Ovechkin milestone thread - 850 and Beyond!

[Mulletman]

Because a lot can happen in 10+ years. Assuming Ovi breaks the record (next year most likely -- about a 99% chance barring any catastrophic injuries) and gets 900 goals and stops Matthews would need to average over 50 goals a season for the next ten years (counting this upcoming one) to catch him.

That's ten years without significant injures, player strikes/lockouts, etc. Though really with that long of a time-frame it could just be cumulative effect of minor injuries that slow him (Matthews) down and he ends up missing. That length of time it's not even a given Matthews will get 700 goals (roughly double his current total).

Could Matthews do it? Absolutely, but talking about it right now just comes across to me as an annoying Matthews fanboi trying to steal some of Ovi's thunder. Really shouldn't talk about Matthews and the record until five years from now at least.

Dude, you should really learn how to do math! Matthews is 27 this year and has 368 career goals right now. If he scores and even 50 goals this year he has 418 goals after this season. Matthews still has another 13 seasons to play after that, before he's 40 like Ovechkin will be once he plays his last year of his current contract. If Matthews then averages just 39 goals for those 13 years until the end of his age 40 season, Matthews will end his career with 925 goals. Very doable for a guy like Matthews in this day and age!

 

[Hanji]

Dude, you should really learn how to do math! Matthews is 27 this year and has 368 career goals right now. If he scores and even 50 goals this year he has 418 goals after this season. Matthews still has another 13 seasons to play after that, before he's 40 like Ovechkin will be once he plays his last year of his current contract. If Matthews then averages just 39 goals for those 13 years until the end of his age 40 season, Matthews will end his career with 925 goals. Very doable for a guy like Matthews in this day and age!

Matthews averaging 39 goals a year for the next 13 seasons is possible, not very doable.
He’ll need a lot of luck (no injuries, work stoppages, etc.). He’s not exactly someone i’d call an amazingly durable player either. And that’s on top of the normal aging curve that Ovechkin defies.

Anyways, it’s a hypothetical at this point because it’s so far in the future. If Matthews is still producing 8-9 years from now, then it can be taken seriously.

 

[Legion34]

The idea that the best ever at the entire point of the game is outside of the top 10 is nuts.

 

[User9992]

Why are everybody so negative towards Matthews breaking the all time goals record?! It's already pretty much a done deal that Ovechkin will break Gretzky's record so the new talking topic will be if Matthews can break Ovechkin's goal record. Matthews is now 29 goals ahead of Ovechkin's total at the same age and Ovechkin only put up 32 goals in his 27 year old season. That means that Matthews might very well be 60+ goals ahead of Ovechkin at the same age after this season. Matthews is in a very good spot to compete for the all time record with scoring being so high and physicality being at an all time low...

Matthews is playing in higher scoring league right now. So he can actually break it easily.

If not him then someone else gonna break it.

 

[filinski77]

Matthews is playing in higher scoring league right now. So he can actually break it easily.

If not him then someone else gonna break it.

“Easily” is a very odd term to use.

NHL league average scoring was crazy high pre-2000’s as well, yet the only player other than Ovi/Gretzky to pass 770 goals was Howe who played almost 1,800 games lmao.

If it was at all an easy task to get 800 goals, multiple legendary players would have done it when league wide scoring was higher than it is now. Let alone tacking in another 100 goals past that 800.

 

[McFlash97]

Still on record to say OV doesnt catch Gretzky. Guy skates 10 mph in these pre season videos . Imagine next season ... 5 mph ? What point does he become a massive liability. Power plays wont be running through him quarter way through this season let alone next.

 

[Letsdothis]

Still on record to say OV doesnt catch Gretzky. Guy skates 10 mph in these pre season videos . Imagine next season ... 5 mph ? What point does he become a massive liability. Power plays wont be running through him quarter way through this season let alone next.

OV will be given every chance to chase the record. He won't lose the spot on PP1 regardless of how much he contributes.

 

[TheMoreYouKnow]

Record chasing is such a sad thing. It's a team sport.

 

[FrozenJagrt]

Matthews is playing in higher scoring league right now. So he can actually break it easily.

If not him then someone else gonna break it.

The league could very well go back to a low scoring environment at some point in his career, and he has a history of shoulder and wrist injuries which doesn't bode well for goal scoring over the long term. Easily? No.

 

[wetcoast]

Why are everybody so negative towards Matthews breaking the all time goals record?! It's already pretty much a done deal that Ovechkin will break Gretzky's record so the new talking topic will be if Matthews can break Ovechkin's goal record. Matthews is now 29 goals ahead of Ovechkin's total at the same age and Ovechkin only put up 32 goals in his 27 year old season. That means that Matthews might very well be 60+ goals ahead of Ovechkin at the same age after this season. Matthews is in a very good spot to compete for the all time record with scoring being so high and physicality being at an all time low...

I think the biggest problem for Matthews or any other player breaking the record is that most teams and coaches won't give such preferential usage to any player past 35ish unless it's warranted in search for a record in and of itself.

But who knows maybe a team will at some point.

 

[wetcoast]

The idea that the best ever at the entire point of the game is outside of the top 10 is nuts.

Different people have different views on the point of the game, ie some prefer winning to goals.

Ovi already is the best goalscorer of all time in my books but that doesn't give an automatic pass to the 10 best of all time as that list includes everything not just goals.

Even so you will find that many people will have him top 10ish anyways.

And then there will be outliers saying a lock for top 5 or 6 (depending if they are including a projection for McDavid) and others having him lower in the teens.

 

[Legion34]

Different people have different views on the point of the game, ie some prefer winning to goals.

Ovi already is the best goalscorer of all time in my books but that doesn't give an automatic pass to the 10 best of all time as that list includes everything not just goals.

Even so you will find that many people will have him top 10ish anyways.

And then there will be outliers saying a lock for top 5 or 6 (depending if they are including a projection for McDavid) and others having him lower in the teens.

I agree different people have different valuations but for the people who demand winning.

What is literally the only way to win a game? He is the best all time at scoring goals. That’s literally 100% of the game. Shots saves corsi none of that matters. The only thing that matters is goals.

 

[wetcoast]

I agree different people have different valuations but for the people who demand winning.

What is literally the only way to win a game? He is the best all time at scoring goals. That’s literally 100% of the game. Shots saves corsi none of that matters. The only thing that matters is goals.

If you think that the only thing that matters is goals well then I know not to bother in this conversation as hockey just doesn't work that way.

Goals are important but so is playmaking, skating, checking, defensive play, positioning ect...

 

[Bradely]

I was a 99 fan... not really an OV's fan. For me and for the game impact, OV is not in the same player caliber. 99 was a much more impactful player OV'S every dream of....

That said, record are meant to be broken. If OV's breaks it, it will be well deserved and I will cheer for.

 

[Legion34]

If you think that the only thing that matters is goals well then I know not to bother in this conversation as hockey just doesn't work that way.

Goals are important but so is playmaking, skating, checking, defensive play, positioning ect...

Hockey is literally a goals competition. That’s all it is.

 

[Deep Blue Metallic]

Record chasing is such a sad thing. It's a team sport.

Cal Ripken vibes.

Retiring with dignity isn't a thing anymore.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Record chasing is such a sad thing. It's a team sport.

It’s not chasing when you’re getting there naturally (in spite of losing 100+ games to lockouts and a pandemic).