Ovechkin continues to worry Capitals fans following offseason weight gain

Alex Ovechkin is undoubtedly one of the NHL's most productive players of all time. After more than 1,400 games played, the veteran Washington Capitals forward has scored 853 goals, only 42 away from beating Wayne Gretzky's record.

Despite the player's historic dominance, Ovechkin's recent actions have concerned Washington Capitals fans. The player broke a long streak of poor play halfway through the regular season, helping the team clinch the final Wild Card spot. However, he was back to square one in the Stanley Cup playoffs, getting swept by the New York Rangers without getting any points.

Following the team's elimination, Alex Ovechkin discussed the offseason in an interview on a Russian program. In this, he expressed his hatred for training, worrying fans who hoped this player would take the game seriously from the start.

Now, a candid photo has surfaced on social media of the Capitals forward with some friends he had just played tennis with. The picture shows that Ovechkin gained a significant amount of weight in the offseason, which could be a problem come the start of the next season.

Though many users took the opportunity to make fun of the player's current form, fans of his shared a different sentiment. Many believe that the player will still be able to score enough goals during the rest of his NHL career to become the number one of all time.

Despite the player's current physique, there is no guarantee this will hurt Alex Ovechkin's upcoming seasons. Though he may not like training, he is still expected to participate and will ultimately get into enough shape to be useful to the team. Whether or not this will do enough for him to beat Gretzky's record, only time can tell.

Source: Hockey Feed
Candid photo of Alex Ovechkin reveals how much weight he's gained in offseason