What Could Alex Ovechkin’s Final NHL Season Look Like?

It has been previously reported that the forward appreciated the way Wayne Gretzky announced his retirement. He did not have a farewell tour, but rather announced his retirement ahead of his final game, opting instead for a single ceremony celebrating his achievements and contributions to the game. Ovechkin could take that route — the Capitals play their final regular-season game on the road against the Philadelphia Flyers.

In a Russian-language interview, he was asked about his willingness to participate in a farewell tour. He replied (translated), “Anything is possible. We’ll see. It’s hard to say right now. Only God knows how the season will go. Will I agree to a handshake ceremony if the opponents offer it after the games? I can’t say anything right now; I don’t even know myself. We’ll discuss it when I get to Washington with my family.”

Even when he is finished in the NHL, the forward may not be done with hockey entirely. He has indicated multiple times that he wishes to finish his career with Dynamo Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), where it all began. We will see what the captain decides when he returns to Washington next month.

Ovechkin’s Season Performance

What could a hockey season look like for a 42-year-old player? By league standards, Ovechkin is well past his prime, but he has proven time and time again that he is not done. While he has visibly slowed his pace of play and is not engaging in rushes and tough puck battles as often anymore, he is still bringing grit, muscle, and high-scoring prowess to each game.

Last season, he led the team in scoring with 32 goals and 32 assists and played a full slate of 82 games. It would not be surprising to see the forward play at a similar pace. Alongside fast, skillful players like Tom Wilson, Jordan Kyrou, Dylan Strome, Alex Tuch, or Aliaksei Protas, the Russian can still be just as impactful on the game, even without the skating skills of a younger player.

He noted that he would not mind taking on a smaller role this season for the good of the team as a whole. We may see him on the second or third line and playing fewer minutes alongside speedy skaters and accurate passers who can set him up to score. This is an admirable move by the captain and another shining example of his humility and leadership.

Technically, every goal he scores is a milestone — no player in league history has more goals than Ovechkin. Fans have speculated whether he might play until he reaches 1,000 career regular-season goals. He is 61 goals away from that mark, so it is unlikely that he would hit it in one season. He has not come close to scoring at that pace since 2007-08, when he had an astounding 65 goals.

More than likely, his production will fall somewhere in the 30-goal range. It is unlikely that he will play yet another season in 2027-28 just to reach the 1,000-goal mark, especially if he wants to play in the KHL. Staying healthy is the ultimate goal this season, especially if the Capitals do make a playoff run as they hope. Even if it means lowering his production, Ovechkin and his trainers will do whatever it takes to protect and preserve his physical health as he reaches the end of his NHL career.

No matter the outcome of this season, fans, players, and staff league-wide know that they have witnessed greatness in the Ovechkin era of hockey. We will have to see where the season takes him and the Capitals, if and how he chooses to be celebrated, and if 2026-27 will be the final run for a living legend.