Ovechkin milestone thread - 850 and Beyond!

[Firsov99]

The only way he fails to do it, is if he declines steadily over the next two years and scores say 25-15. Do you think he'll come back for a third and final season then?

If he scores 25 over the next two seasons, his game would have to regress quite considerably. To a point where he becomes a liability in most aspects of the game. In this case, I doubt that he would re-sign again.

 

[BallardEra]

The only way he fails to do it, is if he declines steadily over the next two years and scores say 25-15. Do you think he'll come back for a third and final season then?

I don't think he does if that happens. He's done either way after his current contract is done in two years.

He will score 30+ again next year assuming he is healthy.

Pavelksi scored 27 goals this season in his age 39 season so I can't see why Ovechkin doesn't top that if he he's healthy.

He finished the season on a 52 goal pace over his last 36 games.

 

[vippe]

I dont think we should underestimate how much the chaotic season the Caps have might have impacted on the first half of Ovys season. I'm not worried for the next season.

New coach and system
Backstrom's returnal didnt work out
Kuz continued downward spiral

Those three factors alone definitely had a factor in how things played out. Hopefully after a full year with Spencer, new full time center hopefully less injuries to depth players and things might look a bit better through out next season.

I think making the playoffs this season despite (being sellers) is something they're taking with them for next year to.

Even if season is still ongoing I am looking forward to next

 

[Random schmoe]

Gretzky will still likely have a higher goals-per-game than Ovechkin when the times comes. I don’t see Ovie scoring 42 in 61 games.

Honestly, given the differences in league wide scoring from Gretzky's era to Ovechkin's (at least the first two-thirds of it), the fact that he's even close is kind of crazy.

 

[dragonballgtz]

The only way he fails to do it, is if he declines steadily over the next two years and scores say 25-15. Do you think he'll come back for a third and final season then?

It's insane to think if it wasn't for the lockout season and the shorten seasons throughout his career he might have already broken the record by now.

 

[Nsjohnson]

Ovechkin has had to deal with lots of factors that not all 'once in a lifetime' players deal with across sports.

How many coaches has he had over the last 19 years? How many different 'do this, do that' changes.

How many scrub players around him? Backs was there with him. Not that many others who stayed consistent and good. Elite defenders and goalies? Almost never.

Messed up seasons? Lock out, COVID...

He's played through injury, but mostly never broken.

He's played through years of NOT getting to and winning a Cup. He didn't give up and was a beast in that whole run, including a couple clutch goals.

The list probably goes on.

 

[thegazelle]

I certainly hope Ovechkin breaks Gretzky's record - and this is from a guy who grew up watching Gretzky, saw him set these records, and have a decent collection of Gretzky memorabilia.

I hope he does it wearing a Capitals jersey, though. While I generally am not fond of players jumping teams at the twilight of their career (am more fond of a player playing through an entire career with one team - sticking around through thick and thin), I can understand if Ovechkin decides to "join a contender" in order to try to break Gretzky's record. It's just one of those things that don't come around often and would be great to see a new record set. But thankfully Washington is still somewhat borderline competitive, barely sneaking into the playoffs.

Would be nice though, if Capitals management brought on some additional pieces to help OV in his quest next year, though I totally get it that their focus is on the entirety of the team going forward, not necessarily placating one guy, and a franchise legend, at that, in his quest for individual milestones. Hopefully OV's health holds up.

 

[WarriorofTime]

Ovechkin has had to deal with lots of factors that not all 'once in a lifetime' players deal with across sports.

How many coaches has he had over the last 19 years? How many different 'do this, do that' changes.

How many scrub players around him? Backs was there with him. Not that many others who stayed consistent and good. Elite defenders and goalies? Almost never.

Messed up seasons? Lock out, COVID...

He's played through injury, but mostly never broken.

He's played through years of NOT getting to and winning a Cup. He didn't give up and was a beast in that whole run, including a couple clutch goals.

The list probably goes on.

And never complained. Not when they hired a coach that decided they should play a trap and tried to turn Ovechkin into a fourth line grinder. You know people would have been chomping at the bit to say what a selfish, greedy, bad teammate he was if they ever got a chance.

 

[Firsov99]

I certainly hope Ovechkin breaks Gretzky's record - and this is from a guy who grew up watching Gretzky, saw him set these records, and have a decent collection of Gretzky memorabilia.

I hope he does it wearing a Capitals jersey, though. While I generally am not fond of players jumping teams at the twilight of their career (am more fond of a player playing through an entire career with one team - sticking around through thick and thin), I can understand if Ovechkin decides to "join a contender" in order to try to break Gretzky's record. It's just one of those things that don't come around often and would be great to see a new record set. But thankfully Washington is still somewhat borderline competitive, barely sneaking into the playoffs.

Would be nice though, if Capitals management brought on some additional pieces to help OV in his quest next year, though I totally get it that their focus is on the entirety of the team going forward, not necessarily placating one guy, and a franchise legend, at that, in his quest for individual milestones. Hopefully OV's health holds up.

As far as bringing additional pieces, the Caps will have to wait until 2025-26 season when about $19 million in cap space (Backy’s, Kuzy’s, and Oshbaby’s contracts) will finally get freed up.

