Why does Ovechkin get so much disrespect and criticism?

[Varan]

He had an off year, where his off year is probably the best year of many players, even elite players I might add. I see people saying how he isn't even a TOP 20 PLAYER anymore, how he isn't the best goal scorer anymore, how he is a choker, how he won't sniff the top 10 players of all time and hell, how he won't be top 20 even, how he is lazy, how he sucks etc, etc.

I don't know why, but I believe many people are expecting that he, at age 31, should put up numbers and play around to his unholy standards which he set during his peak.

Why does he get so much disparagement? This is starting to get ridiculous, especially people here on HF.

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[Hivemind]

Because he hasn't won a Cup, and therefor must suck.

 

[K Fleur]

12 years, 3 Presidents trophy teams, and he's never made it past the 2nd round.

Fair or not, it's not that hard to understand.

 

[Ms Maggie]

Caps fans are the worst. Shredded him after losing this year's playoffs.

Just frustration.

 

[Novak Djokovic]

Because when he's not on the score sheet, he's often not making a huge impact on the ice. Can you recall Ovechkin controlling the play down low, and being all over the ice lately? Nope. He still has an amazing shot, and he does a lot of damage... but he's very quiet otherwise. See Game 7 for example. On ice for both PIT goals against (-2). One slightly late to back check, and one was a turnover.

In the end, I do think he's been treated a bit unfairly, but that's just HF. When players are at a high, they are the best. When they're down, they don't belong in the NHL.

 

[MikeGrier99]

He's the most one dimensional of all the great players of this generation, and has also had the least success in major tournaments.

 

[LudwigVonKarlsson]

He's the most one dimensional of all the great players of this generation, and has also had the least success in major tournaments.

Probably because he isn't Canadian.

 

[Greeneye]

maybe because all he does is stand in the lw circle and wait for his team mates to feed him?

 

[Archijerej]

Why does he get so much disparagement?

Because he was selected before Malkin in 2004. Not his fault, of course.

 

[Hivemind]

He's the most one dimensional of all the great players of this generation, and has also had the least success in major tournaments.

By that you mean Olympics? Because he had plenty of success in virtually every other IIHF event. Gold and Silver in the WJHC and 3x Golds and 2x Silvers in the World Championship.

 

[MikeGrier99]

By that you mean Olympics? Because he had plenty of success in virtually every other IIHF event. Gold and Silver in the WJHC and 3x Golds and 2x Silvers in the World Championship.

Major tournaments. Essentially the Olympics and Stanley Cup playoffs. He hasn't come remotely close to the most prestigious hockey trophies.

Probably because he isn't Canadian.

Lame excuse. He has no Olympic medals yet it's supposedly the most important tournament to him. The Czechs and Swedes managed to win the tournament all out, while the Americans and Finland manage to make it deep almost every year. The Russians were stacked even if there were flaws on defense. For whatever reason Ovechkin lead teams in best on best tournaments have been atrocious. Haven't been much better in the Stanley Cup playoffs either.

 

[983 others]

Saying he won't be a top 10 player of all time isn't disrespect, it's straight fact.

 

[Hivemind]

Major tournaments. Essentially the Olympics and Stanley Cup finals. The most prestigious hockey trophies.

"Only tournaments I care about are major tournaments"

Got it

 

[MikeGrier99]

"Only tournaments I care about are major tournaments"

Got it

When judging great players, pretty much yeah. World juniours deserve a look, world hockey championships are nice, but they mean little compared to the big trophies. Great players win a combination of individual and team awards. Ovechkin hasn't even ever played on the biggest hockey stage in his career, or even come close.

 

[Voight]

12 years, 3 Presidents trophy teams, and he's never made it past the 2nd round.

Fair or not, it's not that hard to understand.

He has been fine in the playoffs. Not his fault his team has struggled.

 

[Whale Mingo]

Saying he won't be a top 10 player of all time isn't disrespect, it's straight fact.

Same people who argue Ovie is a top 10 player are the same ones who will argue Sid hasn't cracked the top 10 yet. Weird.


Otherwise, he gets grief because he's accomplished little, he's a dirty player, won't play defense and isn't exactly an embassador of the league. He is an incredible talent in an organization that doesn't know how to win. When people see that talent wasted they react in funny ways.

 

[983 others]

He has been fine in the playoffs. Not his fault his team has struggled.

Never once has this supposed all time great actually elevated his game when it really mattered.

 

[Sleepy]

Because he hasn't won a Cup, and therefor must suck.

Quick, trade him for Kent Huskins and Dave Bolland. Those guys have cups and are clutch!

 

[Griffin6612]

"Only tournaments I care about are major tournaments"

Got it

Some of those tournaments he won simply because he was knocked out of the playoffs so early every year.

 

[Semantics]

He had an off year, where his off year is probably the best year of many players, even elite players I might add. I see people saying how he isn't even a TOP 20 PLAYER anymore, how he isn't the best goal scorer anymore, how he is a choker, how he won't sniff the top 10 players of all time and hell, how he won't be top 20 even, how he is lazy, how he sucks etc, etc.

I don't know why, but I believe many people are expecting that he, at age 31, should put up numbers and play around to his unholy standards which he set during his peak.

Why does he get so much disparagement? This is starting to get ridiculous, especially people here on HF.

Your premise is incorrect. It's not disrespectful or critical to suggest he's not a top 20 player.

I love Ovechkin. He's a great player, and a fun personality. There have always just been 20+ guys I'd choose ahead of him if I were trying to build a team. If you think that's disrespectful then your value system for players is probably just different than mine, which emphasizes playmaking, two way play, and puck pressure. I mean no disrespect whatsoever.

 

[Hivemind]

Some of those tournaments he won simply because he was knocked out of the playoffs so early every year.

And the Olympics he lost because he wasn't on Team Canada.

 

[member 151739]

Because his team has not made the Stanley Cup Final or even the Conference Final. That's not to say that Ovechkin is fully without blame, he could have done more at times. But throughout most of his career, he has been exceptional and was the best player in the league for a few years.

Never once has this supposed all time great actually elevated his game when it really mattered.

 

[Griffin6612]

And the Olympics he lost because he wasn't on Team Canada.

Ahh that describes why he has all those olympic silver and bronze medals he won.

 

[Hivemind]

Ahh that describes why he has all those olympic silver and bronze medals he won.

He's only participated three times, and was eliminated by Canada in 2010. So you're pinning your whole Olympic medal count-based criticism on him for losing to Finland in 2006 and 2014, basically.

 

[BagHead]

He's been fine in the playoffs, for the most part, but his team hasn't. Obviously the lack of playoff wins hurts, but it doesn't just end there, as he also doesn't have any Olympic medals to his name. He's got a few World Championship medals, but in North America the WC isn't all that highly regarded. There are a good amount of hockey fans over here that probably don't even know when they take place. Or even that they take place at all.

It comes down to him being the most skilled player on extremely skilled teams that don't get it done. He's the face people think of when they think of those teams, so he gets the blame.