Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin has finally made his decision for the 2026-27 season, and he has signed a one-year deal to return.
While Capitals fans are excited to see their franchise icon return for what could be his final season, his former teammates seemed to think that he was never going to retire.
John Carlson, who recently signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning, had an interview with Tom Gulitti, and said, "I just felt it. He didn't explicitly say it to me, but you can just tell," in regards to Ovechkin returning.
Carlson continued, "I'm sure that there was conversations to be had and decisions to be made on his end, too, but it just was always my gut feeling that he wasn't ready to give it up and good for him."
He had praise for his former teammate as well, stating, "He's been an amazing player for far too long in this league, and it's just incredible what he's been able to accomplish. I'm thrilled that he gets to keep living out that dream and to have his say in it and all that, it's amazing."
Carlson was also asked if he was looking forward to playing against Ovechkin, to which he replied, "I wouldn't say ‘Looking forward,’ no. I'm truly happy for him. I felt that he really wanted to come back, and I'm glad that he came to that decision. I think it's great for everyone."
The Capitals and Lightning are both expected to be strong contenders this season, with both of them having made strong additions this offseason to try and contend for a Stanley Cup. Carlson and Ovechkin playing against each other should be a fun battle to watch, but seeing both teams as strong contenders when they face off against each other will be fun games to watch.
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