What prevented Kovalchuk from reaching Ovechkin/Crosby/Malkin level?

[Sinistril]

Ovechkin only hit 60+ goals once. He also had better teams around him than Kovalchuk did. He also did not shoot even remotely close to how much Ovechkin did/does haha.



Kovalchuk started during a different time than Ovechkin did. The league had a lot of clutching and grabbing and it wasnt as open as it is now and when Ovechkin came up. Red line passing, clutching and grabbing.



I agree, if Kovalchuk shot as much as Ovechkin he probably would be able to put up the same amount of numbers or surpass them. The shots he possessed were amazing.

More clutching and grabbing does not mean he couldn't be equally dominant to Ovechkin. Every player in the league dealt with clutching and grabbing, and a lot of smaller players still put up points. Not trying to knock Kovalchuk, but in Ovechkin's first season, Kovalchuk had arguably his best season, yet Ovechkin was still better (and it was far from Ovechkin's best season)

Also, a lot of people are blaming Kovalchuk's team but forget the players he played with. Savard, Heatley, Hossa, and so on were definitely no slouches. I always felt Savard was just slightly below the Thornton, Crosby tier of playmakers in his Thrashers days. Having a bad team does not necessarily mean you put up less points or play with bad players.

 

[TheAngryHank]

Not the video I was looking for but a real good hi-lite reel.

 

[SKNJD9]

Work ethic. Never seen him work harder than his half a season under lemaire in 2011. Carried into 2012 with deboer and we even turned him into a elite pker. After we lost in the finals he quit trying again.

 

[AfroThunder396]

Common sense and hockey IQ, too many times he would get tunnel vision and try to do it all himself. He lacked the anticipation and poise (relative) that made the other players more successful.

 

[txpd]

two things. Atlanta stunk. and....he was just not as good as Ovechkin. Crosby is a different type of player entirely. Frankly I am not sure that Malkin has been any better than Kovalchuk.

 

[KrisLetAngry]

If there was a thread done of top 10 forwards in hockey today I'd probably still put Kovie in the top 10 even though he is on the wrong side of 30.

He was just an amazing player. Best defensive player of the elite group and played on lesser teams.

 

[Roomtemperature]

His teams stunk for the most part

 

[authentic]

^^^I've identified the source of your confusion.

Where am I wrong though? Was Ovechkin bigger than Kovalchuk? Nope. Was he faster? Nope. Did he have a better shot? Nope. Did he have better hands? Nope. Was he a better passer? Nope. So I guess that just leaves strength, which is the only one I can give you here, and of course Ovechkin brought physical play that Kovalchuk did not.

 

[I Hate Blake Coleman]

Ovechkin and Malkin are just plain better players.

There are only two or three stars right now who we could say didn't underachieve compared to those two.

 

[Terry Yake]

because ovechkin, crosby, and malkin are all better players?

let's not forget how good kovalchuk was though. the guy was a monster for a while but was stuck on some pretty crappy atlanta teams for most of his career

 

[authentic]

Not the video I was looking for but a real good hi-lite reel.

Wow. He has some of the most amazing goals and plays you'll ever see. He was arguably the most skilled player ever in his prime.

 

[Davebo*]

He's a quitter.

 

[hamzarocks]

kovy is a legend, idk if the nhl would allow him, but he should no doubt be in the hall of fame. For people saying kovy was not as good as ovy, geno, and sid, i say he was a good as ovy, and geno. His team mates were pretty good but they were their for a few years only hossa, savard, and heatley only played for a while with him. And after he went to the devils he had no other elite player on his team, only a allstar in parise. Yet still dominated in 11/12 and had 80ish points. If kovy played with a backstrome,or geno, or had a elite d man like sid, geno and ovy have either had or have right now he would have better stats, i mean between the 3 of them they have played with gonchar a hall of famer imo, kris letang a top 5 dman, mike green a incredible dman and a player who for 3 or 4 years was a top 5 dman, and great secondary players like carlson,orlik,hamlik,alzner, martin etc kovy never had any good talnet with him on the backend or at center

 

[cgf]

Going back home, thus letting NHL fans forget how amazing he was and start thinking Malkin's been any better?

