I think at this point the goals will come, the only question is how ugly it will get in terms of hurting his team in the end.
His hot start aside he isn't a positive player at ES anymore and that isn't going to get any better with age.
This season alone he has since Jan 1st a line of 41-24-13-37 (minus 15) and that minus partially hides the ENG and he is already playing 75% offensive zones starts at ES.
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At some point the race for Gretzky's record is going to hurt even more than it does right now.
As Jbwest31 pointed out, you are really going to say "hey, forget the first half of the season and
then.."
In context, Before Jan 1st Ovie had 33 gp 23+26=49, +21. Thats not just a hot start, thats Hart level of "almost half season". Its not a suprise 36 year old cant keep up with that for 82 games as the wear and tear creeps in, but that doesnt mean he is somekind of liability in context of whole scretch of 82 games.
There is alot of games where he is just unstoppable. Then he has games where he is meh, and his only contribution is his shot and that he takes the eyes of the enemy on him so others can excel. Thats likely going to continue next year. Id say even the "downside" is helpful for the team, its just up for the rest of the bunch to take the advantage they are given. The extra space and time for his linemates, and the easier competition for the other lines.
And EN should not be kept against him. Its not just "record hunting in expense of the team". Those goals have helped the team to close out games in a way that no other player has been capable of doing this year. From his own team, or any other. He has been against how many, one or two, goals on that situation for the whole season. His record on ice for that situation is crazy good, there is a reason his coach uses him.
