Alexander Ovechkin once again failed to lead the Washington Capitals to the Eastern Conference final this season when the rival Pittsburgh Penguins went on the road and won Game 7 of the conference semifinals in Washington.
Ovechkin didn’t play well in the series versus the Pens and finished the playoffs with just eight points in 13 games. Ovi is one of the best goal scorers in NHL history and still an elite player, but his team’s annual playoff disappointments — the Caps have ever advanced past the second round since his 2005-06 rookie campaign — have many people wondering if the franchise would have better postseason luck without its captain.
Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan addressed the possibility of an Ovechkin trade Tuesday, and he actually acknowledged it could happen under the right circumstances.
Perhaps the toughest roadblock to any potential Ovechkin trade is his contract. He still has four years left on his deal, and the contract carries a yearly salary of $10 million and a $9.53 million salary cap hit. Those are huge numbers, and tough ones for just about any team to take on. His salary cap hit was more than 10 percent of the total cap for the 2016-17 season.
The Capitals still have a really good team and should be a top contender in the East next season. But it’s fair to question whether it can win a Stanley Cup with Ovechkin as the centerpiece. Very few Stanley Cup champions are led by a winger as the most valuable or best player. It’s usually a center or a defenseman.
Thumbnail photo via Amber Searls/USA TODAY Sports Images
