- 23 hours ago
Did TJ Oshie on a podcast tip off that Ovechkin is coming back for one more season?
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00:01T.J. Oshie spoke about Alex Ovechkin.
00:03Apparently he was drinking with Ovi when he was covering the Capitals this past week.
00:08Long-time teammates, best buddies, and it's great timing because he's asked,
00:13what do you think Ovi's going to do?
00:14And he's like, you know, I was actually hanging out with him last night.
00:16We were having some pops, and it's like, who better to ask about Ovechkin's future than?
00:21You know how I feel?
00:22I thought the question was answered.
00:23Alex Ovechkin's already said what he needs to say.
00:26He wants to come back.
00:27His family wants him to come back.
00:28He said all year it's up to his family.
00:30He's going to have to make up his mind.
00:31And now we know.
00:32He plans on playing next season.
00:34The Capitals have all but said they're going to do whatever he wants to do,
00:37so Ovi's going to play.
00:38I think he can put it in pen at this point.
00:40He's coming back for 20, 26, 20, 27.
00:42So I know what it sounds like.
00:43And again, the only variable is how hard the team will push to make it more on their terms
00:50versus the lifetime achievement award, ownership level, here's a blank check,
00:55write down whatever money you want, and we'll pay it.
00:56So that's the only variable to me, but I'm with you.
00:59I think this is all happening.
01:00How much is he going to make?
01:01Yep.
01:01Will there be a discount?
01:03Are they going to pay him basically what they've paid him his entire career?
01:07And we got some insight into that via TJ Oshie, even though he's speculating.
01:12You'd think it's pretty informed speculation after he had an audience with Ovechkin,
01:16but this was Oshie talking on a podcast.
01:18My last one for you, Ovi, gun to your chin.
01:23Is he coming back?
01:26If you would have asked me a week ago, I would have said no.
01:33But I did their last game in Columbus, met the boys the night before, had a couple pops.
01:41All the other guys took off, and me and O stayed for probably an hour and just chatted, me and
01:46him.
01:47And I think he needed to finish up the season, see where his body was.
01:52If I have a gun to my chin, I'm going to say he's probably coming back for one more farewell
02:01tour, like a real one.
02:04I think he needed to step away from the media after breaking.
02:19Then to the club, maybe, just as like a thanks for everything you've done type thing.
02:23This is all completely my own opinion.
02:25I haven't talked to anyone about this, especially with the team.
02:30I think there's a chance, because his boys are young, and they love hockey, and they love watching them.
02:36They're at every game.
02:38It doesn't matter if we play at like 7.30 at night on a school night.
02:41The boys are on the glass.
02:43I think he wants to play in front of them for one more year.
02:46So I think he's coming back.
02:48So I completely agree with everything Oshie said.
02:52I've seen and sat near sometimes his family, and his kids will occasionally have like hockey games or hockey practices,
02:59and they're getting there in the second or third period, and they still want to be there.
03:02And they're jumping up and down going crazy, and they love it.
03:05How could you not enjoy playing in front of your kids?
03:07Sure, yeah.
03:08So many times players talk about wanting to keep playing until their kids are old enough to enjoy it.
03:13And his youngest son is just kind of at that age now.
03:15So another year of hanging around the team and them getting pictures with players and autographs
03:20and having those relationships, I'm quite sure that they would want him to keep playing,
03:24which he's on record as having said.
03:26If Ovi hadn't commented last week, this would be groundbreaking and huge news, I think,
03:31on the Home by Three podcast.
03:33But because Ovi said what he said at breakdown day, at the final day where the team said their goodbyes,
03:38I think this just reiterates what we already know, which is that Alex Ovechkin will come back and wants to
03:43come back.
03:44But here is what was so interesting about this answer.
03:47And this, to me, is the story.
03:48This is the takeaway.
03:50This is the lead.
03:51L-E-D-E lead.
03:53This is the lead here.
03:55T.J. Oshie said he thinks that the contract will be more fair to Ovechkin than the team
04:04because instead of the hometown discount, it's actually going to go the other way where they kind of say,
04:09thanks for everything financially.
04:12So now we're talking about if that's true.
04:13And he acknowledged this is not something I've heard from anybody with the team.
04:17It's just my own speculation.
04:18But he did say this was a couple days after talking to Ovi at length.
