Washington Capitals News

Ovechkin's cap-hit doesn't change much, going from $9.539M AAV to $9.5M for the next five seasons. Ovechkin currently sits sixth on the all-time goal-scoring list, 164 goals behind Wayne Gretzky for first. A five-year contract will take Ovechkin to 40-years-old and he will need to average 32.8 goals per season to reach Gretzky's mark. He has averaged 52 goals per 82 games over the last three seasons.

Smallman was a fifth-round pick of the Hurricanes in 2015 but has bounced around between the AHL and ECHL since. In 2021, he had two assists in six AHL games and 12 points (6G / 6A) in eight ECHL games. He will not be a factor in the NHL in 2021-22.

Sandin was a surprise scratch from the lineup in Game 4 but will draw right back into the lineup for Game 5. Sandin, who will replace Travis Dermott, has one goal on four shots while averaging 13:55 TOI through his first three games of the series.

Holl was originally considered questionable for Wednesday's game but reportedly responded well after Tuesday's practice and should be in the lineup in Ottawa. Holl has had a nice season as a top-4 defenseman, scoring two goals with 18 assists in 53 games.

Ovechkin has missed the last three games but was on the ice for Monday's practice and will be a game-time decision on Tuesday. The Capitals' are locked into second place in the East, so Tuesday's game does not matter. It will be interesting to see if Ovechkin draws in to get back up to speed or not.

Strome has been a healthy scratch for the last two games but will replace Adam Gaudette in the lineup on Monday. Strome has had some injury issues this season but comes into Monday with 15 points (8G / 7A) in 39 games.

Wilson suffered an upper-body injury in Wednesday's game in New York and did not return. He was on the ice for Friday's morning skate and will play tonight vs. Philadelphia. Wilson, who has two goals and three assists in his last six games, will skate on the third line with Michael Raffl and Daniel Carr.

It will be MacDonald's first game since April 14th, as he replaces Dan Renouf in the lineup in San Jose. MacDonald has tallied one goal with six assists (seven points) in 29 games this season.

Ovechkin tried to return to the lineup on Monday but only lasted one shift. He'll continue to sit out on Wednesday, potentially leaving the Capitals shorthanded upfront.