Captain Alex Ovechkin has full confidence in the Washington Capitals as they continue their offseason.
When asked about Evgeny Kuznetsov and Washington potentially bringing him back, Ovechkin said the decision is out of his hands and told Gazeta.ru that he believes the team's front office can and will make the right decisions going forward.
"This is a business, it's the NHL. Everyone understands there may be some moves, but we'll see," Ovechkin said, per a DeepL translation. "Washington's scouts and general manager are among the best. They decide whether a player is right for us."
Ovechkin is entering the final year of the five-year extension he signed in 2021, and as he enters the twilight of his career, he and the team want to make another strong bid for the Stanley Cup.
Washington attempted to make some big moves earlier in the offseason, targeting Nikolaj Ehlers and looking at a number of other top free agents. However, things fell through, and ultimately, it's been a rather quiet offseason for the Capitals, who saw their season end in a second-round exit after a tilted matchup with the Carolina Hurricanes in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Still, management is confident in its group and its ability to remain a contender, as general manager Chris Patrick is incorporating more youth into the mix while also counting on re-signed winger Anthony Beauvillier and newly acquired forward Justin Sourdif to make an impact as well.
Patrick also believes the team checked off its most pressing needs during the season by re-signing Jakob Chychrun to a long-term contract and also locking up goaltenders Logan Thompson and Charlie Lindgren for at least the next three seasons.
Capitals Urged to Reset Roster Amid Alex Ovechkin Rumors
Despite finishing the regular season with the best record in the Eastern Conference, the Washington Capitals couldn't complete the goal of winning another Stanley Cup. Washington was bounced out in the second round of the playoffs, and they entered the offseason with a lot of questions.
One of the biggest has been around star Alex Ovechkin and his upcoming retirement. There were rumors around him retiring, but those were quickly put to bed.
But with Ovechkin still on the roster, the Capitals have to find a way to win next season.
NHL writer Joe Yerdon of Bleacher Report named multiple teams that should reset their rosters if they don't win the title this coming season. The Capitals were mentioned as one of the teams, and with the rumors around Ovechkin, things look a little bleak.
"Ovechkin will play as long as he wants to in D.C. and having a coach like Spencer Carbery helps make things a lot easier. But the plan for life after Ovechkin needs to be ready.
"If the Capitals don't repeat their success and take it a step further to win the Stanley Cup, figuring out how to play things is a much tougher thing to do than hoping running it back works," Yerdon wrote.
While Ovechkin isn't retiring this season, the Capitals do need to take advantage of his final years. The veteran showed that he can still perform at a very high level, and Washington's front office will need to maximize that fact.
Washington has a lot of pressure on it this coming season, especially after such a disappointing playoff run. If the Capitals aren't careful, they could waste the last few productive seasons of the All-Star.
