The 37-year-old wants to put the Capitals back in a winning position over the final three years of his contract while he sits 73 goals away from the NHL's all-time goals record.

The spotlight grew bigger on Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin this past season as he hit milestone after milestone: 787, 800, then 802 as he passed Gordie Howe for second on the NHL's all-time goals list. The only one left to pass is Wayne Gretzky, but with three years to go on his contract, Ovechkin's primary focus is elsewhere: winning.

Despite the individual success of last season, Ovechkin was disappointed with the ultimate result of the campaign, as he and the Capitals missed out on the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in nine years.

The 37-year-old admitted that after four first-round exits, not qualifying did slightly overshadow those milestones.

“Yeah, it sucks to play when you lost a chance to make the playoffs. You have to find energy, emotions," Ovechkin explained. "You can ask any team who’s out. You know, it’s hard to find motivation to play."

Going into 2023-24, he said he's focused on doing what he can to train and condition the right way in order to help the group get back to where he knows it can be. Then, the secondary focus will be on chasing down No. 99.

"There's lots of great memories, lots of great stuff that was happening this year, but I think for all of us, when you know you're not going to be in the playoffs, you need to think, 'Okay, what are we going to do in the summer? What am I going to do in the summer?'' Ovechkin said. "I have to be in better shape, I have to get ready to help this team to forget this season."

The Russian has been in touch with new head coach Spencer Carbery, who he's known for years from Carbery's past time with the organization. Carbery, though, was impressed with Ovechkin's commitment and said that the first conversation since his hiring was filled with positives.

"What sticks out right away: he’s a competitor; he wants to win. Everything when we talk -- everything sort of leads to, 'Okay, here’s what or here’s why.' Everything is team-centric stuff," Carbery said on Elliot In The Morning. "You’d think a lot of the conversation leads to goals and achieving something really, really special, and it’s the opposite. It leads towards team stuff and how we’re gonna win.

"That's a pretty special quality about Alex and what makes him such a great leader and such a great individual."

Ovechkin is back in Moscow and is set to work with longtime trainer Pavel Burlachenko in the coming weeks. Then, he will return to Washington for informal skates before training camp.

Looking ahead, Ovechkin's leadership will be vital as general manager Brian MacLellan makes changes while Carbery mixes in youth with the team's veteran core.