Ovechkin says Capitals have 'great relationship' with Carbery

Alex Ovechkin said he and his Washington Capitals teammates have "a great relationship" with new coach Spencer Carbery, one reason the captain expects them to rebound this season after missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2022-23.

Carbery replaced Peter Laviolette on May 30. He was an assistant with the Toronto Maple Leafs the past two seasons after coaching the Capitals' American Hockey League affiliate in Hershey the previous three. The 41-year-old will lead a team for the first time in the NHL.

"We already knew him, we have a great relationship," Ovechkin told Russia newspaper Sport-Express on Friday. "I was happy with this hiring because he knows me, and he knows many of the guys on our team who had previously played in Hershey. I don't think we should expect any problems.

"The coaching staff has changed by 90 percent. Our power play will be different, perhaps the penalty kill and the system as a whole, too. The first month of training camp will be very important in that regard."

Ovechkin is also optimistic because the Capitals are healthier than last season, when they had 10 regulars each miss at least 10 games. Chief among them was center Nicklas Backstrom, who missed the first 42 games after having hip resurfacing surgery. Forward Tom Wilson was also sidelined for the first 42 games following ACL surgery, then missed seven after blocking a shot off his ankle. Defenseman John Carlson was out for 36 games with a skull fracture and severed temporal artery after missing six with a lower-body injury. Forward Connor Brown (now of the Edmonton Oilers) played four games before season-ending ACL surgery.

"Last season we were hammered by injuries," Ovechkin said. "Both Backstrom and Tom Wilson returned only in the middle of the season. It was hard after their return. It takes time to adapt, but now I think everything will be fine. We will enter the season in optimal shape. The main thing is that everyone is healthy."

Ovechkin had 75 points (42 goals, 33 assists) in 73 games last season. It was the forward's 13th 40-goal season, passing Wayne Gretzky for the most in NHL history. He enters this season second on the NHL goals list with 822, trailing Gretzky by 72.

Ovechkin, who turns 38 on Sept. 17, said his preparation for this season is going the way it should go.

"There are still two more months before the start [of the season]," Ovechkin said. "I always go into training camp at less than 100 percent, somewhere around 60 [percent], so that later I can get in shape at camp and during the season."

The Capitals (35-37-10) finished sixth in the Metropolitan Division and 12 points behind the Florida Panthers for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Eastern Conference. They failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2014 and announced Laviolette's departure April 14 after three seasons.

Laviolette was hired as New York Rangers coach June 13.

Washington on July 1 signed forward Max Pacioretty to a one-year, $2 million contract and acquired defenseman Joel Edmundson in a trade with the Montreal Canadiens.