Ovechkin undecided on future as he plays potential final game in Toronto

Alex Ovechkin will wait until after the season to make a call on his playing future. The 40-year-old Washington Capitals winger points to health as the key factor in his decision-making process.

“If I was 35 or 25 it’s one thing, but when you’re 40 you have to think for future,” Ovechkin said.

There’s no doubt Ovechkin, who is in the final year of his current contract, is still loving life in the NHL.

“Still enjoy it,” the 21-year veteran said. “Still have fun. Still happy to be with the boys in the locker room.”

And Ovechkin is still productive with 31 goals in 78 games this season.

One year after breaking Wayne Gretzky‘s all-time goal scoring record, the Great 8 is closing in on another record held by the Great One. Gretzky scored 1,016 combined goals in the regular season and playoffs while Ovechkin is at 1,005.

Is that something on his mind?

“Well, of course people talk about it,” Ovechkin said. “But I’m concentrated right now on different things.”

The Capitals enter Wednesday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs sitting five points out of a playoff spot.

“We’re still fighting for a playoff spot, so we’re going to talk after the year,” Ovechkin said when asked about his pending retirement.

“We’re going to support O and however he wants to go out, he’s earned that right,” said Capitals coach Spencer Carbery. “Him taking time and wanting to make the best possible decision for him and his family, totally supportive of it.”

Ovechkin took a moment to gaze around the Scotiabank Arena prior to the Capitals morning skate on Wednesday. He has scored 25 goals in 30 games against the Leafs in this building and also celebrated a playoff series win here in 2017.

“It’s history, you know,” he said of what he enjoys about playing in Toronto. “Fans, you guys [media], it’s always nice to play when it’s sold out and people know about hockey.”

There’s always a buzz when Ovechkin is in town and that buzz would be even greater if fans knew this was his last NHL visit. But Ovechkin doesn’t seem interested in a farewell tour.

“Well, because I don’t know if it’s the end of it or not so we’ll figure it out,” he said.

“I think last year was a lot with the chase,” said Capitals centre Dylan Strome. “It was almost like a send-off kind of thing ... every single city we were going to, it was like the chase was going on. It was really cool to be a part of and I don’t think he wants to do that again to be honest. I’m not going to put words in his mouth, but he did say that he doesn’t want the big send off and things like that. He deserves whatever he would want.”

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Jake McCabe was asked for his most memorable moment facing Ovechkin.

“I have a recollection of him early, early in my career,” the Leafs defenceman said. “I was probably 21, 22, and he was kind of in that shooter set off a faceoff. I jumped pretty good and the puck was just laying there on edge and I just remember how quick he was able to scoop and get that thing off and it went right off the bar. I remember just thinking, ‘Holy s—t! How quick [did] that thing came off his twig.’”

Ovechkin’s shot is a marvel of modern hockey and a lot of work has gone into it.

“Somebody that worked with him or coached there [told me] that in his practices with people passing him pucks, he’s like, ‘Stop giving me pucks so flat in the wheelhouse,’” Leafs coach Craig Berube relayed. “He wanted it moving and rolling. He’s that type of guy. He knows in a game he’s not going to get it on the tape all the time where it’s going to be flat.”

And when Ovechkin’s hard work leads to goals, the Russian enjoys the moment.

“He’s just brought so much personality to it,” said Leafs winger Steven Lorentz. “Coming into the league, he was celebrating goals. It didn’t matter if it was an empty netter or his fourth goal of the game, he was celebrating the same way and that was rubbing people the wrong way at the beginning of his career, but now you look at it and you just know his passion for scoring goals is just on another level.”

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Is Ovechkin’s shot one of the hardest to block in the league?

“Yeah,” McCabe said with a grin and a grimace. “Typically, he’s one of those guys that’s on the right side and I’m usually on the left side of the penalty kill and I’m not that upset about it.”

McCabe ranks second overall with 183 blocked shots this season. He is just three behind Montreal’s Noah Dobson for the league lead. What would it mean to finish first?

“I’m not looking to go block 10 tonight to go get the lead if that’s what you’re asking,” the 32-year-old said with a wide smile.

But there’d be some pride in finishing first?

