Alex Ovechkin's Major Step Toward Capitals Return Revealed on Monday

“Alex Ovechkin (lower body) has shed the no-contact jersey for practice with the Capitals' first group today. First time he’s cleared for contact since first day of camp,” Gulitti wrote on X.

Ovechkin, 40, left the ice on Sept. 18 during his first skate of camp to be evaluated, with all parties downplaying concerns at the time. After skating on his own and gradually increasing his workload, the forward resumed full drills ahead of the team’s remaining preseason schedule.

Washington will face the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday, then the Boston Bruins on Thursday and finally the Blue Jackets once again on Saturday to wrap up their preseason schedule.

Carbery explained the plan was to work Ovechkin back into exhibition games before the Oct. 8 regular-season opener.

“Another step in the right direction for him to get back to practice and potentially play in exhibition games,” Carbery said on Saturday, per Gulitti.

The Capitals have three preseason games left, with the coaching staff aiming to get Ovechkin into at least two, according to Carbery.

The Russian winger will enter his 21st NHL season having already established himself as the league’s all-time leading goal scorer, surpassing Wayne Gretzky last year.

Ovechkin sits three goals shy of 900 and nine games away from the 1,500-game milestone. Across 1,491 appearances, he has totaled 1,623 career points, with just one season below the 30-goal mark — the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 campaign — and has one season left in his five-year, $47.5 million deal.