Washington Capitals Don’t Even Know Alex Ovechkin’s Decision
Dave Pagnotta of the Fourth Period joined Sirius XM NHL Network Radio with Gord Stellick and Scott Laughlin on Monday. He was asked about Alex Ovechkin and what his future holds with the Washington Capitals.
NHLRumors.com Transcriptions
Scott Laughlin: “Dave, going back to yesterday (Sunday), obviously, Colorado outlasted Washington. The Caps get a loser point. They’re barely hanging on within the playoff race. I mean, let’s face it, it doesn’t look good for them to be within the postseason within the Eastern Conference with these teams around them playing in addition to they’re for essentially the most part, and yet, Alexander Ovechkin gets his 1,000th profession goal. That’s regular season and playoffs combined. Only he and Gretzky have gotten to that time. Gretzky now 16 goals in front of Ovi within the battle for the all time lead when it comes to regular season and playoffs combined.
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We’ve been talking about this quite a bit here currently. What are your thoughts on Ovechkin? Like, do you’re thinking that he’s into the ultimate couple of weeks of his NHL run? Or do you’re thinking that that perhaps he comes back and abruptly we get the Anze Kopitar type of farewell tour. Where, at the tip of all of it, in every city he goes to, he gets the handshakes and possibly a few gifts thrown his way, those forms of things. I mean, what are the chances here? Do you’re thinking that for Ovechkin here in the approaching weeks and potentially even the approaching months ahead?”
Dave Pagnotta: “Yeah, I mean, look, I wish I knew. I’ve talked, I’ve almost bribed a number of the teammates and a number of the people in that organization as well. Do you already know? Come on, tell me. Give us some insight. And even they don’t know. They wouldn’t be surprised if he does keep it going. But he just hasn’t given any indication that that is it.
Now you may ask people to take a position and make guesses. Some people say, Yeah, this may be it and others would suggest, possibly he wants 1000 regular-season goals, not only across the board, so possibly it’s a pair more years or whatnot to have him back in the combo.
Look selfishly, I’d love for him to play at the very least yet another season and let everyone know that that is going to be his final season, so he can have that farewell form of tour. There was uncertainty at first of the yr. He didn’t know.
You take a look at (Evgeni) Gino Malkin, he didn’t know either at first of the yr. Because the season progressed, the way in which he’s played, he’s made it clear he wants to come back back, they usually’ll figure that out with the Penguins, once their season wraps up. Doesn’t appear to be it’ll be overly difficult to get a one-year extension in place for him.
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I’ve got to think that if he wants to come back back, the Capitals are going to maintain that open so long as he wants it. And, I do hope, as I said, just the selfish a part of me on the hockey side, we’d like to see him exit with a bang, do the total tour, and, honor his profession, and just how much of a talent he’s been.
So I hope this isn’t it. I haven’t been given any indication a method or one other, but again, if he’s going out, it’s obviously on his terms, and I hope we get at the very least yet another yr at it.”
NHLRumors.com Note: No person knows when these retirements will come. Wayne Gretzky announced it five days before his game in 1999. So Alex Ovechkin could call it a profession at the tip of the season. The Capitals play a home-and-home with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Sidney Crosby to shut out the season. So it will be fitting for him to retire against Crosby.
Again, all of it relies on how he feels and the direction of the team. But most want him to come back back to retire with Crosby.
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