Alex Ovechkin’s own teammates drop clues at his true plans after final year of contract

Could the 2025–26 NHL season be the last we see of Alex Ovechkin? While that question looms large over Washington, his Capitals’ teammates aren’t ready to say goodbye just yet.

In fact, according to longtime teammate Tom Wilson, the 39-year-old sniper might have “two or three more years” left in him.

“Who knows what he’s going to do?”said Wilson to NHL.com earlier this week. “I mean, if it’s his last year, I don’t know. You can never doubt the guy. He could play two, three more years. He’s a guy who loves to score. He loves the game of hockey.

“We’ll see what happens. He’s going to knock down 900 [goals] and then start chipping away at the next milestone.”

It’s clear Ovechkin’s presence still energizes the Capitals, especially linemates like Dylan Strome, who has posted the best numbers of his career since joining forces with the captain.

Before arriving in Washington, Strome had never put up more than 51 points in a season. But since joining the Capitals, he’s posted 65, 67, and 82-point campaigns. A transformation he credits, in part, to Ovi.

The forward pushed back on recent speculation that Ovechkin might hang it up after next season.

“Look, we don’t know if it’s going to be his final year,” Strome commented. “You kind of see what he said a couple of days ago, that it’s preposterous that people would talk about that this will be his last year.

“I mean, obviously it’s the final year of his contract, so anything can happen.”

Ovechkin is set to enter the final year of his five-year deal in 2025–26, a contract signed in the summer of 2021. As of now, he sits at 897 career goals, just 7 away from tying Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL record.

With 1623 points in 1491 games, a Stanley Cup in 2018, and no signs of slowing down, retirement may not be on Ovechkin’s mind just yet.