But the 37-year-old forward could return to Washington in the coming days.
"I'm hoping this week," coach Peter Laviolette said after Capitals practice Monday. "I haven't communicated with him, but we'll see. He's dealing with his stuff at home, and we'll see how it goes. I haven't communicated with him, yet."
Washington (28-25-6) has lost four straight games without Ovechkin and five in a row, all in regulation. They are two points behind the Florida Panthers for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference.
The Capitals are giving Ovechkin all the time he needs with his family, but their captain's absence has been noticeable. He leads the Capitals with 32 goals and 54 points in 54 games this season.
Washington has been outscored 16-7 without Ovechkin.
"We certainly miss him, and we support him," Laviolette said last week. "He's getting this time in his life right now to be with his family. When he's not here, it's a substantial piece that comes out of the lineup. He's such a big personality and loves the game, loves practice, loves to come to the rink, loves his teammates and when you miss a piece like that, your captain, it's hard not to feel."
The Capitals have a challenging week ahead. They host the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday and the New York Rangers on Saturday before visiting the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday.
"I think this week is extremely important," Capitals forward Tom Wilson said Monday. "There are 24 games left, but we've got to get going. We've got to find our game."
