The Washington Capitals missed the postseason in 2023 for the first time since since 2013-14 — and superstar Alex Ovechkin is locked in on making sure it doesn't happen again.
“In all the conversations that I've had with [Ovechkin], it seems like he's in a great frame of mind. Since being around him a few years ago, it's like he hasn't missed a beat. He's excited, hungry,” new head coach Spencer Carbery told NHL.com's Tom Gulitti this week.
At 37-years-old, the Russian sniper is entering his 19th season in the National Hockey League. But he hasn't missed a step, scoring 42 goals and 75 points in 73 games for the Caps last season.
“Everything that he's talking about is getting back to the playoffs and winning again and what are we doing to get back to being a playoff hockey team,” Carbery explained.
“You can just feel through the phone and through our conversations his energy and excitement and enthusiasm. I'm just looking forward to getting to work with him this year and getting camp rolling because you can just tell how excited he is about it.”
Washington is looking to make another deep run before The Great Eight retires, which realistically could be within half a decade. The Capitals will always have the 2018 Stanley Cup, but it's clear that Ovechkin is looking for more hardware before he retires.
And besides that, Ovechkin (822) is just 72 tallies away from breaking Wayne Gretzky's goal scoring record (894) and becoming the undisputed greatest goal scorer in National Hockey League history.
Whether or not the Capitals make the playoff next season is unknown, but Alex Ovechkin passing Gretzky seems to only be a matter of time.