It's hard to understand what you are saying here, on one hand Backstrom is the albatross contract but then he is also part of the "pretty much top 6 players" missing as well?
Other teams got decimated by injuries covid and goalies losing their rhythm that's probably why scoring is up but no one can prove it it's all guesswork, then all those guys come back and Ovechkin is -15 on the team but somehow the whole team is playing like garbage?
No the inconsistencies here are truly amazing and yet it's everyday stuff to say Ovi is great and if the Caps don't do well it's always other players fault.
80% offensive zone starts and still -15 over that stretch (well it got a bit better after yesterdays game sure).
I also like how you are going to pretend....as that's the issue that I have been railing against here, Ovi will get the goal scoring record by let's all pretend that the Capitals not being a SC contender is because of other reasons...gotchya, enjoy those 5 years.
but I do get it, it really has become all about goal scoring and never mind the rest of what makes up a hockey game and a hockey team.
Is Backstrom not a top 6 player for the Capitals? Does he not have a massive contract comparable to Ovechkin's? Did he not miss a lot of time in the first half of the season? Has he not been bad since he's been back? What's not to get here? You're asserting Ovechkin and his contract are a big issue for the Capitals yet he has put up a top 10 Hart finalist season, maybe higher, but Backstrom's contract is the same and he's stunk since he signed it and honestly didn't deserve it at all.
Again, what's hard to understand about a 36 year old getting tired after playing the first half of the year with playoff type effort while carrying his team offensively? I don't get how you don't get that and it isn't like he was the only guy not playing amazing during the Caps downturn, the entire team was awful for that stretch, how is that on Ovechkin all of a sudden?
If we're pretending, it's delusional to think that giving Ovechkin that contract is why the Capitals will not contend moving forward when again, Backstrom's contract is much worse and he may be done entirely as a top 6 player as of right now instead of a couple years into his contract. That, or the fact Brian McClellan has done nothing to address the glaring issue with the team in net for over 3 years running. But sure, let's do the pretend thing and shoulder it on Ovechkin and his 50 goal, 90 point season. My god....
What constitutes hockey is winning and that's what Ovechkin has effected for the Capitals this year; they are in the playoffs because of him and his play this year, full stop. He doesn't have the first half of the year he did and they're on the outside looking in. You take him off of this roster and they are not a playoff team.
You have no grounds here with what you're talking about, I'm sorry.
records.nhl.com
www.hockey-reference.com