04:23He thinks he's going to be paid maybe not only like what he's made his whole career, but maybe a
04:26little more.
04:27So maybe it's not $9 million.
04:29Maybe it's $10 million.
04:30Maybe it's $11 million.
04:32And this has been what you and I keep talking about.
04:34There's a world where Ovi coming back and the Capitals being cup caliber can coexist.
04:40But it's going to be really hard for those two things to exist together at $10 or $11 million,
04:45which is maybe where this thing lands if Ovechkin gets what he wants according to Oshie's expectations.
04:52Yeah, and that's kind of been the pulse from Ted Leonsis when he's spoken, right?
04:56Not specifically saying whatever he wants, we're going to give it to him.
04:59But again, that's kind of the vibe that I've taken away.
05:01And if I'm wrong about that, someone over there can feel free to let me know.
05:06But that's kind of the sense I have.
05:07Now you've got Oshie saying it again.
05:08He qualifies and says, I haven't spoken to anybody about this.
05:11It's not like I'm quoting someone in the front office.
05:13But that's the feeling.
05:15So that's not something that I'm all that excited about, to be honest with you, right?
05:20Ovi coming back is great at a price that...
05:39...to pay everybody as little as possible and still get the same production.
05:42Duh, right?
05:43So if you're not getting $11 million a year, which is what I think is about to happen as
05:47the cap has gone up, if you're not getting $11 million a year worth of production, paying
05:52someone that is really, really difficult to overcome.
05:55I mean, the years that they, you know, as they've only won one playoff series since winning
06:00Stanley Cup, when Oshie, who I love, Backstrom hurt.
06:05Oshie hurt all the time.
06:06Would play once and then have to sit two or three games as his back is flaring up.
06:09Now, these guys that couldn't live up to their contracts anymore, it's damn near impossible
06:13for any team to overcome.
06:15Let alone, you know, this one as they were getting older and, you know, kind of on the
06:18fly.
06:19So, yeah, it's...
06:20I think that's...
06:21The story is on what terms that's happening, not if it's happening.
06:26That's, I think, where we are.
06:27I want to open up the phones on this at 800-636-1067.
06:32We have not taken calls really on anything today, but I am always interested.
06:36I will forever be intrigued by how people feel about this Ovechkin conversation while we're
06:41having it on the show.
06:43Because we've talked a lot about, do you want him back?
06:45Do you think they can win if he comes back?
06:48How do you think this is going to end?
06:49Those angles?
06:51If it takes double-digit millions of dollars, if there is no discount, if Ove, like Oshie
06:59is suggesting, is going to make high-end money to come back and there is no half of what
07:06market would say for your star player or whatever, what's your level of interest and how does that
07:13work for you?
07:13So, I guess to have the best conversation, we probably need to put a number on it.
07:17But, I'm going to say like 10.5 or 11 million dollars, if that's what it takes.
07:21Of which, by the way, there are only 17 players in the NHL that make 11 million dollars.
07:27I mean, the cap has exploded, so there are now guys like Kiprasov, who makes 17 million.
07:34I think Leon Dreisaitl's in the 14.5 range or something.
07:38Jack Eichel's a 13.5 guy.
07:40You've got Nathan McKinnon making just shy of 13 million dollars.
07:43There are some superstars like Conor McDavid, 12.5 million.
07:46But, you'd be paying Alex Ovechkin a significant enough amount of money that it makes getting
07:54everything done that you need to, even with legit cap space, very, very difficult.
07:58Like, look at a guy like Eric Carlson with the Penguins.
08:00The defenseman, good player.
08:0392 million dollar contract though, 11.5 million dollars.
08:06I mean, what could you do if you could take that money and spread it around a little bit?
08:11And that's what you'd be talking about.
08:14But, I've been thinking a lot about this.
08:17We've talked every day, end of last week, about Ovi.
08:20Throughout the weekend, I was like, okay, I want to be so careful.
08:23Because we're, I take this seriously on the air.
08:26And I know that a lot of people hear what we say.
08:28And he is such an important player in the history of DC sports.
08:32And on top of that, in my life, like, even just for my own fandom and my own Caps, as
08:38I sit here in Caps gear, like, interests, I want to do right by Ovi in these conversations.
08:43So, I think the way that I would put it is, however this ends, I'm going to be okay.