“Certainly, yeah, sure,” he eventually confirmed.

McCabe is blocking 6.51 shots per 60 minutes this season, which is up from 5.7 last season.

“That’s a big part of his game and even though we’re not in the playoffs and we’re not going to be in the playoffs, it doesn’t change,” Berube said. “He’s still playing that game and doing the things for the team.”

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The uncertain future of Ovechkin is a big topic in Washington. The uncertain future, in general, is the big topic in Toronto.

Neil Glasberg, the president and CEO of PBI Sports and Entertainment, watched the Capitals skate from the stands on Wednesday, just one day after it was learned he will assist MLSE president and CEO Keith Pelley with the search for the new Leafs head of hockey operations.

Florida Panthers assistant general manager Sunny Mehta is among those reportedly in the mix. Lorentz got to know Mehta “a little bit” while winning a Stanley Cup with the Panthers during the 2023-24 season.

“You saw him around the locker room and stuff like that, but you didn’t really deal with those guys on a day-to-day basis,” Lorentz said. “But any time you’re part of a winning organization, especially one like that that’s been to three Cup Finals and you win two of them, top to bottom obviously they’re doing something right and it takes every single guy in the organization. Whatever he’s doing, he’s doing a great job at. I didn’t get to know him on a real personal level, but just shaking hands and seeing him around the room, he was always a great welcoming guy, and he’s a very smart mind.”

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Easton Cowan looks like he’ll be a big part of the future in Toronto regardless of who gets hired by Pelley. The 20-year-old rookie is finishing the season strong.

“I feel good right now,” the 6-foot, 190-pound winger said. “Just playing fast, playing good hockey so just trying to keep that going here.”

For the first time since November and only the second time in his career, Cowan has hit the scoresheet in three straight games.

“Cowan is really playing well down the stretch here and really shown me something in different areas of the game, which is nice to see,” said Berube.

Cowan was on the ice, but did not confront Radko Gudas when the Ducks defenceman ended the season of Auston Matthews with a knee-on-knee hit on March 12. Cowan vowed to learn from what happened and be better. He is third on the team with 27 penalty minutes since then and has also landed 17 hits in the subsequent 12 games.

“Just his willingness to get involved and be physical and getting in there for people and protecting people and being a good teammate,” Berube said, when asked what’s impressed him about Cowan. “A lot of times young kids, you know, they just don’t take all that info in, right, but he does and [it’s] really good to see. It shows a lot that a young kid like that is not just focusing on himself and his game but the team and doing the job there.”

“He’s playing a grittier game,” Lorentz noted. “You see him getting into scrums and he’s sticking up for teammates. He’s really evolving his game and growing it in different ways. It’s great to see out of a young kid who’s not even 21. Yeah, it’s impressive.”

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The Capitals have called up Ilya Protas (6-foot-6, 225 pounds) who will make his NHL debut tonight on a line with his older brother Aliaksei Protas (6-foot-6, 250 pounds) and Tom Wilson (6-foot-4, 225 pounds). Add it all up and that’s a 700-pound line.

“I said I might have to suit up tonight to match the size and I’m going to be a little smaller than those three boys,” said Berube with a laugh. “That’s a heavy line. That’s a big line so it will be interesting to see.”

“I think it’s going to be heaviest line in the league,” Ovechkin said. “I think so, right? So, good luck.”

Wilson leads the Capitals in hits (175) and penalty minutes (117).

“In my opinion, Willy is the most soft one on that line, right,” said Capitals goalie Logan Thompson with a smile. “It’s exciting. I’m really happy for ‘Little Pro.’ He’s earned it. He’s going to show Tom up today on that line.”

“It’s going to be fun to watch,” said Strome. “Hopefully we can get on the ice a couple times after them and hopefully they wore the other line down.”

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Defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson will return to the Leafs lineup after missing Saturday’s game due to injury.

Projected Leafs lineup for Wednesday’s game:

Cowan - Tavares - Nylander

Maccelli - Domi - Knies

Joshua - Groulx - Robertson

Lorentz - Quillan - Jarnkrok

McCabe - Ekman-Larsson

Rielly - Carlo

Benoit - Myers

Stolarz starts

Woll