Will Ovi breaking Gretzky's goalscoring record change or influence his legacy?
- Thread starter User9992
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His legacy will already be that he is the greatest goal scorer ever.
Beating Gretzky's record would more just cement the legacy, rather than change anything about it.
Beating Gretzky's record would more just cement the legacy, rather than change anything about it.
It will greatly improve ovechkin's legacy if he breaks the record and ends his career with 900+ goals. ovechkin is automatically a top 5 player all time and there's no chance of anybody trying to argue crosby over Ovechkin after that!
Gretzky's legacy on the other hand will take a hit too, as he will seem much more human after his record is broken.
Gretzky's legacy on the other hand will take a hit too, as he will seem much more human after his record is broken.
The Grim Reaper
Registered User
Except Gretzky did it while recording almost 2,000 assists… not 600.
This. Ovechkin is the best goal scorer.
Holymakinaw
Registered User
Moot point kind of question........because he won't.
Weztex
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- Feb 6, 2006
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That part is so irrational, I don’t know why some people still bring it up.
Ovi has a meaty 17 seasons career by which we can judge his place in hockey history. It includes a boatload of regular season awards, a Stanley Cup as captain, a Conn Smythe and countless comparables that we can use to evaluate his performance against his peers. If your historical ranking of him is resting on a single goal that would bring him from 894 to 895, then you’re just telling us your way of ranking players is highly questionable and cosmetic. If you think Ovechkin is a top-5 player, defend it on the bulk of numerous accomplishments. If you think he’s not after 894 goals, then it’s ridiculous to think he suddenly jumps players with a single one in a likely meaningless game.
canuckking1
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- Feb 8, 2015
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He'll go down as the best player of his generation. Sorry Crosby
There's often been questions about how high Ovechkin ranks all time today - and some people speculating that if he breaks the record he automatically jumps up multiple ranks. I completely disagree with that logic. If he ranks....8th all time with ~880 goals - hes still 8th with 900 goals too. No difference for 20 goals more or less.
But legacy? Legacy to me is different than all time ranking. I think breaking the record would be huge for his legacy. There'll be a ton of marketing and celebration around it - and I think it'd be a huge boost to his legacy.
But legacy? Legacy to me is different than all time ranking. I think breaking the record would be huge for his legacy. There'll be a ton of marketing and celebration around it - and I think it'd be a huge boost to his legacy.
- Jun 22, 2018
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Gretzky could have scored no goals and still be the all time points leader lmfao yeah he seems very human
Alexander the Gr8
Registered User
That literally makes no sense. It’s a legitimate question to ask when he’s 115 goals away with 4 years left to play.
haseoke39
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- Mar 29, 2011
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Scoring 50 goals a year for twenty years does not necessarily make you the best goal-scorer of all time. It makes you very consistent and long-lasting. Do an era-adjusted ranking, and there's a shmozzle of players with peaks in the same neighborhood, including Hull, Lemieux, Esposito, and Gretzky. Ovechkin will always be one of the best in that framework, but his consistency and longevity do not necessarily imply he had the greatest peak.
So holding the all-time record would matter a great deal to his legacy. It's one thing that he can hold that can't be disputed or qualified.
Gretzky's claim to the title is still meaningful even if Ovechkin passes him, though. Because Gretzky hit such an absurd number while goalscoring was an ancillary aspect of his offensive game. If he'd tried to play a more one-dimensional game, he might have hit 1000, while being a much less effective player overall. So there's always going to be an argument about raw talent and impact on the game at your peak.
So holding the all-time record would matter a great deal to his legacy. It's one thing that he can hold that can't be disputed or qualified.
Gretzky's claim to the title is still meaningful even if Ovechkin passes him, though. Because Gretzky hit such an absurd number while goalscoring was an ancillary aspect of his offensive game. If he'd tried to play a more one-dimensional game, he might have hit 1000, while being a much less effective player overall. So there's always going to be an argument about raw talent and impact on the game at your peak.
Stephen
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- Feb 28, 2002
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I would be okay with Gretzky holding onto the all-time goals scored record.
EdmFlyersfan
Registered User
Gretzky is considered the best playmaker ever (along with the best player ever), so OV8 taking the most goals will not affect Gretz's legacy much.
Gretz was never "widely" considered the greatest goal scorer, many people had Bossy before OV8.
Gretz was never "widely" considered the greatest goal scorer, many people had Bossy before OV8.
Randyne
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- May 20, 2012
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Era-adjusted Ovechkin seasons are untouchable. Literally.
Alex Ovechkin Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Salary, Title | Hockey-Reference.com
Checkout the latest stats of Alex Ovechkin. Get info about his position, age, height, weight, trade, draft, salary and more on Hockey-Reference.com
www.hockey-reference.com
Ovechkin has eleven(!) 50+ adj. goal seasons.
Nearest players like Gretzky, Lemieux, Howe, Hull each has five 50+ adj. goals seasons (more than 2 times less).