08:49As a Caps fan, who Ovi has given everything to, and then some, whatever they decide to do, I will
08:58roll with.
08:58And I'm not going to be upset or angry about it.
09:02But, the right thing to do, if you're trying to win a championship next year, is not to pay him
09:10this money.
09:11That doesn't mean that they won't.
09:13I think they probably will.
09:14And I'm not even going to say that it means that they shouldn't.
09:17Although, I'd like to tell you that if I was the executive, hopefully I'd be able to operate with a
09:23little bit of cold emotion.
09:27And do the right thing for the betterment of the team.
09:30But I think, with things like this, Danny, when you're talking about Kobe at the end of his time with
09:33the Lakers,
09:34we've had some of these conversations over the years.
09:36I think ownership's involved.
09:37I think the highest ranking people in the building who have very personal relationships with the player and their family,
09:44they're involved, and they can tell the smart analytics hockey people,
09:48I understand that you're telling me we should only pay him $5 million.
09:51This is the time where you go sit in that chair by the vending machine, and I'll work out the
09:55deal with Ovi.
09:56You saw that with Steven Strasburg and Ted Lerner.
09:59I mean, that would happen over the years, and I think that's what's going to happen.
10:02So, the question as we tee it up, to me, would be, I'm going to play this clip again.
10:09But Oshie had drinks with Ovi, this is one of his best buddies, and he came away thinking he's going
10:16to, wants to play,
10:18wants to be in front of the boys, and he said it was his opinion that the contract would be
10:23way friendlier to Ovechkin than the team,
10:26which I take to mean $10-plus million.
10:29And even another interesting thing was he said he'll get a real farewell tour,
10:32which we were told all year he didn't want.
10:34He said he had to get away from that this year because of how crazy last year was with the
10:38goals record.
10:39So maybe now Ovi would be okay with a farewell tour for a one-year deal at $11 million or
10:44something,
10:44and he'd sign up for the barnstorming city-to-city and having roses thrown at his skate blades.
10:50But this was Oshie.
10:51My last one for you, Ovi, gun to your chin.
10:56Is he coming back?
10:59If you would have asked me a week ago, I would have said no.
11:06But I did their last game in Columbus, met the boys the night before, had a couple pops.
11:13All the other guys took off, and me and O stayed for probably an hour and just chatted, me and
11:19him.
11:20And I think he needed to finish up the season, see where his body was.
11:25If I have a gun to my chin...
11:28Right on your chin.
11:30I'm going to say he's probably coming back for one more farewell tour, like a real one.
11:36I think he needed to step away from the media after breaking the record a little bit.
11:42So, I think he'll sign a one-year deal.
11:45I think it could probably be a little bit more fair to the contract-wise to him than to the
11:52club, maybe.
11:53Just as like a thanks for everything you've done type thing.
11:56This is all completely my own opinion.
11:58I haven't talked to anyone about this.
12:00Right.
12:00Especially with the team.
12:03I think there's a chance, because his boys are young, and they love hockey, and they love watching them.
12:09They're at every game.
12:10It doesn't matter if we play at like 7.30 at night on a school night.
12:13The boys are on the glass.
12:15I think he wants to play in front of them for one more year.
12:19So, I think he's coming back.
12:21That's TJ Oshie on a podcast.
12:24Talking Alex Ovechkin called Home by Three.
12:28It's going to be harder to win a cup if they pay Ovi a ton of money.
12:32And doing right by Ovechkin is probably going to make things harder next year in 26 and 27.
12:39You hear people say they've got to do what Ovechkin wants them to do.
12:43I don't subscribe to that.
12:44I think they've got to be respectful to him and try to thread the needle into trying to win big.
12:49That's what they should be doing as an NHL organization.
12:51But how do you land that plane?
12:53I mean, how do you satisfy both the career and farewell of Ovechkin while also not trying to take a
13:01step back when you've built this thing so well?
13:03You've got these kids ready to win if you can have a big offseason.
13:07800-636-1067.
13:08And the question really, Danny, I guess, is about the money they'd be paying him.
13:12Are people willing to do that?
13:14That's the pivotal thing.
13:15Where's the walkaway point?
13:16I think that's what the organization has to figure out.
13:18And that's what WISA fan base do as well.
13:20Next on GND.
13:21I think that's what WISA fan base do.
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