Back home to his native Russia is where the veteran winger is heading, and no firm word has emerged yet on whether he will be seen again in DC, Washington's hockey home, once autumn arrives.
The TASS news service out of Russia reported that Ovechkin, along with his family, should touch down in the Russian capital of Moscow this coming Wednesday once a lengthy travel day wraps up. The Caps' captain, meanwhile, departs the DMV area without any deal in place for the season ahead.
The skater's spouse, Nastya Ovechkina, used her own Instagram Story to share a snapshot of the duo's two young sons — Sergei plus Ilya — sitting atop a nearly bottomless heap of family bags inside the terminal.
📸: @nastyashubskaya/Instagram Story
A clip was also filmed by Ovechkin aboard the aircraft, aimed at a Russian youth event coming up that goes by the name Tretiak Cup. Opening with a greeting under his full name, Alexander Ovechkin, he told the young players he hoped luck would be on their side throughout the competition, encouraging them to compete fiercely, keep fighting, and band together like a single united fist so the outcomes would follow. He signed off by wishing them all the best, sending good luck their way, and saying he would see them soon.
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During Breakdown Day, Ovechkin indicated he felt fairly confident his career in the league wasn't over yet. He underscored that loved ones, his physical condition, and — above everything — the matter of whether Washington intends to chase a championship would all factor into whether he comes back for season number 22.
For only the fifth occasion in the 21 years Ovechkin has spent with the franchise, the club fell short of the playoffs, ending up a trio of points behind Philadelphia's Flyers when the 82-game calendar wrapped. Across the year just gone, he appeared in every one of Washington's 82 games, lacing up in what might prove his farewell outing on April 14 versus Columbus and its Blue Jackets.
July 1 is when Ovechkin officially reaches unrestricted free agency, yet the front office reportedly wants the winger, now 40 years old, to make up his mind before that. June 26 marks the start of the 2026 draft, while Washington controls a pair of first-round picks that could be dealt away to upgrade the roster.
A few days later, the open market opens up, and Washington is projected to carry $36.6 million in spending room. If the captain does come back, his fresh contract would probably consume a sizable portion of those dollars.