ARLINGTON, Va. -- Alex Ovechkin participated in a full-contact practice with the Washington Capitals on Monday for the first time since the opening day of training camp, continuing his road back from a lower-body injury that should have the NHL's all-time leader in goals ready for start of the regular season.
"It feels good," Ovechkin said. "Obviously, I need more touches, more ice time with the boys because, obviously, that week that I missed kind of hit me a little bit. But overall, I'll take it."
Ovechkin, who will begin his 21st NHL season when the Capitals host the Boston Bruins at Capital One Arena on Oct. 8 (7:30 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, TNT), skated at left wing on a line with Anthony Beauvillier and Dylan Strome, and worked with the first power-play unit during a practice that lasted about an hour.
"Looked good," Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said. "Did a lot of power-play stuff today but also some line rushes and that, so he was moving around well. No setbacks, so that's a positive step in the right direction. We'll see where it goes from a playing games (perspective)."
Ovechkin practiced again Tuesday, but Carbery said it is unlikely his captain would play the preseason game at the Columbus Blue Jackets. However, he's "hopeful" Ovechkin would be available for the home game against the Bruins on Thursday. Washington also hosts Columbus on Saturday.
Regardless, Carbery thinks there should be enough time left in training camp for Ovechkin, the NHL record holder with 897 goals, to be game ready for the season opener.
"I think so," Carbery said. "He's missed a significant amount of camp, but I know he's been training and skating and trying to do everything he possibly can at 40 years old to make sure that he's ready for opening night next Wednesday. So, I would expect (he'll be ready), but he's missed a lot, so hopefully, this last little nine days he can get as close to top form as possible."
The Capitals have taken a cautious approach with Ovechkin, who turned 40 on Sept. 17, since he left a few minutes into the first practice of camp Sept. 18. He resumed skating on his own in a noncontact jersey last Tuesday and joined the Capitals for practice in a noncontact jersey Saturday.
Practicing in a regular jersey Monday was the next step.
"Obviously, it was kind of like day to day, but we don't want to push it because it's training camp and we still have time to get ready for regular year," Ovechkin said. "So, I'll be ready and hope my body is going to feel good."
Ovechkin also dealt with a minor injury at the start of camp last season and went on to tie Buffalo Sabres forward Tage Thompson for third in the NHL with 44 goals in 65 games. That included scoring his 895th goal against the New York Islanders on April 6 to pass Wayne Gretzky for the most in NHL history.
Although Ovechkin missed more time during this camp, he said the Capitals were mostly playing it safe.
"Obviously, sometimes you do some workout and you tweak something where you pull your muscle a little bit and you just have to be smart on it," he said. "Sometimes you come to the training camp, and you feel a little sore on your knee or your wrist or something, so you have to do like maybe an injection or maybe take some pills to feel better.
"But overall, we don't want to do it right now, so that's why we take days off and work out in the gym and do some extra stuff."
