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Alex Ovechkin

Morning Notes: Ovechkin, Zub, Avon

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It’s been a horrid start to the season for the Capitals, who sit at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division with a 1-2-0 record and just four goals scored. Only the Kraken have potted less while playing in as many games. A fair bit of this poor performance has been precipitated by the unusual early-season struggles of captain Alex Ovechkin – as multiple people have pointed out over the last 12 hours, Ovechkin has now failed to record a shot on goal in back-to-back contests for the first time in his 19-season, 1,350-game NHL career.

Ovechkin had four shots on goal in the team’s season-opening loss to the Penguins last week, and it took him until Wednesday night’s 6-1 defeat at the hands of the Senators to record a point – a primary assist on John Carlson’s goal. While head coach Spencer Carbery shuffled around some lines ahead of the Ottawa game, Ovechkin had spent the first two games of the season on a line with Nicklas Bäckström and T.J. Oshie – one that expectedly lacked speed in the year 2023 and struggled heavily to limit defensive opportunities. Ovechkin does, however, lead the team in Corsi share at even strength with 54.5%, and he’s likely been a tad unlucky over the past few contests. Still, the scoring will need to kick into high gear soon for Ovechkin to resume his quest of becoming the NHL’s all-time goals leader.

Other items of interest this Thursday morning:

  • Senators head coach D.J. Smith does not believe defenseman Artem Zub will be out long-term after taking a puck to the jaw in last night’s win against the Capitals. Early in the third period, a shot close in from Ovechkin rocketed up Zub’s stick and hit him in the face, a concerning incident for a player who missed 12 games last season with a broken jaw. Zub has been outstanding in the early going, recording a goal and two assists in four contests and laying a team-high eight hits. The Sens are on a decisive three-game win streak, outscoring opponents by 11 goals in the process. Possession numbers suggest some team-wide regression may be incoming, but it’s a huge improvement over their poor starts to the past few campaigns, derailing hope and chemistry while trying to return to the playoff picture.
  • The Flyers have activated forward Jon-Randall Avon off season-opening injured reserve and assigned him to the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms, per CapFriendly. The 20-year-old center prospect sustained a PCL sprain while preparing for rookie camps that was expected to sideline him for four to six weeks, and he’s returned at the early end of that timeline. A free-agent signing of the Flyers almost immediately after going undrafted in 2021, Avon has put up over a point per game during his past two campaigns with OHL Peterborough and he’s beginning to look like a diamond-in-the-rough type pickup for the Flyers organization. He’ll report to the Phantoms for his first pro hockey experience.

Latest On Alex Ovechkin

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The Washington Capitals have an important season coming up, with the performance of rookie head coach Spencer Carbery and Alex Ovechkin’s chase of Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record likely to take center stage as key storylines.

Ovechkin’s pursuit of Gretzky is likely to be the most significant storyline in Washington until Ovechkin manages to score his 895th goal.

In order to do so, the soon-to-be 38-year-old will need to remain in top shape and a consistent goal-scoring threat.

Despite his advanced age, Ovechkin hasn’t shown major signs of slowing down. He scored 42 goals and 75 points, though he did battle through a few injuries and ended up only playing in 73 games.

That could end up a more common concern for Ovechkin as he gets even older, though for what it’s worth Ovechkin doesn’t feel as though his health is anything to worry about at the current moment.

Ovechkin told Russian news outlet R-Sport that he feels he is in good health with everything to normal standard so far, and that yesterday he returned to North America to ramp up his preparations for the new season.

For as long as Ovechkin is healthy and chasing Gretzky’s record, one can anticipate the Capitals to avoid entering into a rebuild and instead focus on supporting Ovechkin and putting a contending team around him.

There were some who hoped that the Capitals would plunge deeper into a rebuild-like direction after their disappointing 2022-23, but Capitals GM Brian MacLellan resisted such calls. He aggressively targeted more NHL-ready young talent, showing a willingness to trade valuable draft picks in order to do so. He traded a first-round pick in order to land Rasmus Sandin from the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the 23-year-old provided an immediate return on the investment by scoring 15 points in just 19 games as a Capital.

