TORONTO – Alex Ovechkin’s teammates are playing the same guessing game you are.

Whether or not the Washington Capitals captain elects to fight through the red tape and pursue an Olympic men’s hockey gold medal this winter in Pyeongchang remains unknown.

But removing a superstar from an already-depleted Washington Capitals lineup for two weeks in February may have an effect on the 2017-18 playoff race.

“It’s too hard to think about right now,” Capitals forward Tom Wilson said Wednesday at BioSteel Camp.

“Ovie’s a leader. He’s a unique guy. He’s been one of the best players in the game for a long time. He’s going to make the decision that you hope is good for the team and good for him. He’s a smart guy. I think we respect his decision. We understand how important playing for your country is.”

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Ovechkin has repeatedly stated that he will be representing Russia at the 2018 Winter Games. Fellow Russian Capitals Evgeny Kuznetsov and Dmitry Orlov will feel a similar pull to skate for their flag.

Olympic participation is a significant reason why Ilya Kovalchuk and Andrei Markov, both free agents this summer, elected to sign in the KHL as opposed to the NHL this season.

“That’s definitely the stereotype—that Russia really wants their players to come play for their country,” Wilson said. “If you talk to anyone at Hockey Canada, they’d probably say the same thing.”

Back in December, Capitals owner Ted Leonsis said he would support Ovechkin’s Olympic wish.

“That was before there was a stone-cold answer that the NHL is not going. It was kinda up in the air,” Wilson pointed out.

The NHL has yet to announce what consequences, if any, await stars who opt to leave the league mid-season in order to participate in the overseas tournament.

“We’ve done the work,” NHLPA chief Donald Fehr said in July when we asked him about Ovechkin’s case. “It is an individual club decision on whether he would go.”

It’s a dilemma that involves the NHL, the PA, the IIHF, the Russian hockey federation, ownership, management, and one that affects coaching staff, teammates, and fans.

Wilson joked that he was “lucky enough” that he’s not in Ovechkin’s position.

“It’ll be tough decisions for those guys. You have to think about your club team. You have to think about your country. You have to think about yourself and your teammates. It’s not going to be an easy decision for anyone,” Wilson said.

“You’re going to have to keep asking that question probably right up until the day before the Olympics. We’ll see how it unravels.”