Bonus bonus: under what conditions Ovechkin remains in the NHL

The biggest event of the summer in Russian sports has already happened: Alexander Ovechkin remains in Washington for another year. Under the new contract, the Russian will be able to earn up to $9 million, of which $ 4.75 million will be performance bonuses. Ahead is the continuation of the chase for Wayne Gretzky in the total number of goals in the regular season and the playoffs. To leave now would mean to end this path, when only 11 goals remain before the absolute record of the NHL. There is almost no doubt: a two-armed striker will close this goal, and then he will be able to finish his career as a real king among snipers.

The forward remains in the game

Everyone understood that Ovechkin's book in Washington was not finished yet. Legends of this magnitude don't go between the lines. The Capitals did everything they could to convince their captain to stay another season. Jordan Kaira was traded from St. Louis, Alex Tak came from Buffalo, and Boone Jenner joined the team as a free agent. With each step, the leadership seemed to be telling Ovechkin: "We are not going to go into perestroika, we are ready to return to the elite of the Vostok.

Everything around Alexander was literally pushing him to one decision. The cult of cumulative statistics in North America is not as great as regular season records, but for full greatness it will be right to conquer the last peak. Ovechkin's farewell dance should not turn into a beautiful formality. The competent work of the management has simultaneously strengthened the staff here and now and laid the foundation for the future without Alexander. The club has done everything to ensure that the captain leaves not in ruins, but at the head of a combat-ready team. It's still too bold to talk about the Stanley Cup, but Spencer Carbery's renewed team is well able to get involved in the struggle for leadership in the conference.

But the main storyline of the season will not be a trophy hunt. The entire hockey world will be watching the final chapter of one of the greatest careers in NHL history. Every Ovechkin outing, every Washington home game, will turn into an opportunity to see the best sniper in the league in action. The Capitals and the NHL itself simply had no right to deprive the fans of such a farewell.

"The contract extension was the expected outcome," Maxim Sushinsky, the world champion, told Izvestia. — I hope one season will be enough to break Gretzky's record.

Absolutely everyone has benefited from the new contract. Washington won. The league won. The fans won. And, let's not hide it, the journalists won. For at least another season, every morning will begin with a question that has long become familiar to thousands of Russian fans: "Did Ovechkin score today?"

"We are pleased that Alex is returning and continuing his outstanding career," Washington's press service quoted club owner Ted Leonsis as saying. — From the moment we selected him in the draft, two things have remained unchanged: his love for the game and his unquenchable thirst to win. Alex has always shown the deepest dedication to his teammates, our organization, and the fans. I am incredibly proud of everything he has achieved in the form of the Capitals, and I have no doubt that next season he will continue to build on that legacy. We are thrilled that he continues to write the next chapter of his remarkable career.

How much will Ovechkin be paid

The greatest sniper will be able to earn up to $9 million during his probably last season in his Enhael career. The structure of the agreement looks like this: total amount — $9 million; base part — $1 million; subscription bonus — $3.25 million; caphit — $4.25 million; performance bonus — $4.75 million.

The performance bonus is activated after 10 matches played. For the captain of the Washington, this mark looks like a mere formality. Chris Patrick, the general manager of the Capitals, played the situation almost perfectly. He did not overload the payment system, saved room for maneuver, and at the same time did not skimp on the latest contract of the franchise legend. The Capitals will earn a lot of money on Ovechkin's farewell tour. It would be strange if Alexander himself spent another season for pennies. The story of Ovechkin's farewell will stretch even after his departure. And not only emotionally, but also financially. Washington will postpone part of the current agreement until next season. There will be $4.75 million under the salary cap for the 2027/28 season as a kind of legacy of the great sniper, who by that time will most likely have already completed his career in the NHL. The collective agreement allows the transfer of the bonus part of the contracts of players over 35 years old, signed for one year.

Patrick's work this summer deserves the highest marks. The general manager strengthened the squad, retained Ovechkin, and at the same time painlessly fit into the salary cap. It is enough to recall the deals of recent weeks: Jordan Kairou (caphit — $8.125 million), Alex Tuck ($10.5 million), Boone Jenner ($5.75 million), Vincent Dearnais ($4.2 million). Alexander himself received a contract corresponding to his status. But the cap hit was only $4.25 million, which allowed the club to conduct selection without constantly looking back at negotiations with the main person of the franchise.

And even after the extension of the contract with Ovechkin, the Capitals still have about $975 thousand under the ceiling. Washington emerged victorious from this story in every sense. The transfer of bonuses has also become possible due to the constant increase in the salary ceiling. In the coming season, it will increase to $104 million, and a year later it will grow to $113.5 million. For Washington, such a scheme is not at all new. Back in the 2023/24 season, the club issued Max Pacioretty's contract in a similar way, when bonuses for matches played were also transferred beyond the current payment.

We can agree that this scheme reveals the imperfection of the regulations. This suggests an obvious comparison with the KHL, where rich clubs are looking for all sorts of loopholes to fit into the ceiling. But in this case, the principle of fair competition is not violated. Ovechkin will receive the money he deserves, which will still be included in the payroll. These are not unlimited championship bonuses, attempts to smear a long-term contract, or signing players through a farm club. Everything is extremely transparent and fair. Washington deliberately sacrificed part of the salary cap for the 2027/28 season in order to honor the greatest player in the club's history right now. This is how legends should part with their teams.