Coach calls Ovechkin's injury 'not too serious' — but the timing still stings

The Capitals' coach said Wednesday that Alex Ovechkin's lower-body injury is "not too serious," which is about as much reassurance as Washington can hope for right now. Ovechkin remains day-to-day with less than two weeks before the opener, and at 40 years old entering his 22nd season, every preseason health scare carries more weight than it used to.

The awkward part is the organizational context. Washington spent the offseason locking in its future — Ryan Leonard on eight years and $84 million, Justin Sourdif on eight years and $50.8 million — while betting that the late-season surge that closed last year could carry into a full campaign. Ovechkin is the bridge between that young core and a genuine playoff push. If he misses time early, the team that went 13-18 in one-goal games last season has even less margin for error in close contests than it did then.

The surrounding pieces are already thin enough. Connor McMichael is gone to St. Louis. Rasmus Sandin's status was unresolved heading into camp. The Capitals added Boone Jenner at center and Vincent Desharnais on the blue line to patch the depth chart, but neither has played a game in Washington yet. My read: the coach's "not too serious" framing is probably accurate — this looks more like a precautionary preseason situation than a long-term concern. But Washington's margin for a slow start is narrow, and the opener is close.