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Ovechkin Fully Practices Again as Capitals Eye Thursday Preseason Return

Coach Spencer Carbery expects the 40-year-old to be ready for the Oct. 8 opener.

Overview

  • The captain took full-contact sessions Monday and again Tuesday after missing about a week with a lower-body injury.
  • He will not play Tuesday at the Blue Jackets, with his status described as hopeful for Thursday against the Bruins and possible for Saturday versus Columbus.
  • His progression followed a stepwise plan: solo skating, a no-contact jersey, controlled contact in a skills session, then a standard full practice.
  • Ovechkin said he and the team chose not to use injections or hurry the process, emphasizing rest and staged work to recover.
  • In practice he skated at left wing with Dylan Strome and Anthony Beauvillier and worked on the top power-play unit, as he approaches 900 goals and 1,500 games.