 

[Lebowski]

Kovalchuk at his peak was insane. Not that far from peak Ovechkin either.

He didn't have the same kind of drive that made OV the dominating force he used to be however.

 

[nowhereman]

two things. Atlanta stunk. and....he was just not as good as Ovechkin. Crosby is a different type of player entirely. Frankly I am not sure that Malkin has been any better than Kovalchuk.

Malkin is two-time Art Ross-winner, Hart Torphy-winner, Lindsay-winner, Conn Smythe-winner and Stanley Cup champion. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that he has MUCH better than Kovalchuk. To the tune of 'AINEC'. Malkin will finish his career as a top 40-50 player of all time.

Kovalchuk at his peak was insane. Not that far from peak Ovechkin either.

He didn't have the same kind of drive that made OV the dominating force he used to be however.

Personally, I don't see it.

Ovechkin had one of the highest peaks of any player since Gretzky and Lemieux, up there with guys like Jagr, Crosby, Sakic and Lindros. He was a bulldozer and, IMO, a top 5 pure goalscorer of all time. Kovalchuk was never close to Ovechkin or Crosby's level, even at his best.

 

[Frosty415]

People really think Kovalchuk is better than Ovechkin?

Before Ovie, Kovalchuk was my favorite russian player, I started following both off the get go from their rookie seasons.

Ovie has was more dominant.

Also, obligatory;

 

[Machinehead]

It's rough to compare him to Ovechkin. I think Ovechkin is just a little bit better. Other than that there's no rhyme or reason to it.

 

[Lebowski]

Personally, I don't see it.

Ovechkin had one of the highest peaks of any player since Gretzky and Lemieux, up there with guys like Jagr, Crosby, Sakic and Lindros. He was a bulldozer and, IMO, a top 5 pure goalscorer of all time. Kovalchuk was never close to Ovechkin or Crosby's level, even at his best.

I'm not saying he was as good, but he definitely wasn't far off. He never had the luxury to play on juggernaut offensive teams the way Ovechkin did either. In similar circumstances, I doubt there would have been that much statistical gap between the two.

 

[The Expert]

I think some in this thread are misunderstanding me. I agree that he was an amazing player, and had an amazing career, I just feel like he could have/should have been even better. He appeared to me to be nearly as good as Ovechkin, yet produced nowhere close to as good. I feel like he should have had a few 110 point seasons, yet his career high was only 98 points in the high scoring 05-06 season.

I understand you completely. I think it's crazy that you think he should have had 110.

 

[CapsCrazyX17]

Kovalchuk is/was fantastic but Ovi is just a better player on another level. Everyone making the argument that the Thrashers sucked and Ovi played on better teams is forgetting how for Ovi's first few years the Caps were a lottery team and he was playing on a line with Zubrus and Chris freaking Clark and yet still out-producing Kovalchuk and putting up 50+ goals and 100+ points

 

[authentic]

I'm not saying he was as good, but he definitely wasn't far off. He never had the luxury to play on juggernaut offensive teams the way Ovechkin did either. In similar circumstances, I doubt there would have been that much statistical gap between the two.

I think you may be right here. It's hard to know for sure though.

 

[Pilky01]

He didn't feel like it.

 

[jedisports]

His desire to go back to the motherland.

Exactly.

 

[Jack Straw]

I think a couple people have mentioned the main reasons-

1. he never had the supporting cast that Ovechkin, Crosby, and Malkin have had
2. maybe as a result of #1, he had a tendency to try to do it all himself

But he was one of the most naturally talented players I've ever seen. I would say of the other three only Malkin has as much natural talent.

That highlight video is fantastic.