Just one day after blowing out 40 candles on his birthday cake, Alex Ovechkin set off alarm bells in D.C. The Washington Capitals’ training camp opened with suspense as the captain had to leave the ice due to an injury. With the 2025-26 NHL season fast approaching, it’s safe to say the timing couldn’t be worse.

Ovechkin has accustomed fans in D.C. and across the NHL to a certain standard—one that includes goals almost every night and, more importantly, his availability night in and night out. That standard has been tested in recent years, which is only logical, given that Ovechkin is among the oldest players in the league while still performing at an unparalleled level.

Now, Spencer Carbery and the Caps skipped a heartbeat as the captain went down with an injury at the start of Washingto

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