Even in a down year, Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is still a dynamic force. But how long will that remain the case?
Washington Capitals fans have been spoiled by their captain Alex Ovechkin. Everyone expects greatness from The Great Eight. It’s phenomenal how Ovechkin sets such a high bar for himself each year and how often he leaps over it. However, the 2016-17 season was the first time since 2011-12 that Ovi saw a huge decline in his production. Despite this, Ovechkin still finished in the top 20 in goals.
This might make you feel old, but The Great Eight turns 32 in September. History suggests Ovechkin’s decline will begin to sharpen, if it hasn’t already begun. It’s telling that Ovi can have such a productive season and still have it be a disappointing one.
All stats, unless otherwise noted, are at even strength. Corsi and goals for numbers are adjusted. Stats courtesy of Hockey Analysis. Italics mark a career high.
2016-17 Stats
Boxcar
| Goals | Assists | Points | PP points | 5v5 points | Plus-minus | Penalty Minutes | Blocked Shots | Hits | TOI per game |
| 33 | 36 | 69 | 26 | 42 | 6 | 50 | 29 | 216 | 18:22 |
Rates
| 5v5 Goals/60 | 5v5 assists/60 | 5v5 primary assists/60 | 5v5 points/60 | 5v5 iCorsi/60 | PP goals/60 | PP assists/60 | PP points/60 |
| 0.74 | 1.43 | 0.79 | 2.17 | 19.59 | 3.25 | 1.63 | 4.88 |
Possession
| CorsiFor% | Rel. CorsiFor60 | Rel. CorsiAgainst60 | Rel. CorsiFor% | GoalsFor% | Rel. GoalsFor60 | Rel. Goals Against60 | Rel. GoalsFor% |
| 50.0 | 5.47 | 12.45 | -3.3 | 59.6 | 0.38 | 0.55 | -3.8 |
The Good
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Ovechkin, even when he might be declining, is still a power play monster. For the fifth straight season, he led the NHL in power play goals. It’s incredible how Ovechkin is still an unstoppable beast from his office. People know he’s shooting and where he’s shooting from. And Ovechkin still scores.
While he saw a dip in his goals, he found a silver lining by having an impressive assist season. His 1.43 assists per 60 minutes at even strength was his highest since 2010-11.
Also, Ovechkin’s 0.79 primary assists per 60 minutes and 2.17 points per 60 minutes (both at even strength) were his highest since the 2012-13 season. For the first time since the 2012-13 season, he missed zero games.
The Bad
There are some huge red flags about Ovechkin’s season. The biggest one is his defense. His drop in goals was fine because he more than made up for it with his passing. It’s not a coincidence T.J. Oshie and Nicklas Backstrom were more productive this season with Ovi passing more.
But Ovechkin’s defense was awful this season, to say the least. For what it’s worth, it did improve away from Backstrom. 33 goals from anyone else is a great season. However, only 33 goals from Ovechkin can be considered a bad season.
Future
The Capitals must answer a very important question – was 2016-17 a fluke for The Great Eight? Or is it a sign of what’s to come? Regardless, Ovechkin is no longer a one man show on offense. Luckily, guys like Backstrom, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Marcus Johansson and Andre Burakovsky are around to help pick up the slack.
But don’t count out Ovechkin. The last two times he had “down years” (2011-12 and 2013-14), The Great Eight made it a point to prove he’s not dead yet. So if Ovechkin goes back to scoring 50 goals in 2017-18, try not to be too shocked.
Discussion
Is Ovechkin a power play specialist? Who should his center be next season? What type of return should the Capitals seek for Ovechkin?