But while Ovechkin’s place as the Capitals’ centerpiece player for the next few seasons is secure and untouchable, there are a few big-name players in Washington entering the season with high stakes.

Evgeny Kuznetsov has been a source of frustration and great optimism for Capitals fans in recent years, and after scoring just 12 goals last season is entering a make-or-break year for his future in Washington. Anthony Mantha, 28, is a pending unrestricted free agent who scored just 27 points last year. Both of those names are entering extremely important campaigns, and while the stakes aren’t as high as an all-time goal record chase, they matter quite a bit to each of those veteran’s playing futures.

With training camp approaching quickly, the Capitals look to be one of the NHL’s more interesting teams. Ovechkin and his record chase are a major reason for that, and thankfully for hockey fans around the world it appears that despite his advanced age Ovechkin shows no signs of slowing down, and is feeling in perfectly good health in advance of puck drop next month.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

East Notes: Lafreniere, Ovechkin, Panthers

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While Alexis Lafreniere is one of 13 restricted free agents still looking for a contract for next season, he told Simon-Olivier Lorange of La Presse that discussions are ongoing and that he’s hoping to see a deal reached within the next few weeks.  The 2020 top pick has had some ups and downs in his young career as he looks to secure a full-time spot in the top six for the Rangers.  Coming off a 39-point season and the fact that New York’s cap space is quite limited, it’s a lock that Lafreniere won’t be getting a long-term agreement when an agreement is reached.  At this point, the question is likely more if he’ll be receiving a one-year bridge deal or a two-year pact.  Either way, he’ll have arbitration eligibility when that contract expires.

Elsewhere in the East:

  • In an interview with Mikhail Zislis of Sport-Express, Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin indicated that he was pleased with Washington’s decision to hire Spencer Carbery as their new coach, citing Carbery’s familiarity with the organization having spent time as the coach with AHL Hershey. The 37-year-old was also asked about the possibility of changing teams one day but answered that unless the team asked him to accept a move, it wouldn’t make sense for him to move on as long as everything continues to suit him.  Ovechkin has three years left on his contract with a $9.5MM AAV.
  • While the Panthers have some short-term wiggle room from a salary cap perspective with both Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour likely to start on LTIR, George Richards of Florida Hockey Now figures that Florida is done on the free agent front this summer. They were active on the back end on the open market, adding four players that project to be on their roster when the season starts while they also added Evan Rodrigues and Kevin Stenlund up front.  Eric Staal, who spent most of 2022-23 on the fourth line, is still unsigned but Richards feels he’s unlikely to accept a PTO this time around without a likely roster spot available for him; Stenlund is likely to fill that particular spot on the depth chart.

Capitals Notes: Oshie, Kuznetsov, Wilson

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The Washington Capitals cleaned out their lockers after a rare non-playoff season for the team. This is just the second time the Capitals have missed the playoffs since 2008. The Alex Ovechkin era in Washington has resulted in one Stanley Cup, but is it a rarity to see the team miss the playoffs altogether. Players were understandably frustrated when talking to the media while clearing out their belongings, but some are hopeful to return long-term while others have more questionable futures with the Capitals.

T.J. Oshie is one player that will surely be back. He has two more years remaining on his contract with a $5.75MM cap hit. The 36-year-old winger scored 19 goals and 35 points in 58 games this season but was shut down late in the year and has not played a game since March 30. He was listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury but provided more context today. According to Tarik El-Bashir of The Athletic, Oshie had a minor procedure on his back, but is feeling much better already and is looking forward to a regular summer of working out.

  • One player whose status is more in question moving forward is Evgeny Kuznetsov. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports that Kuznetsov has indeed changed agents and they will speak to the Capitals about the Russian’s future in Washington. There have been rumors circling around Kuznetsov’s availability for two years, but the Capitals are yet to move on from their 2010 first-round pick. The 30-year-old center has two years remaining on his contract with a $7.8MM cap hit, so finding the right cap fit on the trade market will be key if they do choose to go down that route.
  • Matt Weyrich of NBCS Washington reports one player who wants to remain a Capital for a long time is Tom Wilson. He is heading into the final year of his contract with a cap hit of $5.16MM but the gritty 29-year-old right winger said he does not want to play games in contract negotiations and he can’t imagine playing hockey for another team. He scored 13 goals and 22 points in 33 games this season after missing a significant amount of time with injury to begin the campaign. He is not eligible to sign an extension until July 1, but he is a name worth keeping an eye on to see if he extends as soon as possible.

