Washington Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin seems to be in no rush to decide what comes next regarding his future in the league.
The 39-year-old Capitals captain is about to enter his final season under contract. On Saturday, Ovechkin told Andrey Senchenko of rsport.ria.ru on Saturday that he is not currently in negotiations with Washington about a contract extension.
"We are not in negotiations yet," Ovechkin said. "Would you like to stay at the club? A year will pass, and we will think about it. We will live and see."
Ovechkin will complete his five-year, $47.5 million deal at the end of next season.
Although Ovechkin has not confirmed if this will be his last NHL season, rumors have intensified since his wife Anastasia mentioned the family’s plans to return to Russia after the 2025–26 campaign.
Ovechkin later clarified that nothing is set in stone, blaming the media for turning his wife's comments into a story.
“Of course [there is no date set for his retirement],” Ovechkin said. “This is pure nonsense, which you [media] guys are starting to turn over and put Nastya in such a position. We’ll see.”
Ovechkin is coming off scoring 44 goals last season, thus becoming the first player in NHL history to surpass Wayne Gretzky’s career goal total with 897 regular-season goals and become the all-time goal-scoring leader.
The Russian winger also sits just nine games away from 1,500 NHL appearances — all with the Capitals — and is already looking forward to breaking that mark.
“It’s clear that playing 1,500 games for one team is worth a lot,” Ovechkin told MatchTV. “Very few players in the entire league have played that many, so… important for me.”
Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin speaks on nearing rare NHL milestone in 2025-26 season
Alex Ovechkin reflects on his journey as he approaches 1,500 career games with the Washington Capitals ahead of the 2025-26 NHL season.
The left wing of the Washington Capitals Alex Ovechkin, is on the verge of adding another milestone to his storied NHL career. After surpassing Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record last season, Ovechkin will begin the 2025-26 campaign nine games away from becoming the 23rd player in NHL history to reach 1,500 career games with the Capitals.
His path to this achievement was delayed after a leg fracture sidelined him for 16 games during the 2024-25 season. Despite the setback, Ovechkin has clarified that chasing personal milestones is part of his professional journey.
“You just get used to it, you're ready for it, it's clear that playing 1,500 games for one team is worth a lot. Very few players in the entire league have played that many, so this figure will be very important for me.” Ovechkin said, according to Russian Machine Never Breaks.
Ovechkin currently ranks 17th all-time among NHL forwards in games played and is set to become the 16th forward to reach the 1,500-game mark. No active forward ranks ahead of him, with Anze Kopitar next in line at 1,454 games. Among all active NHL players, only Brent Burns surpasses him with 1,497 games, and Burns is expected to reach the milestone first after signing with the Colorado Avalanche.
Ovechkin has long wanted to reach 1,500 career games, calling it one of his personal goals after setting the NHL goals record. In previous statements, he highlighted the special meaning of hitting that number, especially as the player with the most NHL games played by a Russian-born player. Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin remain the only active stars with careers spanning a single team.
When he reaches the milestone, Ovechkin will join Jaromir Jagr, Zdeno Chara, and Nicklas Lidstrom as the only European players with over 1,500 career games. If he plays at least 59 games next season, he will enter the NHL's all-time top 10 for games played, with the potential to climb as high as ninth place. The 2025-26 season also marks the final year of his current contract with Washington, though Ovechkin has not ruled out extending his career.
