First one to retire: Malkin or Ovechkin?

[redwings86]

Same time circa 3,5 years until such time as end.

Capitals can go long way in the playoffs next year QF, SF even SC final series and beat.

Winnipeg, Colorado, Vegas, Dallas amongst top teams from western series.

Now I get eastern meets eastern teams. Devils, Capitals, Canadiens stronger.

Capitals beat resistance.
Capitals maybe win NHL in 3,5 years.

 

[DearDiary]

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

To preserve the record and push it as far as possible? NHL is reducing goalie equipment size, players are less willing to punish guys with their heads down etc. Scoring is going to keep going up and it's not unthinkable that someone like Matthews will challenge it if Ovechkin retires just because he passed Gretzky by 1 goal.

 

[JaegerDice]

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

I think there’s a decent chance he keeps playing, I just wonder if he and the Capitals agree to part ways so he can chase another cup as an aging PP specialist and they can get some assets to help the post-Ovechkin era rebuild.

 

[895]

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

What if 1000 is in reach?

 

[rypper]

What if 1000 is in reach?

He'll be 40 at the start of next season and will probably need between 2-4 more years to get there. I guess anything is possible.

 

[bobholly39]

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.

I wonder if Ovechkin will have any desire of going past Gretzky by a bigger gap to keep Matthews out of reach.

I know we're still very far away. but Matthews is roughly ~50+ goals ahead of Ovechkin age for age, and in a higher scoring league today than what Ovi had at a similar age. Obviously there's still a long way to go before we can say if Matthews will have a shot at it or not - but it would be easier to keep Matthews out of reach if Ovechkin goes up to ~950+ than if he stops at ~896 or so.