Wilson hopes Ovechkin returns for new-look Capitals after trades

TORONTO -- Tom Wilson is not unlike a lot of people these days, wondering what the future will hold for Alex Ovechkin.

So he decided to give Ovechkin a call. Turns out he did not find his longtime Washington Capitals teammate where he expected.

“I called him the other day just to pick his mind on things and he is in Turkey on vacation right now,” Wilson said Wednesday, “so I said, ‘We will talk hockey later. Enjoy it. it’s well-deserved time off with your family.’”

Though there appears to be no urgency on Ovechkin’s part to come to a decision on whether he’ll continue playing, it is safe to say Wilson is hoping the NHL’s all-time leader in goals with 929 returns for a 22nd season in the League. The pending unrestricted free agent has spent all of them with the Capitals and been Wilson’s teammate for the past 13.

“He’s the best, he’s truly the best. Such a great guy, such a fun guy, such a huge part of our team,” Wilson said of his fellow forward. “So we will see. He gets to do whatever the heck he wants and he gets to do it however he wants to do it because that’s what legends get to do.”

If Ovechkin, who has been the Capitals captain since 2010, does return, Wilson sees no reason why he would not continue to produce at an elite level despite that fact that he’ll turn 41 on Sept. 17. This season, Ovechkin led the Capitals in goals (32) and points (64) while playing all 82 games.

“As long as he is around, he is going to be ‘Ovi,’” Wilson said. “I’ve never seen anything like it. The hunger, the passion, he wants to score goals more than anybody. The ability to push himself to continue to be great every single year, whatever pressure or milestones are on the horizon, he just crushes right through them. I don’t expect that if he comes back it will be any different. I’ve never really thought about the day without Ovi in Washington, so we will cross that bridge when we get there.”

Wilson said the Capitals (43-30-9) missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season left a “bad taste in our mouths” after they won the Metropolitan Division in in 2024-25 with a 51-22-9 record and 111 points. Washington finished three points behind the Philadelphia Flyers for third place in the Metropolitan and four points behind the Ottawa Senators for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Eastern Conference.

However, the Capitals have been active already this offseason, adding forward Jordan Kyrou in a trade with the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday for forward Connor McMichael, forward prospect Milton Gastrin and a first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. On Wednesday, they acquired forward Alex Tuch in a sign-and-trade with the Buffalo Sabres, sending forward David Kampf and a third-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft to Buffalo. Tuch, who could have become an unrestricted free agent July 1, will begin a new eight-year, $84 million contract ($10.5 million average annual value) next season.

“It’s our management showing us like, ‘Hey we’re not sitting back, we’re joining the arms race and we are going to go out and try to win a championship,’ so I’m really excited about it,” Wilson said.

“Kyrou is as skilled as they come. He’s quite the player. Getting Jordan, he’s just a high-end elite talent and anytime you can get guys like that, you get really excited about it. It’s always a tough day because you feel sad on the one end with a teammate leaving, but then you flip your mind and get really excited about the opportunity coming in. It’s time for us to make some noise.”

Last week, the Capitals signed coach Spencer Carbery to a multiyear contract after three seasons with Washington in which he has gone 134-83-29. His contract had been due to expire after next season.

“From Day 1 he just had that passion, that energy, that accountability to show up to the rink every day and push us,” Wilson said. “He’s the leader of the intensity, the energy and when your coach is that way, as a player, you have to follow suit. He loves the game, he’s a great hockey mind and he pushes us to be our best. So it’s been fun so far with him and he’s had a great start to his coaching career.

“You see what you get with him, right? He’s passionate, he’s high energy, he speaks his mind, that’s really all you can ask for as a player. He cares a lot about his players, he’s always communicating and bringing guys into the office and chatting through things. It’s a good way to be, especially when you have young players coming into the League and just making sure everybody is on the same page.”