Alex Ovechkin endorses 30-year-old heavy hitting forward as Washington Capitals next captain

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin has given his thumbs up for the 30-year-old enforcer, Tom Wilson, to be the next in line to wear the letter "C" once Ovi steps down.

Ovechkin believes that Wilson is now ready to take on the role of captain. The 38-year-old veteran forward expressed his admiration for Wilson's development. which led to him becoming the third alternate captain this season.

Alex Ovechkin said during a media interaction on Tuesday that Tom Wilson has demonstrated leadership qualities both on and off the ice since his early days in the league.

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According to the Capitals' current captain, Wilson's continuous support for the team and the organization, along with his leadership skills, make him a strong contender for the club's future captaincy role.

Ovechkin said (via The Hockey News):

"I think since day one when he came to the league, he show his leadership on the ice and off the ice," Ovechkin said. "He's always in team-wise, how I said, on the ice and off the ice. He support this organization, he's a leader and probably future captain, as well."

Alex Ovechkin has only two years remaining on his contract, whereas Tom Wilson's recent seven-year extension, signed last August, is set to start in the upcoming season.

This extended contract essentially positions Wilson to step into the captaincy role once Ovechkin decides to retire. Wilson was drafted No. 16 overall by the Capitals in the 2012 NHL draft.

The 30-year-old Toronto, Ontario, native has been with the club for the past 11 seasons. Wilson has 330 points picked up through 146 goals and 184 assists in 754 career games for Washington.

Alex Ovechkin reflects on his worst career playoff series

The Washington Capitals were eliminated after the New York Rangers swept them 4-0 in their Round 1 playoff series last week.

It was Ovechkin's 15th playoff appearance, but he couldn't deliver the performance expected of him. The 38-year-old veteran forward finished the series by not scoring any goals and only recording a career-low five shots on goal in his playoff career.

Alex Ovechkin admitted blame for the team's performance and said that their line had difficulties offensively during the series.

"It's always tough to lose a series. We had pretty good chances. We just didn't score. Our line didn't score lots of goals," he said after a 4-2 Rangers win on Sunday night in Washington, D.C. "Blame me. I didn't play well."

The Capitals have won the Stanley Cup once in 2018 under Ovechkin's captaincy.