Ovechkin’s absence hasn’t slowed the Capitals’ momentum. They have gone 8-2-1 in his absence, surging to the top of the Eastern Conference standings and sitting just one point behind the Winnipeg Jets in the Presidents’ Trophy race as the best regular-season team in the NHL.

The 39-year-old was expected to miss the next several weeks after colliding with Utah's Jack McBain in November.

In 17 seasons playing together, Backstrom has assisted on 279 of Ovechkin’s 868 regular season goals. Backstrom himself is in the process of returning from injury, currently on long-term injured reserve. He has not played since October 2023 when he took a leave of absence due to his resurfaced hip injury.

Washington Capitals star Alexader Ovechkin will miss multiple weeks due to a significant injury, halting his chase to secure the most goals record.

Teammate Nicklas Backstrom, currently on long-term injured reserve for a nagging hip problem, joined him in his natural spot: Serving up passes for Ovechkin to slap shots from his "office," also known as the left faceoff circle.

When Alex Ovechkin left the Washington Capitals lineup with a broken fibula, he was well on his way to breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record. While it’

The Capitals captain officially joined his team for practice, marking the first time he's skated with the group since breaking his leg.

The Washington Capitals' captain Alex Ovechkin joined the team for practice in the next step of his injury recovery.