as a junior at the University of Denver. Broz finished fourth on the loaded Pioneers team in scoring with 40 points (16 G, 24 A) in 43 games. A spot on the opening night roster will be difficult to land, but he’s at least putting himself high on the list of potential in-season call-ups from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Snapshots: Celebrini, Ovechkin, Avalanche

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The San Jose Sharks are eagerly anticipating first-overall pick Macklin Celebrini, emphasized by new head coach Ryan Warsofsky, who told Tom Gulitti of NHL.com that he’s expecting Celebrini to drive the lineup. Warsofsky said, “He’s so driven. I think at times we’re going to have to reel him back just because he wants to go, go, go, but he’s a super competitive, self-driven young person, which you don’t see a lot this day and age. That’s what impressed me the most.”

There’s certainly plenty of opportunity available in San Jose. The Sharks couldn’t make it to 20 wins last season, largely thanks to their 2.20 goals-per-game – the second-lowest in the NHL since 2017, behind the Chicago Blackhawks’ 2.17 average last season. San Jose has since parted with Tomas Hertl, Anthony Duclair, Filip Zadina, and Mike Hoffman – four of their top seven scorers from last season. They’ve been replaced by new signees Tyler Toffoli and Alexander Wennberg, as well as team captain Logan Couture, who’s expected to return from injury soon, and fellow rookie Will Smith. But those additions pale in comparison to Celebrini, who’s coming off a collegiate season that made him the youngest Hobey Baker Trophy winner in NCAA history – one year after winning the USHL MVP and Rookie of the Year awards in the same season. He’s a driven and impressive playmaker who seems poised for quick success. The Sharks will look to lean into that momentum by putting Celebrini into an immediate premier role in the lineup.

Other quick notes around the league:

  • Superstar Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin is planning to return to the United States in early September to prepare for his 20th NHL season, agent Gleb Chistyakov shared with MatchTV. Some Capitals have already returned to practices with their teammates, shares Sammi Silber of The Hockey News, though those skates remain informal. Ovechkin has stayed on the ice this summer, participating in a variety of event skates including a recent NHL vs KHL event that pitted Russia’s top pros against a menagerie of NHL stars. He’ll transition back into pro-mode soon, looking to continue his chase for Wayne Gretzky’s goal-scoring record into its second decade. Ovechkin currently sits 42 goals back from the record – a mark he’s reached in 13 different seasons, including in two of the last three years.
  • The Colorado Avalanche are still working to round out their lineup amid a cap crunch, which could lead the team to take advantage of professional try-outs as September rolls around. Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now posited four different options for a PTO, notably including former Ottawa Senators winger Dominik Kubalik. Rawal shared that Colorado frequently scouted Ottawa’s games last season and could be drawn to Kubalik’s scoring upside. The 28-year-old winger took a hard fall last season, netting just 11 goals and 15 points in 74 games – after scoring at least 30 points in his previous four NHL seasons. His rookie season in 2019-20 still stands as Kubalik’s career year, marked by 30 goals and 46 points in 68 games. He could rediscover that spark in Colorado, though he’ll first have to negotiate a PTO and win out a roster spot – both uphill battles.

Extension Retrospective: Alex Ovechkin

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It’s the third anniversary of the five-year, $47.5MM extension signed by Alex Ovechkin with the Washington Capitals in 2021. On the wrong side of 30 for a professional hockey player, Ovechkin has proven to be an above-average signing on a high-priced deal.

At an average annual value of $9.5MM, Ovechkin has been a point-per-game presence in his chase for Wayne Gretzky’s goal record of 894 goals throughout his career. Since starting his new contract in the 2021-22 NHL season, Ovechkin has scored 123 goals and 230 points in 229 games. Now, sitting just 41 goals behind the record with two years left to go on his current deal, Ovechkin should be able to cross the all-time barrier.

The major question surrounding Ovechkin’s legacy is his ability to win. The goal-scoring legend has one Cup ring under his belt from the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs but has failed to reach beyond that with the Washington Capitals. There has been some speculation that the team is more focused on Ovechkin’s individual metrics than the organization’s desire to win. The Capitals were able to navigate around Ovechkin’s contract this summer with several moves this offseason, which put them in a much more competitive spot than they were a year ago.

