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Capitals' Alex Ovechkin Returns to Practice

The Washington Capitals' captain Alex Ovechkin joined the team for practice in the next step of his injury recovery.

Jacob Punturi

Oct 23, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) skates with the puck as Philadelphia Flyers right wing Tyson Foerster (71) chase in the first period at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Oct 23, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) skates with the puck as Philadelphia Flyers right wing Tyson Foerster (71) chase in the first period at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
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The Washington Capitals are getting closer to having their captain Alex Ovechkin back in the lineup. Just a few weeks removed from fracturing his fibula, the NHL's greatest goal scorer of all-time is already back at practice with his teammates.

Capitals' beat reporter Sammi Silber shared the surprising and sooner-than-expected news after Ovi made strides last week with his recovery. He started skating on his own and doing individual drills and now most recently is taking part in team activities. Silber shared the update on her X account.

"Morning skate underway for the Capitals," she wrote. "And Alex Ovechkin is taking part in it. He has officially joined the team for practice."

This is another encouraging step for Ovechkin. He's been out of the lineup since November 18th, making it less than a month since the injury. In the 18 games he did play in however, he was electric in his pursuit of Wayne Gretzky's NHL goal scoring record. He netted 15 goals and had 25 total points to start the season.

The pace he set is not only an incredible one for a player his age, it's also making it possible for him to catch Gretzky by season's end despite missing 10 games. He's 26 goals away from tying The Great One and 27 away from setting a new NHL record. If he is able to return to the lineup before the holiday break, he'll have the runway of schedule left to reach that magical number of 895 career goals. If he can return in the next, let's say, five games, there will be 49 regular season games left for Ovi to chase history.

For the Capitals as a team, Ovechkin's return will be a boost to a team that's established themselves as a contender in the Eastern Conference. Ovi's performance kickstarted it, but the lineup has carried on without their captain. Led by standout seasons from Dylan Strome, Aleksei Protas, and Tom Wilson, the Capitals are the deepest they've been since their 2018 Stanley Cup team.

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Jacob Punturi
JACOB PUNTURI

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