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Insider: Capitals' Alex Ovechkin Injury Worse Than Expected

The Washington Capitals might be without Alex Ovechkin for longer than what they've stated.

Nick Horwat

Nov 18, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) warms up before the game against the Utah Hockey Club at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images
Nov 18, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) warms up before the game against the Utah Hockey Club at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images / Rob Gray-Imagn Images
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The Washington Capitals were one of the biggest surprises to start the 2024-25 season with a 13-4-1 record through 18 games, sitting atop the Eastern Conference. Much of the Capitals’ success came from the stellar play of 39-year-old captain Alex Ovechkin, who turned back the clock to score 15 goals before the quarter mark of the season.

While plenty of players around the lineup are performing at a great pace, the Capitals will have to find a way to keep winning without Ovechkin for some time. Ovechkin suffered an unfortunate lower-body injury in the contest against the Utah Hockey Club.

Ovechkin did not finish the game and was later ruled out on a week-to-week basis while he gets further evaluations. According to one insider, week-to-week may have been a generous timeline.

ESPN’s Kevin Weekes hinted to Jay Onrait of TSN that Ovechkin’s injury might be more severe than initially believed.

“It’s a tough injury,” Weekes said. “And I have to tell you, they said it’s week-to-week, I believe it could be more severe than that, unfortunately.”

Weekes didn’t say he was told from any sources or that he has special insight on why it may be longer than expected, but this still sounds concerning for Capitals fans.

“We root for the health and safety of all the players,” Weekes said. “But that was a tough one to see happen there.”

In the third period against Utah, Ovechkin was skating through the middle of the ice, looking to pick up a loose puck. The knee of Utah’s Jack McBain caught Ovechkin in the left leg, forcing him to fall to the ice in pain.

Ovechkin was eventually helped off the ice and did not return to the game where he had already scored a pair of goals.

The Capitals did not verify if it was a knee injury that is taking Ovechkin out of the lineup, all they stated was “lower leg” in their release. Everyone has been watching the Capitals closely this season, not only for their early success, but as Ovechkin hunts down Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record.

Ovechkin had just gotten himself within 30 of Gretzky, now sitting at 868, just 26 shy of Gretzky’s 894.

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Nick Horwat
NICK HORWAT

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