Caps are rebuilding and are also way ahead of where people tought they would be with their playoff spot this year.
Ovi is still a top forward on the team with 0,82 PPG tied for 1st on the team with Strome. He is playing normal minutes with an average of 19 minutes.
The third best ppg forward this season was Mantha at 0,61 ppg (Which they traded away). Then you have Pacioretty at 0,49 ppg, Oshie 0,48 ppg, Wilson and Milano at 0,47 ppg, Lapierre 0,43 PPG, McMichael 0,41 ppg and Kuznetsov 0,40 ppg (Traded away).
Who of these guys are really producing enough to be considered a better scoring threat than Ovi on the PP?
Ovechkin isnt playing most of the PP because Caps are trying to get him the record. He plays most of it as he is the best option by far.
This year they traded Mantha, Kuznetsov and Edmundson. Last year they traded Orlov, Eller, Hathaway and Johansson. Both years they where in the playoff race and made it this year despite the trades.
If Ovi's goalscoring was the main objective they wouldnt trade away those guys.