Capitals General Manager Brian MacLellan Says He Anticipates Signing Alex Ovechkin to A New Contract Before Free Agency Starts

Other than the 2021 Expansion Draft and which player the Washington Capitals might lose, the contract status of captain Alex Ovechkin (who is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday) was the biggest storyline for the team entering the 2021 offseason. After the Capitals completed their 2021 NHL Entry Draft selections on Saturday, General Manager Brian MacLellan provided an update on the current status of a new deal for the team’s greatest player.

According to The Washington Post’s Samantha Pell, MacLellan expressed that he anticipates getting a deal done prior to the start of free agency at noon on July 28.

Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said he anticipates getting a deal done with Alex Ovechkin before the start of free agency on Wednesday.

— Samantha Pell (@SamanthaJPell) July 24, 2021

The 35-year old former first overall pick is coming off a 2020-21 season in which he scored 24 goals in 45 Games Played during the regular season. Ovechkin missed time during the regular season as a result of injury, as well as COVID-19 protocol. Ovechkin has been negotiating as his own representative with the Capitals, in a similar fashion to longtime teammate Nicklas Backstrom.

By Michael Fleetwood

About Michael Fleetwood

Michael Fleetwood was born into a family of diehard Capitals fans and has been watching games as long as he can remember. He was born the year the Capitals went to their first Stanley Cup Final, and is a diehard Caps fan, the owner of the very FIRST Joe Beninati jersey and since then, has met Joe himself. Michael joined the NoVa Caps team in 2015, and is most proud of the growth of the NoVa Caps community in that time. An avid photographer, Michael resides in VA.

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