Washington Capitals Reassign Henrik Borgstrom

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April 13: Borgstrom has been returned to the AHL after making his season debut and seeing just eight minutes of ice time.

April 11: The Washington Capitals have recalled forward Henrik Borgstrom from the AHL’s Hershey Bears, the team announced Tuesday.

Borgstrom joins the Capitals due to a rash of injuries as their season draws to a disappointing close. T.J. Oshie, Nic Dowd, Trevor van Riemsdyk, and Anthony Mantha will stay out of the lineup tonight against the Boston Bruins, per head coach Peter Laviolette. Alex Ovechkin will also sit out of the lineup, not traveling with the team due to an upper-body injury. He remains day-to-day.

With just a few days left on the 2022-23 regular season calendar, this is Borgstrom’s first recall since clearing waivers at the beginning of the year. The 25-year-old signed a one-year deal with Washington in free agency after the Chicago Blackhawks did not issue him a qualifying offer.

He’s recorded 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists) in 54 games with Hershey this season, disappointing production for the 2016 23rd overall pick. The 6-foot-3, 199-pound forward had seven points in 52 games as a full-time Blackhawk last year.

Borgstrom’s offensive production has trailed off since leaving the University of Denver in 2018, where he recorded 52 points in 40 games during his sophomore campaign. He’s managed just over 100 NHL games since then, failing to make any notable impact.

Evening Notes: Ovechkin, Harrington, Hughes

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Alex Ovechkin will miss the Washington Capitals game this evening according to a team release. The Capitals star goal scorer is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. The 37-year-old winger has scored 42 goals and 74 points in 72 games this season, leading the team in scoring once again and reaching the 40-goal plateau for the 13th time in his illustrious NHL career.

The Capitals have already been eliminated from playoff contention in a disappointing season for the veteran team. They sit 13th in the Eastern Conference with 77 points in 78 games, but Ovechkin continues to chase history. He has scored 822 goals in his career, which puts him 74 back of Wayne Gretzky for most goals in NHL history.

  • Anaheim Ducks defenseman Scott Harrington will miss tonight’s game with an upper-body injury, per a team statement. The 30 year old has played 45 games this season with the Ducks, and has played over 20 minutes in each of the team’s past three games. The team did not give any further details other than to say Harrington would not play tonight.
  • Luke Hughes, recently signed to an entry-level contract by the New Jersey Devils, will get some game action soon according to General Manager Tom Fitzgerald (twitter link). Hughes was drafted by the Devils fourth overall in the 2021 NHL Draft and just finished his second college season. The 19-year-old defenseman scored ten goals and 48 points in 39 games this season and will likely make his NHL debut in the coming days.

Metropolitan Notes: Laviolette, Ovechkin, Mantha, Attard

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Once the regular season ends next week, don’t expect an immediate decision on Peter Laviolette’s future in Washington.  In the latest TSN Insider Trading segment, Pierre LeBrun noted that the belief is that the Capitals will take their time to fully assess the situation while also allowing the veteran bench boss to have some time to ponder his future.  The 58-year-old has spent the last three seasons with the Caps and his contract is set to expire so he’ll need to decide if he wants to stick around or see what might be available with another team.  While this season has been a tough one, Washington still has a .588 points percentage during Laviolette’s tenure.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • Still with the Capitals, winger Alex Ovechkin is listed as a game-time decision due to an upper-body injury, relays NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti (Twitter link). The 37-year-old already has reached the 40-goal mark for the 13th time in his career to help him lead the team in scoring with 74 points in 72 games.  Meanwhile, winger Anthony Mantha will miss his second straight contest due to a lower-body injury that also kept him out of Thursday’s game in Montreal.
  • Philadelphia has returned defenseman Ronnie Attard to Lehigh Valley of the AHL, notes Bill Meltzer of the Flyers’ team site. The 24-year-old played in two games in his recall, his only one of the season.  It will be his last promotion as Meltzer adds that Attard will not be brought back up in the final week.  Attard has 30 points in 64 games with the Phantoms and will look to help them lock down a playoff spot in the coming days.

