First one to retire: Malkin or Ovechkin?

First one to retire

  • Evgeni Malkin

    Votes: 37 66.1%
  • Alexander Ovechkin

    Votes: 10 17.9%
  • They will retire at the same time

    Votes: 9 16.1%

  • Total voters
    56

Regal

Registered User
Mar 12, 2010
26,348
16,208
Vancouver
From the NHL or hockey in general? They’re both under contract until the end of next year and I think that will probably be it for them in the NHL. I think Ovechkin is more likely to keep playing in Russia though.
 
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GoldenKnight

Registered User
Jun 2, 2017
317
521
Las Vegas
Both Malkin and ovechkin are above a point per game right now, one month into the season. Both guys are still playing good hockey. I could see each player playing one more season after the next one, if they have the drive and will to do so (or if Ovechkin is still short of Gretzky's record).
 
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SomeDude

Registered User
Mar 6, 2006
18,060
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Pittsburghish
Malkin has already said he wants to play for Magnitogorsk again after he’s done in the NHL.

Crosby just re-upped for an extra year for after his expires so we’ll see if he wants to stay to retire with Sid or go back to play in Russia. I would assume he’s done in the NHL after this deal, but he’s also looked very rejuvenated this year after supposedly changing his offseason training.
 
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Alexander the Gr8

Registered User
May 2, 2013
31,953
13,478
Toronto
Realistically it should be at the end of next year for both. However, if Ovi breaks the record this year, I wonder if he talks to the Capitals to get out of his last contract year to go play in Russia while he’s still a capable player.
 

Midnight Judges

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Feb 10, 2010
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I'm not seeing how there is any way to predict this.

Either player can choose to play longer, or not. Perhaps somebody here will text the guys and ask them?
 

WarriorofTime

Registered User
Jul 3, 2010
31,184
20,095
Realistically it should be at the end of next year for both. However, if Ovi breaks the record this year, I wonder if he talks to the Capitals to get out of his last contract year to go play in Russia while he’s still a capable player.
Nobody in the KHL can pay him $9 million USD next season. With him still playing at a high level and the Caps looking better as a team, I don't think he'd want to mutually terminate.
 

Pavel Buchnevich

"Pavel Buchnevich The Fake"
Dec 8, 2013
59,622
26,326
New York
I say Malkin has two more after this while the Pens try to pretend they’re a playoff contender. Ovechkin is done once he has the goals record, which could be after this season. But I think that’ll be next season. I say Malkin retires after 26-27, while Ovechkin retires after 25-26.
 
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Evergreen

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May 22, 2008
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I have no idea but I could see Malkin playing for several years in the KHL when he leaves the NHL. I think Ovy hangs them up once he beats Gretzky’s goal total.
 
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GrandmaCookie

Registered User
Feb 10, 2019
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It kinda hurts imagining the NHL without ovechkin. After he breaks the record I just don’t see much incentive for him to keep playing though
For sure. A league without Crosby(don't want to turn this into a Crosby thread, just saying) and Ovechkin will leave its mark. I don't remember seeing Lemieux, Jagr and Gretzky playing and Yzerman/Sakic/Lidstrom are only vague souvenir, so I never really saw a Great leave the NHL.

Seeing those living legends hang them up will be sad. Just imagine playing against PIT without Crosby and Malkin, or WSH without Ovechkin. Just doesn't make sense.
 
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PM88RU

Registered User
Dec 24, 2020
135
158
Moscow, Russia
For sure. A league without Crosby(don't want to turn this into a Crosby thread, just saying) and Ovechkin will leave its mark. I don't remember seeing Lemieux, Jagr and Gretzky playing and Yzerman/Sakic/Lidstrom are only vague souvenir, so I never really saw a Great leave the NHL.

Seeing those living legends hang them up will be sad. Just imagine playing against PIT without Crosby and Malkin, or WSH without Ovechkin. Just doesn't make sense.
I understand your feelings, bro, have followed NHL closely since 2004. We’re gonna get used to it…
New names have already come and even more will follow. There’re plenty of stars in NHL to follow now, so Ovi, Sid, Geno have the ones to pass the torch to.

Back to the topic:
I’m more or less sure Ovi links his after NHL life with Russia. There’s a lot he can bring and he can choose a lot of ways to continue career, be it sport or business or politics or something else.
He was an ambassador at Sochi 2014 Olympics, he’s been friendly to Putin, I’m pretty sure he wants to come back as soon as contract expires, having broken the goal record ofc. Don’t think he’ll terminate it if he has the record this season, though, if not only for the family issues.

Malkin on the other hand, I don’t know. Have never heard him expressing strong desire to come back to Russia. Did anyone hear it?

Of these two, if there’s still something left in the tank after current contracts, my guess Ovi will be the first to leave.
 
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hamzarocks

Registered User
Jul 22, 2012
21,611
15,200
Pickering, Ontario
Nobody in the KHL can pay him $9 million USD next season. With him still playing at a high level and the Caps looking better as a team, I don't think he'd want to mutually terminate.
Does he make $9M next year?

Would have thought his deal would be front loaded with signing bonuses so his final year if he wanted to go back home to KHL it would be easy to leave a few Ms behind as he can make that in the KHL.

Edit: he has 4M in SB and 5M salary. If he leaves after SB paid can get 3-4M in KHL and make up that basically
 

WarriorofTime

Registered User
Jul 3, 2010
31,184
20,095
Does he make $9M next year?

Would have thought his deal would be front loaded with signing bonuses so his final year if he wanted to go back home to KHL it would be easy to leave a few Ms behind as he can make that in the KHL.
His deal paid $5 million, $10 million, $12.5 million, $11 million, $9 million.

So it was "middle loaded". Not exactly sure why the first year paid so little (relatively), maybe COVID or something.
 

Cursed Lemon

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Nov 10, 2011
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Ignatius

Utah Direwolf
Apr 28, 2010
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Sin Bin
IIRC Ovi said that he wanted to break Gretzky's record and then retire immediately afterwards. Malkin has said that he wants to focus on his family after he's done with hockey. I could easily see either or both returning to Russia and continuing to play a little bit more.
 

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