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The Washington Capitals lost captain Alex Ovechkin last month to a severe leg injury that would have sidelined most players for a significantly longer time.
However, true to form, Ovechkin has been tirelessly working toward a return and is rumored to be ready to rejoin the lineup immediately after the Christmas break. According to NHL insider Pierre LeBrun, Ovechkin could be on the verge of returning to the ice either just before or just after the holiday break, via the New York Times.
“As for Ovechkin’s all-time goals record chase, that will resume in short order,” he wrote. “He will potentially return either for one game just before the holiday break or should be ready to go for games coming out of the break.”
The Capitals, who are coming off a disappointing 3-1 loss to the Dallas Stars on Monday night, continue their schedule with a game against the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday night.
Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is within striking distance of Wayne Gretzky's all-time scoring record
Earlier this year, Ovechkin stated that he was grateful to have Gretzky's full endorsement for a new all-time NHL goal-scoring leader.
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“It's great,” Ovechkin said of his talks with Gretzky. “Even when I have a slump, he will sometimes text me and say, ‘Don't worry about it. It will come.' He's on my side.”
“If that kind of person is rooting for me, it's pretty cool stuff,” Ovechkin said. “He's the best player out there and he's a great human. He supports me and it's a pretty cool thing. I hope when it's going to be close, he'll give me some advice. But not yet.”
Gretzky, who holds the current all-time goals record of 894, described Ovechkin's powerful shot as similar to those of some of his peers he played against during his own career.
“I mean, it's his shot,” Gretzky said. “Look at guys like Brett Hull, Mario Lemieux, Mike Bossy. They get those opportunities. They don't miss the net. If you miss the net you can't score. Ovi. Bossy. Jari Kurri. Brett Hull. They never miss the net.”
“And that separates a great goal scorer from good goal scorers, right? And he can be in any spot on the ice, he's going to hit the net.”
Ovechkin appeared to have finally begun to slow down in the first half of last season, scoring only eight goals in his first 43 games; he rebounded to finish with 31.
