The Capitals captain needs 16 more goals to break Wayne Gretzky's all-time NHL goals record.
ARLINGTON, V.A. — Coach Spencer Carbery made a bold statement on Saturday at MedStar Capitals Iceplex: even as he currently barrels toward breaking Wayne Gretzky's all-time NHL goals record, the best is yet to come this year for Alex Ovechkin.
Ovechkin, who has scored in four straight outings and is up to 26 on the season, sits just 16 goals away from passing Gretzky, and with the 4 Nations break coming up, Carbery believes he will be a force to be reckoned with on the other side.
"His best hockey is to come in this season, that's the way I feel," Carbery said.
The bench boss explained that the time away from the rink will allow Ovechkin the opportunity to recharge and come back stronger. He is also still getting back in the full swing of things following his return from a broken leg, which took just 40 days.
"I remember at the beginning of the year and then the injury, just in my head, at 39 years old, missing that amount of time and trying to come back and get caught up in the National Hockey League, I think that's really, really hard, and I saw a difference."
It would be a similar story to last year, as Ovechkin took advantage of the downtime during the 2024 NHL All-Star Break to recharge. The captain went to Dubai and rode camels, and came back to score 23 goals in his final 36 games of the year for yet another 30-goal campaign.
Ovechkin continues to feel confident, as do his teammates, as he chases down history, and Carbery believes that the second half of the year will be quite the circus.
"His best hockey... these last 27 games, I'm looking forward to seeing them," Carbery said.
