Alex Ovechkin's future with the Washington Capitals is a big question in the NHL, and this time it comes with growing speculations from inside the league

As free agency opens this week, TSN insider Darren Dreger addressed this uncertainty around the Capitals' captain directly. He talked about how aggressive general manager Chris Patrick has been this offseason and how it hints that the team is moving on.

"Just how active Chris Patrick and the Capitals have been, all indications are he's not [coming back]," Dreger said on the July 1 episode of the OverDrive podcast, to explain that, among the league, Washington's additions may not have Ovechkin in mind at all. 

Over the past two weeks, the Capitals have acquired the forwards Jordan Kyrou and Alex Tuch via trade. Then, next, they signed forwards Boone Jenner and Jonny Brodzinski. Along with this, they added depth by signing defensemen Vincent Desharnais and Justin Holl on the first day of free agency. 

That level of spending and roster turnover is arriving before Ovechkin has made his decision public. This is exactly what has fueled the speculation Dreger referenced.

"But we don't know that officially yet," added Dreger in the same interview.

Patrick, when speaking to ESPN this week, said the Capitals still have both the cap and roster space to bring Ovechkin back if he wants to. He explained that he had talked with Ovechkin before he left for the offseason.

"I think we can do something that would work for Alex based on conversations we had with him before his leaving," Patrick said. "There are ways to get him the money that he needs because of his age and the kind of contracts you can do."

The Capitals captain just finished a strong season where he led Washington with 32 goals and 64 points. This pushes his career total to an NHL record 929 goals. He has said he is "pretty sure" he hasn't played his final game, although nothing has been announced yet. 

Meanwhile, Washington is not sitting idle.

Capitals’ plan to reshape roster as Alex Ovechkin dilemma continues

Whether Ovechkin comes back or not, Washington has already reshaped its roster significantly this offseason. 

The Capitals acquired Kyrou from the St. Louis Blues for forward Connor McMichael, prospect Milton Gastrin, and a first-round pick. They then arranged a sign-and-trade with the Buffalo Sabres. This sent David Kampf and a third-round pick to Buffalo.

Washington signed Jenner to a four-year contract, worth $23 million, and Desharnais to a four-year, $16.8 million deal. And Holl and Brodzinski joined on one-year contracts worth under $1 million each.

Amidst the additions, Hockey Hub News on X, a source closely linked to Russia and the KHL, reports that Ovechkin is set to announce his future plans on July 25 in St. Petersburg as part of the "2026 Match of the Year."

Do you think that Ovechkin’s Washington future is over? Let us know in the comments.

Read more at NHL Fan Central.

Written by

Aadhya Nalla

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar