Alex Ovechkin is going to have a shorter ramp-up to the season than most of his Washington Capitals teammates.
The Russian star is day-to-day with a lower-body injury, the team announced Monday, per Tarik El-Bashir of Monumental Sports Network.
Ovechkin was slated to miss the team's second pre-season game on Monday against the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Capitals have two more exhibition games before their season opener on Oct. 2 against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Ovechkin, 41, played all 82 games last season, registering 32 goals and 32 assists.
He signed a one-year deal to remain with the Capitals in July.
Ovechkin will earn a $1-million salary with bonuses worth an additional $8 million—including $4.75 million if he plays 10 games. The contract counts just $4.25 million against the cap after Washington made plenty of use of its substantial salary cap space.
— with files from The Associated Press
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