Brett Hull has better peak adj.G. season by 6 goals, and the next two seasons by 1 goal, but in other seasons Ovechkin blew him out of the water.
| Ovechkin | adj.G | Howe | adj.G | Lemieux | adj.G | Gretzky | adj.G | Bobby H | adj.G | Bossy | adj.G | Brett H | adj.G |
| 2007-08 | 72 | 1952-53 | 65 | 1988-89 | 71 | 1983-84 | 69 | 1965-66 | 58 | 1978-79 | 58 | 1990-91 | 78 |
| 2012-13 | 62 | 1950-51 | 55 | 1995-96 | 67 | 1981-82 | 68 | 1966-67 | 57 | 1980-81 | 52 | 1991-92 | 63 |
| 2014-15 | 60 | 1951-52 | 55 | 1987-88 | 59 | 1984-85 | 58 | 1968-69 | 57 | 1982-83 | 48 | 1989-90 | 61 |
| 2008-09 | 59 | 1956-57 | 55 | 1992-93 | 56 | 1982-83 | 57 | 1961-62 | 54 | 1985-86 | 48 | 1993-94 | 52 |
| 2013-14 | 58 | 1955-56 | 50 | 1996-97 | 52 | 1986-87 | 52 | 1963-64 | 50 | 1977-78 | 47 | 1994-95 | 50 |
| 2019-20 | 58 | 1949-50 | 44 | 1986-87 | 46 | 1988-89 | 45 | 1971-72 | 49 | 1981-82 | 47 | 1992-93 | 44 |
| 2015-16 | 57 | 1953-54 | 44 | 1991-92 | 39 | 1979-80 | 43 | 1967-68 | 47 | 1984-85 | 46 | 1996-97 | 44 |
| 2009-10 | 55 | 1968-69 | 43 | 1989-90 | 38 | 1980-81 | 42 | 1959-60 | 44 | 1979-80 | 43 | 2002-03 | 42 |
| 2005-06 | 52 | 1967-68 | 42 | 1985-86 | 37 | 1985-86 | 41 | 1964-65 | 44 | 1983-84 | 40 | ||
| 2018-19 | 52 | 1962-63 | 41 | 1970-71 | 40 | ||||||||
| 2017-18 | 50 | 1957-58 | 39 | 1969-70 | 38 | ||||||||
| 2021-22 | 49 | 1954-55 | 38 | 1960-61 | 33 | ||||||||
| 2006-07 | 48 | 1958-59 | 37 | 1962-63 | 33 | ||||||||
| 2011-12 | 43 | 1961-62 | 35 |
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That is definitely true. A major record would absolutely affect Ovechkin’s legacy. He would not be “only” one of the best goal scorers ever, and with excellent argument that he is the best ever, he would also be the player who broke one of Gretzky’s major records, the most productive goal scorer ever.
And NHL is counting all their lucky stars that it will take another couple of years before Ovy reaches Gretzky and they are hoping as hell that international situation changes by that time because celebrating Ovy’s achievement in the current political reality (including Ovy’s apparent allegiances) would be utterly complicated.
filinski77
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- Feb 12, 2017
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I think passing the raw record will simply cement his legacy as the greatest goal scorer of all-time. He already easily is in my opinion, but there's still some ignorant fans that simply think "894 >780". If he breaks the raw record he'll have:
1) The most raw goals of all-time
2) The most adjusted goals of all-time
3) The most times leading the league in goals
4) The most times leading the league in goals/gp
5) The most raw 50-goal seasons of all time
6) By far the most adjusted 50-goal seasons of all-time
The only small argument that haters will have to cling on will be theoretical ones such as "Gretzky COULD have scored more goals if he wanted to".
1) The most raw goals of all-time
2) The most adjusted goals of all-time
3) The most times leading the league in goals
4) The most times leading the league in goals/gp
5) The most raw 50-goal seasons of all time
6) By far the most adjusted 50-goal seasons of all-time
The only small argument that haters will have to cling on will be theoretical ones such as "Gretzky COULD have scored more goals if he wanted to".
Randyne
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- May 20, 2012
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The season when he scored most assists all-time he didn't stop trying to score goals. He shot 350 shots on goal which is 95% shots from the most goals season all-time (92), but scored only 52.
This argument is weak.
So Brett is the best goalscorer of all-time? Are you kidding?
Ovechkin has 9 rockets which is three times more than Brett.
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haseoke39
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- Mar 29, 2011
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I'm saying he has a claim to the best peak. Not just the top season overall, but a favorable top 3 next to Ovie.
Peak matters. If Connor McDavid retires now, William Nylander will eventually pass him in points, yknow.
ricky0034
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- Jun 8, 2010
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and he literally just had 50 last year so it's not like his numbers are way down lately or anything
anyways as far as the thread goes maybe it will for some but it shouldn't, he's already the best goalscorer at this point however the next few years go
ricky0034
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- Jun 8, 2010
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does Nylander have 9 Rockets too?
you act like Ovechkin got to where he's at by just playing a long time and compiling numbers when he's literally lead the league in goals more times than anyone else ever has
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Boris Zubov
No relation to Sergei, Joe
This is your takeaway from a great player breaking one of his 25 year old records?
- Feb 10, 2010
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It's one of the biggest records in all of hockey. Of course it would impact legacy.
Boris Zubov
No relation to Sergei, Joe
Please tell us how this will negatively impact Gretz' legacy? People are all of a sudden going to look at his career in a new light? All of a sudden, we realize the Great One was....not so Great?
- Feb 10, 2010
- 14,418
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It's a trade-off though. Had Gretzky focused more on goal scoring, his point totals would have gone down, perhaps even substantially.
Conversely, had Ovechkin chosen to focus more on playmaking, his point totals would have increased, probably dramatically.
