Will Matthews score more than Ovechkin by the end of his career?

[BurnabyJoe7]

Matthews will have a hard enough time playing 1000 games let alone coming close to the record.

People don't realize how much of a unicorn Ovie is. Not just in his build, skill, style of play, and ability to maintain it into his late 30s, but how he has essentially played his entire career without any long term or serious injury. That just doesn't happen in this sport.

 

[Jurivan Demidovsky]

No.

 

[Johnny Tomala]

Not a chance.

 

[pld459666]

Matthews misses too many games

 

[Walrus26]

Matthews has two hopes of becoming the greatest ever scorer in history, and one of those is Bob Hope.

 

[AD1066]

Matthews will have a hard enough time playing 1000 games let alone coming close to the record.

People don't realize how much of a unicorn Ovie is. Not just in his build, skill, style of play, and ability to maintain it into his late 30s, but how he has essentially played his entire career without any long term or serious injury. That just doesn't happen in this sport.

Not for most mortals, no.

 

[Video Nasty]

Matthews will have a hard enough time playing 1000 games let alone coming close to the record.

By the time this season ends, he’ll be averaging 70 games per season, which includes two seasons affected by COVID, dragging his average down by about 4 games per season.

He’ll likely hit 1000 games played at the beginning of his age 33 season, or even at the end of his age 32.

Unlike his regression once the playoffs begin, this rep is mostly unearned.

 

[BehindTheTimes]

He will only be a couple hundred behind.

 

[mr figgles]

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Not for most mortals, no.

Why is Phil from accounting in the locker room ?

 

[ColbyChaos]

Matthews is currently scoring at a higher pace than Ovechkin's career G/GP (.622 vs .610) and has shown he can potentially hit higher than 40g per season. Is there a chance that he has the longevity to reach Ovie after another 10 seasons?

No lmao

 

[Number8]

Ovechkin is the definition of a power forward —- who didn’t break down. Quite the opposite.

Matthews early shoulder woes will come back to bite him before he gets anywhere near Ovi’s current age.

By the way, that’s no slagging off Matthews. But let’s not underestimate just how extraordinary Ovechkin’s soon to be feat is. It’s kind of disrespectful actually.

 

[Number8]

While durability is an underrated skill, I do think it gets overstated to say Ovechkin has "other ungodly ability" in that it almost feels a bit passive aggressive. Jamie Benn, Brent Burns, Andrew Cogliano, Claude Giroux, Phil Kessel, Anze Kopitar, Joe Pavelski, Corey Perry, Eric Staal, Ryan Suter, Marc-Eduoard Vlasic, Blake Wheeler It's not like Ovechkin's the one and only guy that's managed to stay upright after a long period.

You need to go back and watch earlier years of Ovi — he was a physical beast. Kind of like Phil Kessel and Blake Wheeler. Except not.

 

[Mr Nogatco]

While durability is an underrated skill, I do think it gets overstated to say Ovechkin has "other ungodly ability" in that it almost feels a bit passive aggressive. Jamie Benn, Brent Burns, Andrew Cogliano, Claude Giroux, Phil Kessel, Anze Kopitar, Joe Pavelski, Corey Perry, Eric Staal, Ryan Suter, Marc-Eduoard Vlasic, Blake Wheeler It's not like Ovechkin's the one and only guy that's managed to stay upright after a long period.

In 17 years Phil Kessel had 190 hits.

Ovi had 188 in his age 37 season

 

[NVious]

He will only be a couple hundred behind.

We're all technically just a few hundred behind Gretzky xD

 

[Namikaze Minato]

"People dont realize how much of a insert known quality Ovechkin is!"

 

[BurnabyJoe7]

While durability is an underrated skill, I do think it gets overstated to say Ovechkin has "other ungodly ability" in that it almost feels a bit passive aggressive. Jamie Benn, Brent Burns, Andrew Cogliano, Claude Giroux, Phil Kessel, Anze Kopitar, Joe Pavelski, Corey Perry, Eric Staal, Ryan Suter, Marc-Eduoard Vlasic, Blake Wheeler It's not like Ovechkin's the one and only guy that's managed to stay upright after a long period.

Which of those guys were scoring 40 goals in the same year they turned 40?

Yeah they've managed to stay serviceable, but none of those guys are still elite NHLers. Ovie isn't the same player he was in his 20s but he's still elite at scoring goals and he's 39. He may even finish the year second to draisaitl.

When people say he has an ungodly ability for longevity they're talking about it it terms of staying elite.

 

[Rhaegar Targaryen]

Matthews is turning 28, and most goalscorers have already had their best seasons behind them at that age.

Ovechkin has stayed relatively healthy his entire career, while Matthews has had several injuries through his career.

Could also see Matthews retiring well before Ovechkin's age.

 

[BurnabyJoe7]

By the time this season ends, he’ll be averaging 70 games per season, which includes two seasons affected by COVID, dragging his average down by about 4 games per season.

He’ll likely hit 1000 games played at the beginning of his age 33 season, or even at the end of his age 32.

Unlike his regression once the playoffs begin, this rep is mostly unearned.

But you're assuming he maintains or even surpass that average into his 30s. Sure, there's a chance, but I wouldn't bet on it.

 

[filinski77]

yeah, thats interesting, wonder what the Golden Jet would wound up
I made a little try, I added 100 games, seems fair to his 70 games season, his ggp over first 10 years
was 0.55, so 55 goals there
Then I made 70 procent of WHA goals, thats 212
Thats 877, with 75 procent WHA 892

It seem reasonable and fair

I have issues with 70% of WHA.

Regardless, if you do that, you gotta give Ovi his time missed too.

40 goals in 2005
23 goals in 2013
10 goals in 2020
14 goals in 2021

That’s 87. So between that and next year, Ovi without lockouts and covid is 1,000 goals. Over 100 more goals than Hull, 2 more rockets (in a more competitive worldwide league too).

 

[Fatass]

Definitely not. Matthews appears to lack the physical prowess that OV has.

 

[Video Nasty]

But you're assuming he maintains or even surpass that average into his 30s. Sure, there's a chance, but I wouldn't bet on it.

It’s simply the opposite of what you’re doing. The guy has a perceived reputation of missing a ton of games all the time and struggling to stay on the ice, when up to this point, it’s not even true, so saying he’ll struggle to get 1000 games isn’t quite fair. He should get there quite easily.

 

[the valiant effort]

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Not for most mortals, no.

“LOOK AT THAT MASS!”

- Vincent K. McMahon

 

[BallardEra]

I think he gets to 700 career goals but not sure about him getting to 800.

 

[Hank Plank]

How did this thread ever get created lol. How about not a chance in hell.

 

[Incognito]

In order to do what Ovechkin is about to accomplish, you obviously need to be an otherworldly goal scorer, and Matthews is certainly that. But it’s not enough on its own. The two key pieces of the puzzle Ovechkin possesses outside of his goal scoring ability are his longevity and his durability. Obviously the jury is still out on whether Matthews can continue scoring at or near his current career pace into his late 30s the way Ovechkin has. But even if he can, I don’t think he has the durability for it to matter in the context of a potential run at the goal scoring record. He's just injury prone in a way that Ovechkin isn’t.