Alex Ovechkin isn’t done yet.
After weeks of wondering whether retirement was coming, the Washington Capitals ended the suspense on Thursday by announcing that their captain is returning for the 2026-27 season. Ovechkin will play on a one-year contract worth $4.25 million, putting off any exit from the NHL for at least another year.
The deal comes with plenty of bonus money built in. According to Chris Johnston, Ovechkin will earn $9 million next season if he plays 10 games. The contract includes a $3.25 million signing bonus, a $1 million salary and a $4.75 million bonus once he reaches 10 games played.
Ovechkin will be 41 before the season begins, but he’s still adding to one of the most remarkable careers the league has ever seen. Drafted No. 1 overall by Washington in 2004, he is set to enter his 22nd season with the Capitals.
And even at 40, he was still producing. Ovechkin played all 82 games in 2025-26 and finished with 32 goals and 32 assists.
His career numbers remain in a class of their own. Ovechkin owns the NHL record with 929 goals, and he also holds the league marks for power play goals, game-winning goals and shots on goal.
He’s not the same player he was at his peak, but the Capitals are still getting a forward with elite offensive instincts and that unmistakable slapshot that has punished goalies for years.
For Washington, the important part was simple: they didn’t have to say goodbye just yet.
The Great 8 is back for one more.
In Other News...
Former Kings Are Finding New Homes And One Stings Most
The Kings offseason has already produced a familiar kind of churn, with several former players moving on to new NHL homes as free agency opened. Jeff Malott landed with the Anaheim Ducks on a three-year contract, Glenn Gawdin signed with the New York Rangers after leaving the Reign, Mathieu Joseph headed to the Edmonton Oilers, and Pheonix Copley found a new landing spot with the Columbus Blue Jackets after a season that took him through waivers and a brief stop with Tampa Bay.
For Los Angeles, the list is a reminder that roster turnover has not been limited to the active lineup. Each departure carries a different kind of sting, whether it is a depth forward crossing the freeway, a deadline pickup moving on quickly, or a goalie trying to reset after a turbulent year. The most notable move among the ex-Kings is still the one that sent a former scoring option to Pittsburgh, another sign that the Kings are watching familiar faces settle elsewhere while their own offseason picture keeps changing. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Make Cheap Scoring Bet That Could Define Holland's Offseason
The free-agent market opened with teams trying to make sense of a tricky landscape, and the Kings wasted little time taking a low-cost swing on offense. Their move for Mats Zuccarello fits the kind of bet contenders often need to make when the pool is thin and the price tags are rising, especially for a club looking to squeeze value out of every dollar while adding a player who can still help in meaningful minutes.
Zuccarello arrives on a one-year, $1 million deal, a number that immediately stands out in a market short on impact talent. At 39, he comes with some durability concerns, having missed at least 12 games in each of the past three seasons, but he has continued to produce at a level that suggests there is still real offensive juice left in the tank. For the Kings, this is the sort of bargain that could end up defining Ken Hollands offseason if the fit is right. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Fans Already Have One Big Day 1 Free Agency Debate
The first day of unrestricted free agency gave Kings fans plenty to sort through, even without a headline-grabbing splash. General manager Ken Holland added six new players and brought back several others, leaning into experienced veterans and organizational depth with a string of low-risk, value contracts that fit a very specific kind of summer plan.
Erik Gustafsson is the name most likely to spark the biggest debate, because the defenseman arrives on a one-year deal and comes with familiarity in Peter Laviolettes system. For a team trying to round out the roster without boxing itself in, the move makes sense on paper, but it also leaves open the bigger question fans always ask on Day 1: whether this is the start of a smart reset or simply the first step in a quieter offseason than they hoped for. [Read more 🡒]