Alex Ovechkin has some thoughts on the state of the Toronto Maple Leafs and the team's slow start to this season. And, as usual, he's not exactly mincing words. 

The Washington Capitals star was asked about the Leafs and some of their issues ahead of the two teams matching up on Tuesday night in Toronto, and he had some interesting things to say -- most notably that Toronto is playing too selfishly right now to compete for a Stanley Cup.

"They are still a young group of guys and I hope they're going to learn, but it's up to them how they want to do it," Ovechkin said. "If they want to play for themselves, or if they want to win a Stanley Cup, they have to play differently." 

It may seem like a harsh assessment but, through the first month of the season, you'll likely find plenty of Maple Leafs fans who agree with Ovechkin. The Leafs have certainly had their issues, especially when it comes to playing responsibly on both ends of the ice, and they haven't fully gelled yet. 

Heading into Tuesday's contest, Toronto is a disappointing 6-5-2 through its first 13 games and hold a tiebreaker for third place in the Atlantic division behind Buffalo and Boston. The Leafs rank sixth in the league in offense but are 24th in defense. It has been ugly in their own end. 

At the very least, you have to give credit to Ovechkin for the refreshingly candid and honest answer. So often in hockey you'll see players purposefully avoid ruffling any feathers or making any waves with statements like these, particularly when it comes to talking about another team or player, even if it might be the truth.

And there's certainly some irony in the fact that the Leafs are receiving this sort of feedback from Ovechkin, who was on the other side of exact this criticism for so many years. Whether you believe it to be true or not, Ovi was considered by many to be a selfish player and blamed for the Capitals' postseason failures. 

Of course, that narrative quickly shifted when he won a Stanley Cup with the Caps in 2018 and he was praised for putting the team on his shoulders and taking a more team-oriented approach. So regardless of the validity of the prior knocks against Ovechkin, he's certainly someone worth listening to when it comes to the things he's saying about the way the Leafs are playing right now. 

At the very least, Tuesday's matchup in Toronto just got a little bit more interesting.