Ovechkin New Contract, Is He Staying With Capitals Or Looking Around?

Talk in Washington will almost immediately turn to discussion about Alex Ovechkin now that the Washington Capitals have been eliminated from the 2020-21 NHL playoffs. His 13-year, $124 million contract has officially come to an end and he’ll need a new deal. Will that deal come with the Caps or is there any chance Ovechkin looks around at his options following a disappointing season?

There’s a number of reasons speculation might surround the player until a new deal with the Capitals is signed. There’s the always lurking topic of him playing back in Russia versus playing in the NHL. There’s the optics of some off-ice issues that surrounded the Capitals this season and there’s the fact the team failed to live up to expectations this season. He’s going to want a lot of money and while the Capitals are likely willing to give it to him, so might be a number of other teams.

Is it possible a team like the Montreal Canadiens, Los Angeles Kings or a club with money to spend makes a play for Ovechkin and offers him a chance to win? And, could Ovechkin be willing to take a bit of a pay cut to join a roster that has a good chance of competing? He’s already won. Maybe that’s not his priority. Perhaps, he still thinks his best chance to win is with his current team?

What an Ovechkin Extension Would Cost

Emily Kaplan of ESPN.com took a closer look at how much the Capitals organization might have to fork over to keep Ovechkin in the fold. Previous talk had him seeking $12.5 million per season. But, a flat cap NHL and a pandemic hitting teams hard might have changed things.

The buzz now seems to be somewhere in around $9 – $10 million per season. Of course, the question of term will now play a major factor. Does Ovechkin want another fairly lengthy commitment from the Capitals? Or, is he more apt to take things a one or two seasons at a time and weigh his options at the end of each season?

Kaplan believes Ovechkin will ultimately stay in Washington. The Capitals seem to think that will happen too. Coach Peter Laviolette said: “Well I’d like to think he’s going to be back. This is his team.”

An Interesting Offseason Coming for Capitals

Needless to say, this offseason will be important for the Caps. They’ve got the NHL Expansion Draft coming, a flat cap. Ovechkin’s contract and a potential trade for a player like Evgeni Kuznetsov. There’s a ton of talk that the organization might be ready to move on from this player.

At the end of the day, the hope seems to be that Ovechkin finishes his NHL career in Washington. He’s the face of that franchise and he’s arguably worth every penny he’s going to be asking for, even if his leadership skills came into question during this most recent playoff round. Most chalked it up to being passionate and if the Capitals are going to invest heavily in a player like him, ensuring he still has the passion to play may be their top priority.

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