Ovechkin Coming Off Productive...

Alex Ovechkin is set to return to D.C. in the coming days ahead of Washington Capitals training camp, and he'll be in a good spot after what appears to have been a strong summer of training.

Ovechkin spent his offseason overseas, vacationing in Turkey and spending time in his home country of Russia, where he got some work in both on and off the ice. And with weeks to go before training camp, his colleagues are saying that he's in good shape and ready for 2024-25.

KHL forward Alexei Kruchinin, who worked with Ovechkin over the summer, told AllProSport that the 6-foot-3, 238-pound winger put a lot of effort into his regimen to prepare for what will be his 20th NHL season.

"We would go to the gym and he would go to the gym and do his own program with the coach," Kruchinin said, per a DeepL translation. "He did circuit training with us. We had volleyball at 5 p.m. every day; he didn't miss it."

While Ovechkin also took the time to enjoy the break from hockey, Kruchinin said he remained dedicated to staying on top of his training.

"It wasn't like he was just sitting around drinking," Kruchinin said. "We all train and rest the same."

Ovechkin returns to the Capitals with high expectations for the final two years of his contract. He sits 42 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record, and he also hopes that Washington, who overhauled roughly a third of its roster this summer, can compete for another Stanley Cup.

Training camp is expected to kick off in mid-September, while Ovechkin is set to arrive in the United States earlier in the month. He turns 39 on Sept. 17.