Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin is expected to arrive on a direct flight from Moscow to Washington-Dulles airport Friday afternoon and the club’s plan is to have him in the lineup Saturday night for its season opener against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Ovechkin could decide not to play the season opener, which would open the door for one of Marcus Johansson or Mathieu Perreault. Last season, the consensus fantasy hockey first overall pick scored 32 and 85 points -- both the lowest totals of his career. Expect him to return to the 50-goal, 100-point range this season.