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Will he or will not he? That is all anybody desires to know.
Making an attempt to gauge whether or not Alex Ovechkin will move Wayne Gretzky for the NHL’s all-time objectives file includes pinning down plenty of transferring targets and offering solutions to principally unanswerable questions. And whereas the straightforward reply is solely “It is too early to inform,” that is additionally not any enjoyable.
Ovechkin entered the season 164 objectives behind Gretzky. With the Capitals legend off to a powerful begin, here is a more in-depth take a look at what precisely it could take to threaten Gretzky’s place in historical past.
All stats up to date via Jan. 10.
NHL all-time objectives leaders
On March 23, 1994, Gretzky surpassed Gordie Howe for the objectives file with No. 802. Within the second interval on the Nice Western Discussion board in Inglewood, Calif., Gretzky put the puck previous Canucks netminder Kirk McLean to interrupt Howe’s nearly 14-year-old file.
Almost 28 years later, Gretzky continues to be holding agency as no one else has pulled to even 100 objectives of his file. Gretzky scored his final purpose on March 29, 1999.
GRETZKY: Last NHL goal | Last NHL game
Most objectives in NHL historical past
| PLAYER | TEAMS | GOALS |
|---|---|---|
| Wayne Gretzky | EDM, LAK, STL, NYR | 894 |
| Gordie Howe | DET, HFD | 801 |
| Jaromir Jagr | PIT, WSH, NYR, PHI, DAL, BOS, NJD, FLA, CGY | 766 |
| Alex Ovechkin | WSH | 754 |
| Brett Hull | CGY, STL, DAL, DET, PHX | 741 |
Most objectives in an NHL season
| PLAYER | TEAM | SEASON | GOALS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers | 1981-82 | 92 |
| Wayne Gretzky | Edmonton Oilers | 1983-84 | 87 |
| Brett Hull | St. Louis Blues | 1990-91 | 86 |
| Mario Lemieux | Pittsburgh Penguins | 1988-89 | 85 |
| Phil Esposito | Boston Bruins | 1970-71 | 76 |
| Alexander Mogilny | Buffalo Sabres | 1992-93 | 76 |
| Teemu Selanne | Winnipeg Jets | 1992-93 | 76 |
Will Alex Ovechkin catch Wayne Gretzky?
Sporting Information is occurring the file to inform you, within the phrases of the nice coach Ted Lasso, “Consider.”
Getting into this season, Ovechkin trailed Gretzky by 164 objectives. Whereas he is off to a very good begin, it is unlikely that he’ll discover the again of the web as soon as per recreation. An inexpensive excessive finish is perhaps 50 objectives per season — which he has hit or eclipsed eight occasions throughout his profession. He has additionally come shut with 46 in 2006-07, 49 in 2017-18 and 48 in the COVID-shortened 2019-20 season.
Fifty objectives over an 82-game season comes out to a 0.61-goals-per-game tempo. If he performs each recreation transferring ahead — unlikely, to say the least — he would want 229 video games (as of Jan 10) to catch Gretzky. That may be someday throughout the 2024-25 season.
After all, if he continues scoring at a speedy tempo, he may get there sooner. Ovechkin’s profession excessive for objectives per recreation is 0.79, which he set means again in 2008-09. Within the final 5 seasons (2016-17 via 2021), he scored 205 objectives in 358 video games, good for 0.57 objectives per recreation. Not a foul clip regardless of him being within the latter levels of his profession.
Even when the Capitals captain pots 50 a season (together with in 2021-22), he will not hit the mark till 2024-25 on the earliest.
What number of objectives does Alex Ovechkin have?
Ovechkin is as much as 754 profession objectives after scoring twice within the Capitals’ 3-1 victory over the Purple Wings in Detroit on Dec. 31. Each objectives got here within the third interval; a tiebreaking tally on the finish of a Washington energy play 17:10 into the body, after which an insurance coverage marker at 19:19.
Alex Ovechkin profession stats
Ovechkin’s star energy was evident from Day 1. After successful the Calder Trophy his rookie yr with 106 factors (52 objectives, 54 assists) in 81 video games, he has gone on to win the Rocket Richard Trophy 9 occasions. The trophy has solely been round for the reason that 1998-99 season and is awarded to the NHL’s high purpose scorer.
He is the one participant to win it no less than thrice. Oh, and he practically received it his rookie yr earlier than shedding out to the Sharks’ Jonathan Cheechoo by 4 objectives. He was additionally a purpose brief in 2009-10.
And a fast reminder: Ovechkin has needed to deal not solely with the 56-game COVID-shortened 2021 season but in addition the 48-game lockout-shortened season in 2012-13. Think about the place he could be now if these seasons had been full 82-game slates.
OVECHKIN: Top seven career goals
| SEASON | GP | GOALS | G/GP | ASSISTS | POINTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-06 | 81 | 52 | 0.64 | 54 | 106 |
| 2006-07 | 82 | 46 | 0.56 | 46 | 92 |
| 2007-08* | 82 | 65 | 0.79 | 47 | 112 |
| 2008-09* | 79 | 56 | 0.71 | 54 | 110 |
| 2009-10 | 72 | 50 | 0.69 | 59 | 109 |
| 2010-11 | 79 | 32 | 0.41 | 53 | 85 |
| 2011-12 | 78 | 38 | 0.49 | 27 | 65 |
| 2012-13* | 48 | 32 | 0.67 | 24 | 56 |
| 2013-14* | 78 | 51 | 0.65 | 28 | 79 |
| 2014-15* | 81 | 53 | 0.65 | 28 | 81 |
| 2015-16* | 79 | 50 | 0.63 | 21 | 71 |
| 2016-17 | 82 | 33 | 0.40 | 36 | 69 |
| 2017-18* | 82 | 49 | 0.60 | 38 | 87 |
| 2018-19* | 81 | 51 | 0.63 | 38 | 89 |
| 2019-20*^ | 68 | 48 | 0.71 | 19 | 67 |
| 2021 | 45 | 24 | 0.53 | 18 | 42 |
| 2021-22 | 37 | 24 | 0.69 | 28 | 52 |
* Received the Rocket Richard Trophy
^ Co-winner with David Pastrnak
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