ARLINGTON, Va. -- Alex Ovechkin skated on his own for the third consecutive day Thursday, continuing his recovery from a lower-body injury, and could join the Washington Capitals for practice for the end of this week, coach Spencer Carbery said.
Ovechkin hasn't practiced with the Capitals since leaving a few minutes into the first session of training camp Sept. 18, but Carbery has remained confident that the 40-year-old left wing will be ready for the season opener against the Boston Bruins at Capital One Arena on Oct. 8 (7:30 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, TNT).
Ovechkin, the NHL's all-time leader with 897 goals, will miss the second of Washington's six preseason games against the Philadelphia Flyers at Giant Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania, on Thursday, but Carbery hopes he'll be able to play two preseason games to gear up for the start of the regular season.
"Sort of what I have in my head is hoping to be able to get him into one road, one home exhibition game to give him two," Carbery said Thursday. "Is it the be all end all for him to play two exhibition games? No, but that would be, I think, ideal world is he gets two games and he's ready to go for the start of the year."
Ovechkin is entering his 21st season and the final season of a five-year, $47.5 million contract he signed with Washington on July 27, 2021. He said last week that he hasn't decided yet if this season will be his last in the League.
"I don't know. Do you know?" Ovechkin said. "I don't know if this is going to be the last or if (not). We'll see."
Ovechkin continued to play at a high-level last season, tying Buffalo Sabres forward Tage Thompson for third in the NHL with 44 goals in 65 games. The Capitals captain scored his 895th goal to pass Wayne Gretzky for the most in NHL history against the New York Islanders on April 6.
