Alex Ovechkin on track to play Capitals’ season opener

Alex Ovechkin is on course to be in the Washington Capitals lineup when they open their regular season on Oct. 2 against the Carolina Hurricanes. The 41-year-old winger has been dealing with a lower-body injury, but the team expects him to be available when the games start to count.

Head coach Spencer Carbery told reporters Friday that he anticipates having his captain ready for the opener in Carolina. The league’s all-time leading goal scorer would need to suffer a setback in his recovery to miss that first game, according to the bench boss.

No pre-season action as Capitals choose caution

Even with that optimism, Ovechkin will not dress for any remaining pre-season contests. Carbery confirmed that the veteran will sit out exhibition games on Friday and Saturday, as the club avoids unnecessary risk before the start of the schedule.

Ovechkin did participate in a full practice on Thursday, a key step that suggests he is progressing well. Still, the coaching staff is not willing to push him back into game situations until they are convinced he is completely over the injury.

“I expect him to be ready,” Carbery said, adding that something would have to change for Ovechkin not to play on opening night. He explained that there is little value in sending a star player into a pre-season game if he is anything less than fully healthy, even if that means sacrificing some game reps.

Health over rhythm for Capitals’ captain

Carbery acknowledged it is not ideal for a veteran to enter the regular season without any exhibition action, but made it clear that long-term health outweighs short-term preparation. In his view, having Ovechkin at or near 100 per cent for the start of the schedule is more important than getting him a handful of tune-up shifts in September.

Ovechkin remains central to Washington’s offence at five-on-five and on the power play, and his presence also sets the tone in the dressing room. Protecting their captain from potential aggravation of the injury now is meant to give the Capitals the best chance of having him available and effective once the intensity of the regular season ramps up.

If his recovery continues on its current path, fans in Washington and Carolina alike should expect to see Ovechkin leading the Capitals’ attack on Oct. 2, stepping straight into the regular-season spotlight without having played a single pre-season game.