The Washington Capitals can rest assured that Alex Ovechkin will return to the lineup after the Holiday break. It is unknown at this time as to what game he will make his appearance.
The left winger has been out since November 18th when he took a leg-on-leg hit against the Utah Hockey Club, resulting in a fractured leg, putting him out for 4-6 weeks of recovery time.
The Washington Capitals head coach, Spencer Carbery made a statement about Ovechkin’s progress. “With the timing of everything and the next three games and what that looks like for him to get these days, plus the break, for where he’s at medically, that’s the best decision for him.”
Ovechkin has spent the entirety of his career as a Washington Capital. He is still a key player in helping them win their first Stanley Cup Championship in 2018. He was also voted the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as the playoff MVP, leading with 15 postseason goals.
Early on in his career, he received the Richard and Hart Trophies as well as the Pearson Award. These came to him in 2008-2009 after he had led the NHL with 56 goals. By 2018, he had won the Richard Trophy eight times, the Hart Trophy three times, and the First-Team All-Star eight times.
Ovechkin’s first Washington Capitals Head Coach Glen Hanlon knew the player he would be in such a short time. “Within a week or so we knew that we had a real special human being here.”
He currently has 868 career goals during his NHL career. He is 27 goals short of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s 894-goal record. He has recorded 15 goals in the first 18 games of the season.
Ovechkin might be chasing Gretzky’s goal record, but he has already broken Gretzky’s record for most road goals.
He did tie Gretzky and Mike Bossy for the most 50-goal seasons in NHL history. He also became the oldest player in NHL history to score 50 goals in one season at 36 years old.
He broke the record for most goals scored with one team. He scored goal number 787 against the Arizona Coyotes in April of 2022 giving him this title. He bypassed Gordy Howe who had 786 games in 1,687 games played over 25 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings.
It’s no shocker that Ovechkin has made a fast improvement in his health and has returned to skating and drills. His desire to return to the lineup and continue chasing records is evident in his drive to get healthy.
The Washington Capitals are 23-8-2 in the season, placing them 2nd in the Metropolitan Division. Without Ovechkin in the lineup the team has remained steady with a 9-5-2 record.
Alex Ovechkin looks to make his return after the holiday, but this will not be in the game against Toronto on Friday, December 27th. His return will either be against the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday or against the Boston Bruins on Monday.
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