Capitals say they’ll have a contingency plan for whatever Ovechkin decides on his future

The NHL draft begins June 26, with free agency starting a few days after that.

“Ideally we would know going into the draft, but again, I think he’s earned the right to do the process how he wants to, and so we’ll just work with whatever we get from him, information-wise,” Patrick said.

Ovechkin, the league’s career leader in goals, scored 32 last season and showed he could still stay healthy for all 82 games. He indicated last week he was hoping to keep playing, but he also said Washington’s outlook next season could factor into his decision.

The Capitals missed the playoffs this year, but their situation is hardly dire. They tied for the 12th-most points in the league, with a poor shootout record and a brutally competitive race in the Eastern Conference keeping them out of the postseason. Much of their core remains under contract, and youngsters like Ryan Leonard and Cole Hutson offer hope for the future.

“We’re in a window where we’re trying to win,” Patrick said. “We have a good team here, and we’re hoping to add pieces.”

With John Carlson’s contract no longer on the books, the Capitals figure to have plenty of room to include Ovechkin, whose expiring deal carried a $9.5 million cap hit this season.

“We’re in a good spot cap-wise going into this offseason to have flexibility to do different things,” Patrick said.

If Ovechkin does retire, that would leave the Capitals with even more space to maneuver, although it would certainly bring about a new era in Washington.

“I think his presence is huge,” MacLellan said. “When he decides to leave, it’s going to be a big hole, personality-wise, leadership-wise.”

Patrick also said Monday defenseman Rasmus Sandin’s leg injury could carry over into next season, and the team is still eager to make a significant addition at forward. Whether that type of player will be available in free agency is not clear, but Washington is in good position to pursue a trade.

“I think we’re really in the best spot we’ve been in as far as having the stuff to trade that a team might want. We’ve got picks, we’ve got some good prospects. There’s obviously some prospects that we’re not going to move in these deals,” Patrick said. “From that perspective, our wallet’s full. If there’s an opportunity there, we’d like to jump on it.”

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Noah Trister, The Associated Press

by The Canadian Press

Capitals say they’ll have a contingency plan for whatever Ovechkin decides on his future

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