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The NHL is heading back to the Olympics for the first time since 2014, but Alex Ovechkin won't be.
The Russian team isn't allowed to compete, and so the Washington Capitals star is going to get a little bit of time off.
There are at least some indications that he might need it.
The most obvious is this: Ovechkin played the lowest ice time of his career on Thursday night (for a game in which he wasn't hurt or ejected).
The Capitals picked up a 4-2 win in which Ovechkin played just 13 minutes and 15 seconds.
Alex Ovechkin skated just 13:15 minutes tonight for the Capitals. Lowest ice time of his career in a game where he wasn’t hurt/ejected.
(h/t @noahtrister)
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Ovechkin is still doing a solid job of scoring this season. In 59 games, he has 22 goals and 26 assists.
The Capitals have tried to avoid having him in the defensive zone when possible, though, trying to limit his legs and usage to spots where he can still use his impressive offensive abilities.
That can lead to a night like Thursday, where at multiple moments the Capitals likely chose to give Ovi an extra breather rather than rush him back out there.
The NHL's all-time leading goal scorer is up to 919 goals and counting, and he'll have work to do after the break, with the Capitals a handful of points out of a playoff position.
For now, he'll get a rest. It's well deserved and needed.
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