Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) handles the puck during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Tampa Bay Lightning Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)

Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) looks to shoot against Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) and defenseman Victor Hedman (77) during the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)

Carolina Hurricanes' Jaccob Slavin (74) defends against Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin (8) during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Raleigh, N.C., Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)

Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin watches the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh, N.C., Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)

FILE - Florida Panthers' Aleksander Barkov, front, gestures while speaking during an NHL hockey rally and parade to celebrate the NHL hockey team winning the Stanley Cup, Sunday, June 30, 2024, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier, File)

Florida Panthers' Aleksander Barkov (16) battles for the puck between Carolina Hurricanes' Jordan Staal, left, and Nikolaj Ehlers (27) during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Raleigh, N.C., Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)

FILE - Los Angeles Kings left wing Andrei Kuzmenko skates before an NHL hockey game against the Anaheim Ducks, Nov. 28, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang, File)

FILE - Columbus Blue Jackets' Johnny Gaudreau (13) awaits the face-off during an NHL hockey game against the Nashville Predators, March 9, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Aaron Doster, File)