Goaltender Mitchell Gibson Signs With Washington Capitals

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TSN’s Frank Seravalli is reporting that Harvard goaltender Mitchell Gibson has decided to forgo a year at Harvard to sign a one-year deal with the Washington Capitals. Gibson’s deal is technically an entry level deal because of his age, meaning that he will likely sign an amateur tryout agreement with Washington’s AHL affiliate the Hershey Bears for the remainder of this season.

The 23-year-old netminder has flourished in the NCAA since being Washington’s fourth round pick in the 2018 NHL entry draft. This past season he posted an 18-7-2 record with a .919 save percentage and 2.25 goals against average. Gibson’s stellar numbers led to him being named a semi-finalist for the Mike Richter Award as the nation’s top goaltender.

The Capitals currently have one of the worst prospect pools in the NHL, but they have moved up the farm system rankings in recent years. While Gibson is hardly an A level prospect at his age, he does help Washington re-stock the cupboard after years of emptying it to compete for Stanley Cups during the Alex Ovechkin era.

Washington will likely give Gibson plenty of time to develop in Hershey. Goaltenders tend to be late bloomers and Washington has very little urgency to rush him with Darcy Kuemper and Charlie Lindgren still under contract for at least the next two seasons.

Injury Notes: Ovechkin, Stamkos, Morrissey

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Shortly after the announcement that Alex Ovechkin would be a game-time decision for the Washington Capitals tonight, the team confirmed that their captain will be sitting out with a lower-body injury. This will only be the 53rd game that Ovechkin has missed due to injury in his entire career.

The Capitals chose to be sellers at the deadline, but they still sit only a few points back of the Eastern Conference wild-card race. As they looked to pick up a crucial two points against their Metropolitan rival tonight, it will now be even more difficult without their top scorer in the lineup. Replacing Ovechkin in the lineup will be recent callup, Joe Snively. Although Snively has yet to score at a consistent level in the NHL, he has been a very productive forward for the Capitals’ AHL affiliate Hershey Bears.

Other notes:

  • Similar to Washington, the Tampa Bay Lightning announced that their captain will also be sitting out tonight with a lower-body injury. During a game against the Chicago Blackhawks on March 11th, Steven Stamkos awkwardly collided with Blackhawks forward Joey Anderson, sending him to the dressing room for the remainder of the game. Although he did play Sunday against the Winnipeg Jets, he will not play in tonight’s game against the New Jersey Devils, likely to make sure his left leg has fully recovered.
  • After sitting out on Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Ken Wiebe of Sportsnet reports that Jets’ defenseman Josh Morrissey will not play in tonight’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes as well. In his absence, the Jets will give depth defenseman Kyle Capobianco the nod as he will replace Morrissey in the lineup.

Capitals Notes: Ovechkin, Milano, Snively

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In a recent tweet thread from Roman Stubbs of the Washington Post, he shares that Washington captain Alex Ovechkin will be a game-time decision for the team’s game tonight against the New York Rangers. After recording an assist in their most recent win against the New York Islanders, it was noted that Ovechkin did not participate in the team’s practice the next day for ’maintenance’. Stubbs shares that Ovechkin appears to be dealing with a lower-body issue, and head coach Peter Laviolette will wait to make a decision on the Russian forward.

Other notes:

  • Included in the thread, Stubbs mentions that Capitals’ forward Sonny Milano is confirmed to be out of the lineup tonight, as he is dealing with a ’non-Covid illness’. Replacing Milano in the lineup is young forward Aliaksei Protas. In 43 games so far this season, Protas has provided the Capitals with three goals and seven assists. Although he does not provide the same level of depth scoring as Milano, the Capitals are in a position this year to give a few more games and minutes to their younger players.
  • After being recalled this morning on an emergency basis, Stubbs confirms that Joe Snively will play if Ovechkin is unable to. Becoming one of the best players on their AHL affiliate Hershey Bears over the last couple of seasons, Snively may be able to show what he can do at the NHL level against a very good Rangers team.

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