Capitals' Alex Ovechkin Placed on IR with Leg Injury amid Gretzky Goal Record Chase

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 11: Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals controls the puck during a game against the Vancouver Canucks at Capital One Arena on February 11, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by John McCreary/NHLI via Getty Images)

John McCreary/NHLI via Getty Images

Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin is "week to week" with a lower leg injury, the team announced Tuesday.

After being evaluated further on Wednesday in D.C., the superstar captain was placed on injured reserve, per Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press.

Additionally, Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery confirmed Ovechkin's injury is not season-ending. A more specific timeline for his return is expected Thursday after further evaluation.

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INJURY UPDATE: Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin sustained an injury to his lower leg during last night's game in Utah, and is listed as week to week. Ovechkin will have further evaluation with team physicians in DC on Wednesday.

Ovechkin suffered the injury Monday during the Capitals' 6-2 road win over the Utah Hockey Club.

The injury occurred during a third-period collision with Utah's Jack McBain. Ovechkin attempted to skate off the setback but struggled to put weight on his left leg and eventually left for the locker room.

Ovechkin was in the middle of a goalscoring tear that saw him find the back of the net five times in the Capitals' last two games.

His career goal total currently sits at 868, leaving him 26 tallies shy of matching Wayne Gretzky's all-time goalscoring record.

Ovechkin has been one of the most durable forwards in the NHL over his 19-year career and is consistently Washington's best player.

He finished the 2021-22 season with 50 goals and 40 assists for 90 points in 77 games and followed that with 42 goals and 33 assists for 75 points in 73 games during the 2022-23 campaign.

Through 79 games last season, Ovechkin tallied 31 goals and 34 assists for 65 points and finished far behind Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews for the Rocket Richard trophy as the NHL's leading goalscorer. He is typically a perennial contender for the award, but he struggled to find the back of the net consistently last year.

This season, Ovechkin is back to his old goalscoring dominance as he leads the NHL with 15 goals through 18 games.

When Ovechkin is sidelined, the Capitals don't have anyone to make up his scoring production, especially with T.J. Oshie out for the year with a back injury. That said, Connor McMichael has 12 goals in 18 games of what is proving to be a breakout season for the fifth-year forward.

The Capitals lead the Metropolitan Division with a 13-4-1 record. With Ovechkin set to miss time, Washington will face a steep road to holding the division lead over challengers like the Carolina Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers.