Washington Capitals: The biggest question mark of 2021
The biggest question mark facing the Washington Capitals.
There are a lot of questions coming into the 2021 season for the Washington Capitals. While the goaltending issue is certainly the hottest topic around Washington, the biggest question facing the Caps is if they can extend the contract of Alex Ovechkin.
Ovechkin enters the final season of a 13 year deal that he signed back in 2008 and can become an unrestricted free agent at the end of
July.
After the Caps were eliminated from the playoffs at the hands of the New York Islanders, Ovechkin and General Manager Brian MacLellan began talks about an extension. After initial talks got off the ground the two sides decisided to wait and resume talks for training camp which starts Jan. 3.
More from Editorials
- Alex Ovechkin will score 50 goals in 2023-24
- It’s time for Capitals fans to chill out with the Anthony Mantha hate
- The Capitals Have Several Potentially Bad Contracts
- Nic Dowd looks to show reliability
- Dylan Strome’s Contract Could Be A Steal For The Capitals
Unlike Braden Holtby a year ago, there shouldn’t be any fear that Ovechkin is in a contract year. After all, he said on an interview with Russian Television International that he wants to play his whole NHL career with the Caps.
Fans can exhale at that statement. He wants to play “two, three, four years, maybe five” with the Caps before he returns to his native Russia to play for the Dynamo Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League before he finally hangs up his skates.
Like Nicklas Backstrom, Ovechkin won’t have an agent and will be negotiating the deal himself. We all would like to see Ovechkin as a Capital for life. He has transformed the franchise from the ground up after he was drafted first overall in 2004.
No deal has been done yet but it looks like Ovechkin will re-sign with the Caps unless things get dramatic and the locker room loses touch. That shouldn’t be an issue though as the Caps addressed what was at the top with the head coaching position and have brought in a seasoned veteran in Peter Laviolette and not someone who could mess up the room like Mike Babcock.
Ovechkin is coming off a 48 goal season that could’ve easily been 56 goals had the season not been paused or stopped due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
More. Washington Capitals: Breaking down their goalie situation for 2021. light
Speaking of 56, that will be the number of games that will be played this upcoming season. If Ovechkin can get 30 goals he’ll still be in good shape in the Wayne Gretzky chase. He’s now wheels up heading back to D.C. from Russia so here’s hoping talks resume in MacLellan’s office soon. Fans are counting on it.