Alex Ovechkin sets return date to the ice after lower-body injury

The Washington Capitals look to win a Stanley Cup title in what could be the last year with their captain, and he got good injury news today.

The Washington Capitals were the top teams in the Eastern Conference in 2024-25, and now look to make a run at the Cup. Still, there have been injury concerns around Alex Ovechkin. According to Tom Gulitti of NHL.com, Ovi is expected to be ready for the start of the season.

Ovi took the ice in practice, shedding the non-contact jersey today. “It feels good,” Ovechkin said. “Obviously, I need more touches, more ice time with the boys because, obviously, that week that I missed kind of hit me a little bit. But overall, I'll take it.”

Ovechkin is entering his 21st season in the NHL and is now the all-time leading goal scorer in the NHL. With another successful season, he will pass Wayne Gretzky as the all-time leader in goals for the playoffs and regular season combined. He is expected to be a major part of the Caps this season, as they hope to make a run for another Cup.

Will Ovi be ready for the regular season?

While Ovechkin shed the non-contact jersey today, there is still a question of whether he will be ready for the regular season. Spencer Carbery spoke on that, saying, “I think so. He's missed a significant amount of camp, but I know he's been training and skating and trying to do everything he possibly can at 40 years old to make sure that he's ready for opening night next Wednesday. So, I would expect (he'll be ready), but he's missed a lot, so hopefully, this last little nine days he can get as close to top form as possible.”

Ovechkin has missed more than normal in training camp, but it was also clearly precautionary. Ovi noted, “Obviously, sometimes you do some workout and you tweak something where you pull your muscle a little bit and you just have to be smart on it. Sometimes you come to the training camp, and you feel a little sore on your knee or your wrist or something, so you have to do like maybe an injection or maybe take some pills to feel better.”

Ovi should be ready to start the regular season when the Caps hit the ice on October 8th against the Boston Bruins. Now, he hopes to lead the Caps to another Cup victory.

Bears Trade Proposal Sends Recent Cowboys 1,000-Yard RB to Chicago

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Rico Dowdle could be a trade option for the Bears.

Four weeks into the 2025 season, the Chicago Bears are averaging 102.3 yards per game, which is ranked 24th in the NFL heading into Week 5.

With RB1 D’Andre Swift and rookie seventh-rounder Kyle Monangai carrying the load, the Bears are averaging an unimpressive 3.8 yards per rush. Considering the unit just amassed a meager 69 yards and 2.7 per carry in Chicago’s Week 4 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, Chicago might want to use a chunk of its bye week to survey the running back landscape.

Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report thinks a “conditional 2026 7th-round pick” would be adequate compensation in a trade for RB Rico Dowdle, which would cost Chicago far less than, say, trying to trade for a player like Alvin Kamara. Knox named the Bears as one of two teams who fit as a logical trade partner.

Teams looking for a running back but are not interested in paying for a big name like Kamara should inquire about Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle,” Knox wrote on October 1. The former Cowboys starter signed a one-year deal with Carolina this offseason but hasn’t been a big part of the game plan. He’s caught five passes, logged 28 carries and tallied 103 yards with a touchdown.”

A Look a Dowdle’s Career Thus Far

Undrafted out of South Carolina in 2020, Dowdle made the Cowboys’ roster that year, playing entirely on special teams. He missed his 2021 campaign with a hip injury and most of 2022 with an ankle issue, but he finally carved out a role for himself in 2023. He finished with 89 carries for 361 yards and two touchdowns that year in a limited role before breaking out in 2024.

Last year, he had 235 carries for 1,079 rushing yards (4.6 per carry), also adding 39 catches for 249 yards and five total TDs. He signed with Carolina in March on a one-year deal worth up to $6.25 million, and through Week 4 he’s at 28 carries for 83 yards and a TD as the Panthers’ No. 2 back.

Dowdle has nice size at 5-foot-11 and 215-pounds, and turned 27 in June. He averaged 3.5 yards after contact last year—fifth among qualifying RBs by Next Gen Stats. In 2025, he’s working behind Chuba Hubbard while rookie Trevor Etienne rotates in, so there’s a chance Carolina would be willing to move him.

The Chicago Bears Should Try to Trade for Panthers RB Rico Dowdle

GettyRico Dowdle might be a perfect trade option for the Chicago Bears.

“Dowdle is, at worst, a high-end backup and does have depth value for Carolina,” Knox added. However, the 1-3 Panthers appear to be in the middle of another lost season and might as well get a longer look at rookie Trevor Etienne.

Dowdle is a low-frills guy with a north-south running style, and he’d be a better yards-after-contact player than Swift. The two would pair nicely together in Chicago’s backfield, as both are good pass-catchers and playmakers when the ball is in their hands. He wouldn’t need to be Christian McCaffrey or Saquon Barkley — he’d just need to be a role player who’d give the Bears more options while also helping take the physical toll off Swift.

The fact that Dowdle is on a one-year deal should also interest the Bears. He could be a mid-season rental if he doesn’t workout or gel in the offense, and if Chicago likes him, he could be re-signed easily.

Plus, if all it would take to move him is a conditional future sixth- or seventh-round pick, the Bears should pounce. Dowdle isn’t a big name, but the Bears don’t need one, at least at RB. They need a reliable set of legs, and he could give them that.

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