Alex Ovechkin scored 32 goals in his age-40 season, a total that only two players in NHL history have beaten. But the number that cut deepest for Washington was not the goal count. It was the five power-play goals, a career low for the winger and a sign that the Capitals’ most famous weapon did not work the way it usually does.

That is why Ovechkin is being searched now. His season ended with a rare place in league history, sitting behind only Gordie Howe’s 44 goals at age 40 and Johnny Bucyk’s 36, yet the power play that was built for him delivered far less than expected. Ovechkin shot 5.8 percent on the man advantage, also a career low, and that rate was less than a third of what he managed in 2024-25.

For all the attention on the scoring total, the Capitals’ real problem was more basic. They were bad at gaining the zone on the power play, and once they got set up, they often looked statuesque. That combination blunted the movement and tempo that usually make Ovechkin dangerous near the net or in his familiar shooting lane.

The coaching setup did not help. Washington did not replace the power-play coach before Thanksgiving, and the delay helped cost the team a playoff appearance. Kirk Muller is gone now, which matters because any fix for next season starts with cleaning up the structure around Ovechkin, not just asking him to keep bailing it out.

And that is where the story now turns. Ovechkin is not under contract for 2026-27, so the next decision is not about whether he can still score in historic fashion. It is about whether Washington and its captain decide there is another season left to write — and whether the Capitals can build a power play that no longer leans on will he do more? On Hockey, Alex Ovechkin’s PhD work waits for life after the ice.