The latest Alex Ovechkin injury isn’t exactly what the Washington Capitals want to hear as they kick off the superstar’s farewell tour.
As it stands, the 41-year-old is currently day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. While Caps head coach Spencer Carbery did not delve into the details of the injury itself, he did explain that the NHL’s all-time leading goalscorer might miss the entire preseason.
“Right now, we’ll see how it goes this week,” Carbery said. “We’ll be off tomorrow and then we’ll come back and have two practice days, so I’ll be able to give you a more accurate update (after that) on when we see him play and how many games.”
Carbery’s comments, as quoted by NHL.com, don’t offer very many details into the prognosis of the situation, there might still be a chance that the Alex Ovechkin injury isn’t significant enough to keep him off the ice for Opening Night.
If he can’t go, the club will need to figure out its lineup without him.
Fortunately for Washington, offseason additions Alex Tuch and Jordan Kyrou should be able to pick up the slack. That’s why the loss of Ovechkin would be nearly as devastating as it could be for the Capitals this season.
Alex Ovechkin Injury Could Become Bigger Concern
For now, the Alex Ovechkin injury doesn’t appear to be a major concern for the Washington Capitals.
Yes, Ovechkin is considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury. And yes, Coach Spencer Carbery has not ruled out the possibility that his captain could miss the entire exhibition schedule.
That sounds relatively mild.
But it is still something worth watching.
Ovechkin turns 41 this season, and even though he remarkably played all 82 games last season, the reality is that his body has endured an extraordinary amount of punishment. He has already played more than 1,500 NHL games between the regular season and playoffs, along with years of international hockey.
The Capitals don’t need to rush for their blood pressure meds over the Alex Ovechkin injury at this point of the season.
They do, however, need to pay attention to how his body responds as the season progresses.
If this is simply a minor issue, Ovechkin should be back soon enough.
If something bigger is developing, though, Washington could eventually find itself needing to manage his workload or even play without its captain for significant stretches.
At 41, that possibility cannot simply be dismissed.
Could Injury Issues Signal the End for The Great Ovi?
The Alex Ovechkin injury situation makes this entire ordeal particularly intriguing.
Ovechkin already left the door open to retirement when he signed his one-year contract with Washington this summer. He ultimately decided to return for his 22nd NHL season, but he has acknowledged that decisions about his future would come later.
That means this season was already potentially going to be the final chapter.
Now, an injury introduces another variable.
Nobody should look at a preseason lower-body injury and assume Ovechkin is suddenly finished. There is no evidence of that right now. But if injuries begin piling up or his body simply cannot handle the demands of another full NHL season, retirement could become a much more realistic possibility.
That’s particularly relevant because Washington has built an entirely new-look roster around Ovechkin’s return. The Capitals added Alex Tuch, Jordan Kyrou and Boone Jenner after missing the playoffs last season, with the organization clearly hoping to make another run while its captain is still around.
Ovechkin himself said after signing that he wanted another chance to compete for the Stanley Cup.
That’s why the Capitals need him healthy.
The Alex Ovechkin injury may turn out to be nothing more than a preseason inconvenience.
But if it becomes the beginning of a pattern, it could also become an early warning that his farewell tour may arrive sooner than anyone wanted.
Alex Ovechkin Injury Gives Capitals New Concern Before Season