Ovechkin will not play for the Capitals before the holidays

ARLINGTON, Va. – There will be no early Christmas present for Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals.

Although Ovechkin was allowed to return to full contact in practice on Friday, Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said the 39-year-old left wing will not return from a broken left fibula until after the NHL holiday break, which runs from Dec. 24-26 .

The Capitals’ first game after the break will be at the Toronto Maple Leafs on December 28th.

After a 3-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday, Washington hosts the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday before visiting the Boston Bruins on Monday.

“We won’t see him before the break so the target will be some time after the break,” Carbery said. “Whether it’s the first game (against Toronto is uncertain), but we won’t see him in the next three.”

Ovechkin has missed 14 games since being injured Nov. 18 in a collision with Utah Hockey Club forward Jack McBain. The Capitals announced on November 20th that he was expected to miss four to six weeks.

Ovechkin led the league with 15 goals in 18 games before the injury, increasing his career total to 868 and breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record of 894 just 27 times.

Washington (22-8-2) is 9-4-1 without Ovechkin.

Carbery said Thursday there was a chance Ovechkin could play on Sunday or Monday, but since the schedule only called for one practice – on Saturday – before the break, that wasn’t enough to prepare for the game.

If you endure it until at least December 28th, your leg will have more time to heal.

“Just given the timing of the next three games and what he’s getting these days and the break, and considering how he’s doing medically, this is the best decision for him,” Carbery said.

Ovechkin slowly resumed skating on December 2nd and has gradually increased his workload since then. He practiced with the Capitals on Thursday in a non-contact jersey, participating in a limited number of drills before wrapping up his day with a conditioning skate under the supervision of strength and conditioning coach Zack Leddon.

Ovechkin removed the non-contact jersey for Washington’s morning skate on Friday and Carbery said, “He has been cleared for contact so he can resume his regular activities with the main group.” Ovechkin was the first player on the ice on Friday , so he could work with skills coach Kenny McCudden.

“Just seeing him get back into the mix a little bit and start getting shots off of him again is a big addition to our group,” goaltender Charlie Lindgren said. “He’s our leader, he’s our captain, and having him back full-time will certainly help a lot.”

Carbery also announced Friday that center Lars Eller saw a doctor on Thursday and will miss at least three games due to illness. Eller was placed on injured reserve retroactive to his last appearance, a 3-2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on December 17th.