Ovechkin Morning Skate

While the Washington Capitals have been able to stay atop the Eastern Conference without captain Alex Ovechkin, they're still eagerly awaiting his return as he recovers from a broken leg, and it appears that could come sooner rather than later.

Ovechkin broke his left fibula on Nov. 18 against Utah Hockey Club when he collided with Jack McBain, and nearly a month later, appears to be on the mend.

Dynamo Moscow general manager Alexei Sopin told MatchTV that Dynamo reached out to see how Ovechkin was doing, and that the Russian told them that he was "already close to returning" to action for Washington.

Ovechkin has officially joined the team and is skating with the group after some time of working on his own. It's a positive step forward, and now, the next step is for him to shed the non-contact jersey and get into some more reps and drills.

Coach Spencer Carbery told reporters Tuesday in Chicago that he will need at least one non-contact practice, and "probably multiple ones," before they put him in a game.

"He's right at that finish line," Carbery said.

After that, he and doctors will meet, and from there, it'll be decided whether or not he is cleared to return to game action.

Given his four-to-six week timeline, Ovechkin is on pace to return either late in December or early January, and per The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun, he could potentially get a game in before the holiday break or one of the games soon after.

All eyes will be on Ovechkin when he returns as he looks to continue his pursuit of Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record. He had 15 goals — the most in the league at the time — in 18 games before being hurt and sits just 27 away from hitting 895.

Alex Ovechkin Injury Update: Capitals Captain Tells Dynamo He's 'Close To Returning,' New Reported Return Date