I’ve been dreading for years what the Washington Capitals would be like after Alex Ovechkin retires, but after he missed 16 games – the longest stretch of his career – we got a glimpse of what a post-Ovi team might look like. Fortunately, it’s not bad.
With little left to prove other than topping Wayne Gretzky’s NHL goals record, there’s no reason to believe that Ovi will stay in the NHL when his contract runs out at the end of next season. And even if he does sign for another year, he’s unlikely to be another Gordie Howe or Jaromir Jagr, both of whom played much longer than anyone expected.