ARLINGTON, Va. – There will no early Christmas present for Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals.
Although Ovechkin was cleared to resume full contact in practice Friday, Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said the 39-year-old left wing won’t return from a fractured left fibula until after the NHL’s holiday break, which runs from Dec. 24-26.
The Capitals’ first game after the break is at the Toronto Maple Leafs on Dec. 28.
After a 3-1 win against the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday, Washington hosts the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday before visiting the Boston Bruins on Monday.
“We won’t see him before the break, so the target will become some time after the break,” Carbery said. “Whether it’s that first game (against Toronto is uncertain), but we won’t see him in these next three.”
Ovechkin has missed 14 games since he was injured in a collision with Utah Hockey Club forward Jack McBain on Nov. 18. The Capitals announced Nov. 20 that he was expected to miss 4-6 weeks.
Ovechkin led the League with 15 goals in 18 games before the injury to increase his career total to 868 and close within 27 of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record of 894.
Washington (22-8-2) is 9-4-1 without Ovechkin.
Carbery said Thursday there was a possibility Ovechkin could play Sunday or Monday, but with time in the schedule for only one practice — on Saturday — before the break, that wasn’t enough for him to get ready to play.
Holding him out until at least Dec. 28 will also give his leg more time to heal.
“Just with the timing of everything in the next three games and what that looks like, for him to get these days plus the break, with where he’s at medically, that’s the best decision for him,” Carbery said.
Ovechkin resumed skating lightly Dec. 2 and has been gradually increasing his workload since. He practiced with the Capitals on Thursday wearing a noncontact jersey and participated in a limited number of drills before finishing his day with a conditioning skate under the watch of strength and conditioning coach Zack Leddon.
Ovechkin shed the noncontact jersey for Washington’s morning skate Friday and Carbery said, ‘he’s been cleared for contact, so he can resume regular activities with the main group.” Ovechkin was the first player on the ice Friday, so he could work with skills coach Kenny McCudden.
“Just seeing him getting back in mix a little bit, starting to take shots from him again, it adds a lot to our group,” goalie Charlie Lindgren said. “He’s our leader, he’s our captain and certainly once he’s back full-time it’s going to help a lot.”
Carbery also announced Friday that center Lars Eller saw a doctor Thursday and will miss at least three games with an illness. Eller was placed on injured reserve retroactive to the last time he played, a 3-2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Dec. 17.
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