Ovechkin’s contract shouldn’t get in the way of any future spending for the Capitals — especially after the team made significant additions this offseason. Washington has made the playoffs in 15 of the last 17 seasons and should be able to help Ovechkin pursue the all-time goal record set by Gretzky and qualify for the playoffs in 2024-25.

Snapshots: MHL, Arbitration, ESPN

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The KHL will be testing a new backcourt violation rule in their junior hockey league, the MHL (Twitter link). The rule that will come into effect for the 2024-25 season will forbid players from skating the puck back to their side of center in overtime more than one time. A first violation will cause a stoppage in play and the team guilty of the backcourt violation will see a faceoff occur in their defensive zone. Any additional violation in overtime will cause a minor penalty to be called.

The trial run will be interesting to watch as there have been calls for this type of rule in North America, although no change to the rule is pending. NHL clubs have been utilizing their defensive zone in recent years as a reset during overtime and it has made 3 on 3 overtime in the NHL far less exciting than it was when it was first introduced.

In other news from around the hockey world:

  • David Alter of The Hockey News is reporting that the NHLPA has taken a new approach to arbitration hearings, opting not to release a full schedule ahead of the hearings. The news makes sense given that very little information is available about the scheduled hearings and they will begin tomorrow. The pivot means that fans won’t know about the time and date of hearings until an arbitrator has decided the outcome or the team and player have settled before arbitration. Arbitration can be contentious between teams and their players and might be something that is looked at the next time the NHL and NHLPA renegotiate the collective bargaining agreement.
  • ESPN released a list ranking the top 100 professional athletes of this century. The list was largely absent of hockey players but there were a handful that made the cut. It isn’t shocking to see so few players on their list but keep in mind that this is the network that owns a lot of NHL distribution rights and streaming rights at the moment. Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby topped this list for hockey players, finishing 22nd, while Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin was 54th, and Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid finished a shocking 98th.

Evening Snapshots: Wild, Capitals, Drysdale

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Earlier today, the Minnesota Wild announced that defenseman Jared Spurgeon would be missing the rest of the season due to back and hip surgery, and Joe Smith of The Athletic speculates that the organization may use their newfound cap space to improve their situation. Only two days ago, General Manager Bill Guerin publicly stated that he is unwilling to give up on the 2023-24 season, and fully expects this team to compete for a playoff spot over the next couple of months.

If Minnesota is going to operate as a buyer come trade deadline time, there are a few options at defense they could look to acquire. Assuming the team looks for a right-handed defenseman to replace the lost minutes left by Spurgeon, they could become a dark horse contender for a defenseman such as Chris Tanev from the Calgary Flames, or even look to acquire Tyson Barrie from their division rivals, the Nashville Predators.

In the next few weeks leading up to the trade deadline, the status of the Wild’s playoff chances should come into much clearer view for Guerin, which should help him steer the ship in a more concrete direction. Whatever the case may be, if Minnesota decides to make a major move to replace Spurgeon for the rest of the season, they will have approximately $5.1MM in cap flexibility to do so.

Other snapshots:

  • In tonight’s game for the Washington Capitals, they saw the return of their captain, Alex Ovechkin, who had missed the last three games with a lower-body injury. Unfortunately, the team will be without a few players, as Tarik El-Bashir of Monumental Sports Network reported that defenseman Joel Edmundson would not play in tonight’s game with an upper-body injury, and forward Beck Malenstyn is out due to personal reasons.
  • Moving on to another team in the Metropolitan Division, even though Kevin Kurz of The Athletic reported earlier that newly-acquired defenseman Jamie Drysdale was not seen at practice today, he was able to draw into the lineup for the Philadelphia Flyers this evening. Suiting up for the team in two games, Drysdale came down with an illness shortly after arriving in Philadelphia and subsequently missed the next two contests for the team. Drawing back in the lineup against the Dallas Stars, Drysdale has already skated in over 14 minutes of the game and has put two shots on the net.

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