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If Ovechkin Wants to Break Gretzky’s Record, Should He Leave Capitals?

If Alex Ovechkin’s primary goal is to break Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal scoring record, is staying in Washington the best way to do it?

There are two schools of thought when it comes to Alexander Ovechkin and his future in the NHL. One has him finishing out his NHL career with the Washington Capitals before he heads back home to finish out his hockey career in Russia. The other is he’ll play as long as he can in the NHL to take a shot at Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record.

Right now, Ovechkin sits at 730 goals. He needs 165 more to break the record. As far of his quest to get there, he’s currently looking at a multi-year extension with the Capitals as a free agent. The question will be, can he get 165 more goals in four or five seasons with the Caps? It’s about 35-40 goals per season, maybe more depending on the length of any contract extension. If he’s serious about a shot at this, he’s got to get there alongside Nicklas Backstrom.

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Both players have expressed a shared desire to play with one another for as long as possible, but is Backstrom the right partner? Some will say, definitively “yes.” Backstrom is coming off a 53-point season and he’s been just shy of a point-per-game player for years. The two already have good chemistry and why would Ovechkin want to risk disrupting that by finding a team that has a potentially more productive center, but the fit isn’t right? As Ovechkin ages, it might be best to stick with something familiar.

So too, Ovie is going to make his money in Washington. He’s negotiating his own deal and the team will give him pretty much whatever he wants to stick around.

Others will say Ovechkin should examine all his options, he’s made his money and he should sign where he can partner up with one of the best centers in the NHL. Again, as he ages, his production will drop (as will Backstrom’s), and he might be better off going with a younger center that will keep him on pace.

That could be in Edmonton with Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl. It could be in Toronto with Auston Matthews. Maybe he goes to Colorado and plays with Nathan MacKinnon? There are other options too.

Would Alex Ovechkin have a better shot at Gretzky’s record with one of the best NHL centers in the league?

None of these teams can afford to give Ovechkin the rumored $9.5 million or $10 million Russian outlet metaratings.ru is reporting the Capitals have offered. As such, Ovechkin would need to drop any inclination that he’s wanting a strong payday and instead, go strictly for the record. But, the Oilers would easily give him $6 million per season for four years to bring him in, if that’s what he wanted to do. They’ve got about $23 million in cap space and while their need is a left-winger, they’d make adjustments if they thought Ovechkin was actually on the table.

Other teams would find a way too.

Don’t Expect Ovechkin to Leave

Thinking Ovechkin might check out other options is a harmless little game in a fantasy world where it’s fun to envision he’s got a real shot at breaking a record few think can be broken. Don’t expect it to happen though. He’s happy in Washington, he’s happy with Backstrom, he’s going to get paid and it probably means something to him that he have a shot at the record with the only NHL team he’s ever known.

In November, Ovechkin said during an interview, “It is not a question of money. It is just a matter of principal.” He added, “I have only played for two teams, [KHL’s Moscow] Dynamo and Washington. Obviously, I will stay with Washington for another two… three… four… five years. And then I would like to finish on a high note, to play my final game with Dynamo.”

In fact, a deal between the Capitals and their sniper should be coming soon.

Next: Maple Leafs Have a Plan for Trying to Replace Zach Hyman

3 Comments

3 Comments

  1. Pingback: Rumor Surfaces of Matthew Tkachuk for Vladimir Tarasenko Trade

  2. MikoDahl

    June 21, 2021 at 8:41 pm

    he’s the greatest goal scorer whether he breaks the record or not and it’s been that way for a while. old school records are lame

  3. Pingback: Possible Matthew Tkachuk for Vladimir Tarasenko Trade Being Discussed – Hockey 1 on 1

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