Alex Ovechkin skated by himself before Washington Capitals practice on Monday as he works to return from a broken leg. Ovechkin wore a tracksuit and a helmet with stick in hand but no hockey gear during his light workout,

The Washington Capitals got a hot start from Alex Ovechkin thanks to an offseason focused on training and conditioning.

Ovechkin’s absence has paused his pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record. With 15 goals in 18 games this season, Ovechkin (868 career goals) is just 27 shy of surpassing Gretzky’s 894-goal mark.