That’s why it’s always laughable to hear from some posters(very few though) who claim that the Caps management’s only goal is to help Ovi break the record. If the Caps management were more prudent, Ovi would have had more goals and more Cups by now most likely.

 

[TJHKY]

 

[Marshmallow Man]

Honestly, given the differences in league wide scoring from Gretzky's era to Ovechkin's (at least the first two-thirds of it), the fact that he's even close is kind of crazy.

Oh, I agree. Gretzky had every chance to put this record out of reach, but his goal scoring fell off a cliff late in his career, especially after the back injury.

 

[CokenoPepsi]

The Italian sub?

 

[Dead Coyote]

Ovi will hit 70 next year

 

[Fantomas]

I certainly hope Ovechkin breaks Gretzky's record - and this is from a guy who grew up watching Gretzky, saw him set these records, and have a decent collection of Gretzky memorabilia.

I hope he does it wearing a Capitals jersey, though. While I generally am not fond of players jumping teams at the twilight of their career (am more fond of a player playing through an entire career with one team - sticking around through thick and thin), I can understand if Ovechkin decides to "join a contender" in order to try to break Gretzky's record. It's just one of those things that don't come around often and would be great to see a new record set. But thankfully Washington is still somewhat borderline competitive, barely sneaking into the playoffs.

Would be nice though, if Capitals management brought on some additional pieces to help OV in his quest next year, though I totally get it that their focus is on the entirety of the team going forward, not necessarily placating one guy, and a franchise legend, at that, in his quest for individual milestones. Hopefully OV's health holds up.

The Caps actually have some good prospects in the system, although they might be a bit young to make a difference in the Ovechkin years (namely Leonard and Cristall come to mind). The future is not nearly as depressing for the Caps as it is for the Pens.

 

[Lou Sassole]

And never complained. Not when they hired a coach that decided they should play a trap and tried to turn Ovechkin into a fourth line grinder. You know people would have been chomping at the bit to say what a selfish, greedy, bad teammate he was if they ever got a chance.

Or the coach who switched him to RW because this particular coach had major stick up his ass when it came to handedness and playing on the proper side.

 

[PaulD]

Rempe 1 goal
Ovechkin 0 shots

Ovechkins floating was glaringly obvious today.
Tempo in play offs up a couple notches .....Doubt he scores in this short series.

 

[May Day 10]

I went to see Washington's game in Buffalo recently so my kid could check off 'seeing Ovechkin live'.

I was kind of taken aback with how little he works. He is on 1 knee for 75% of warm ups. His shifts looked very lethargic. basically loafing to find a scoring spot and setting up for a goal (playing on most of the PP). he would return to the bench very slowly, and look like he was really out of breath and catching his wind for awhile.

Maybe he wasn't feeling well or something that night, but Im not sure how much longer he can do this.

 

[Zuluss]

Maybe he wasn't feeling well or something that night, but Im not sure how much longer he can do this.

He is with us for another two years and then he is gone with the career goals record under his belt (along with many others).
Ovechkin is really old by hockey standards, there are probably 10 or so NHLers drafted in his year and earlier who are still playing.
He is somewhat like Jagr after his KHL stint or Lemieux after retirement: really slow, but you can still see what made him great back in the day.

 

[ViD]

I mean Ovechkin scored 31 with a horrible support where Dylan Strome is by far the best player.

In a top team with elite playmakers he definitely scores 40+

 

[stephenball]

Seems pretty normal for players to have to adjust their game as they get older and/or more injured. When a player can’t do the things they used to do, you have to find different ways to be productive. Ovechkin can’t drive offense on his own anymore like he could in his 20’s, but he can still get himself into position to score goals and have an elite finishing touch. But since he can’t set himself up too he’s more dependent on his teammates finding him, and as it’s been noticed there is a dearth of good talent on this Capitals team. Even so he still potted 30+ this year.

I’d just advise people to not expect to see the player he once was, and that’s fine and expected, he was one of the most dominant talents the league has seen. He can still score goals and still has an underrated passing game, but yeah, not the powerhouse he was even a few years ago. Still very likely to walk away in the end with a very huge record.

 

[AhosDatsyukian]

He will do it next year and will also hit 900 before the end of his career. It'd be funny, though, if he stopped playing after hitting 888 goals.

Without the lockouts and covid, I bet he could have reached a thousand goals!

He still could hit 1000 if he wants to. Probably won’t play quite that long but it is absolutely doable for him.

 

[YippieKaey]

idk about that.. they've been padding his stats all year, just happen to also be in the hunt.

It's almost like scoring goals correlates to team success? So weird.

 

[Kuz]

Of course he doesnt have the same motor as when he entered the NHL where he dominated with massive amount of energy. He wont drive play any longer still he has a very good shot and thats primarily his job now and he is still doing that on a high level and he show glimpses of what he once was at his very best at times.

Still he is open for change to make the team better. He no longer stand still on the circle of the PP and Caps PP went from being around bottom in the league through january to being the best since then.

He have started moving around to the net etc which open up space as Caps no longer had prime Backstrom and Kuznetsov who where able to create with Ovi standing still they had to adapt to create chances again.

 

[jetsforever]

0G, 0A, 5 shots in a 4 game sweep loss to NYR

 

[Albatros]

Was in controller disconnected mode all playoffs, can't recall a worse performance from anyone with comparable role and ice time.