Washington Capitals head coach Adam Oates stated on Wednesday afternoon that he plans to use star forward Alex Ovechkin on the penalty kill this season.
Alex Ovechkin could play on penalty kill for Capitals this season, says coach
Alex Ovechkin might receive time on the penalty kill unit this season, according to head coach Adam Oates.
Justin K. Aller
This decision marks another shift in style for Ovechkin as Oates has also been experimenting with utilizing him on the right wing. A career left winger, Ovechkin has been paired with Nicklas Backstrom and winger Marcus Johansson during the course of training camp.
The change has been slightly bumpy, as Ovechkin and Johansson collided during a scrimmage on Tuesday, which resulted in the star winger suffering a bloody lip. Ovechkin has also stated that he feels “lost” on the right side.
Oates was a member of the New Jersey Devils coaching staff last season, which experimented with star forward Ilya Kovalchuk on the penalty kill.
As it currently stands, Ovechkin would be a key figure in the Capitals special teams play. During practice on Wednesday, he spent time on both powerplay units.
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