What if Alex Ovechkin retires? Capitals GM ready for ‘offseason choose-your-own adventure book’

The Washington Capitals are unlikely to make the playoffs in 2025-26. After winning the Metropolitan Division a year ago, they have regressed tremendously this year and are looking to the future. That future may not include Alex Ovechkin, whose contract with the Capitals expires at the end of this year. Capitals general manager Chris Patrick says if the goal-scoring king retires, the front office is ready.

I have no sense of his intentions,” Patrick told The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun. “Other than he’s told us he wants to wait until the offseason to make his decision, which I totally get and respect. I really don’t know. I don’t know if he truly, honestly knows deep down yet what he wants to do.”

Patrick continues, “I look at the offseason as a choose-your-own-adventure book,” Patrick said. “A scenario will come up in May, and then you’re going to have to make your decisions based on that. And then another scenario comes up in June. So we’ll just look at it that way. If he says to us, ‘I’m going to retire,’ then we’ll start making decisions based on that decision. And if he says he wants to come back, we’ll make moves based on that. We’ll take the path that presents itself to us.”

It has long been assumed that Ovechkin would retire at the end of this season. Given that Wayne Gretzky’s record has been broken and his contract is expiring, his run could be over. But there is always the chance that Ovechkin, an ultimate competitor, does not want to go out without one more playoff run.

The Capitals enter Thursday’s action three points out of the final Wild Card spot with three games to play. The Ottawa Senators own that spot and have a game in hand on Washington. A minor miracle is needed for the Caps to make the dance, but never say never.

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