Alex Ovechkin says he intends to keep playing for the Capitals at age 40
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'First of all, (I have) to make a roster at 40 years old,' Ovechkin quipped on locker cleanout day, less than 48 hours after he and the Capitals were eliminated in the second round by Carolina.
Ovechkin, who turns 40 in September, has one season left on his five-year, $47.5 million contract he signed in 2021. He said he is approaching the summer like any other, planning to train the same way in the offseason and see where things go.
'I'm going to use those couple months (in the offseason) to rest, enjoy my life, then back to work,' Ovechkin said. 'Me and (trainer Pavel Burlachenko are) going do our job to get ready for the season and just do my best.'
Ovechkin is coming off a whirlwind of a season, where he overcame a broken leg to score 44 goals — the third most in the league — and pass Gretzky's mark of 894 that long seemed unapproachable. The Russian superstar has 897.
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