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Capitals: 3 ways Alex Ovechkin can become NHL’s all-time top scorer

By Michael Marzzacco |
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 04: Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals celebrates after scoring his third goal of the game for a hat trick against the Los Angeles Kings in the third period at Capital One Arena on February 04, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/NHLI via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 04: Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals celebrates after scoring his third goal of the game for a hat trick against the Los Angeles Kings in the third period at Capital One Arena on February 04, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/NHLI via Getty Images)
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WASHINGTON, DC – FEBRUARY 04: Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals celebrates after scoring his first goal of the game against the Los Angeles Kings in the third period at Capital One Arena on February 04, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/NHLI via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – FEBRUARY 04: Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals celebrates after scoring his first goal of the game against the Los Angeles Kings in the third period at Capital One Arena on February 04, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/NHLI via Getty Images) /

It’s an exciting time to be a Washington Capitals fan witnessing the greatness of Alex Ovechkin before our eyes.

Alex Ovechkin has killed it ever since he stepped onto the ice as a member of the Washington Capitals and with the recent tear he’s been on, there’s conversation on how he can become the NHL’s top all-time scorer.

Entering Saturday’s contest against the Philadelphia Flyers, Ovechkin has a chance to reach 700 goals. There are two chances to do it in front of the home fans before the team hits the road.

Just the other night he notched a natural hat trick in Tuesday’s win over the Los Angeles Kings in the span of 4:24 in the third period to tie, take the lead, and put the game away.

Head coach Todd Reirden told Harvey Valentine of NHL.com after the game:

“That’s impressive and just tonight sums it all up: In less than five minutes, he took over the game. We win the game because of that. That’s what superstars do. … This is a real, real special player.”

There are three ways Ovechkin can become the top NHL scorer of all time and those are his durability, a new contract, as well as some math on what his next few seasons could look like.

WASHINGTON, DC – FEBRUARY 04: Capitals left wing Alexander Alex Ovechkin (8) waves to the crowd after his hat trick and 698th goal of his career during the Los Angeles Kings vs. Washington Capitals NHL game on February 4, 2020 at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.. (Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – FEBRUARY 04: Capitals left wing Alexander Alex Ovechkin (8) waves to the crowd after his hat trick and 698th goal of his career during the Los Angeles Kings vs. Washington Capitals NHL game on February 4, 2020 at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.. (Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Durability

If Alex Ovechkin can keep his durability going, there’s no doubt he can become the NHL’s top all-time scorer. The insane part about Ovechkin is the older he is getting the better he is playing. He has outdone himself again this season already with 40 goals and two away from 700.

Very rarely has Ovechkin missed a game due to injury, rest or the occasional suspension. In terms of 82-game seasons, Ovechkin’s lowest amount of games played came in 2009-10 when he played in 72 games. That year Ovechkin got hurt in a shoving match with Jason Chimera, then of the Columbus Blue Jackets. He also had a pair of suspensions from hits.

It’s rare for a player that plays a physical game like Ovechkin, going down the ice like a freight train night after night to be as healthy as he has and it’s a testament to the way he trains off the ice.

The scary part about watching him today, at least for other fan bases that need to take warning, is I still think he hasn’t reached his ceiling and this season could be very telling of if he can reach it. Can he have a 60 goal season by season’s end at the rate he’s going?

LAS VEGAS, VA – JUNE 7:Washington Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom (19) and Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) hoist the Stanley Cup after winning Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Washington Capitals and the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on Thursday, June 7, 2018. (Photo by Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, VA – JUNE 7:Washington Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom (19) and Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) hoist the Stanley Cup after winning Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Washington Capitals and the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on Thursday, June 7, 2018. (Photo by Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post via Getty Images) /

A contract extension

As superhuman and amazing as Alex Ovechkin is, it’s impossible to score 200 goals in a season. If Ovechkin wants to continue to pursue this record, he needs to sign an extension to stay in Washington beyond the 2020-21 season.

It looked like the Caps took the first step in that process of extending Ovechkin when they re-upped Nicklas Backstrom’s contract to five more years. In the process of that negotiation, which Backstrom took care of himself, Ovechkin was checking up on him on a constant basis to see how the contract talks were going. Does this sound like a player that wants to play somewhere else?

I hate to say it to some Caps fans, but I don’t see Braden Holtby coming back after this season but the silver lining is that the Caps can have more money to re-sign Ovechkin when the summer of 2021 hits.

So what can a new contract for Alex Ovechkin look like. If Backstrom’s was five years and $46 million, maybe a four-year, $50 million deal depending on how the salary cap looks?

A four year extension would give Ovechkin four extra years to break the “impossible” record and give the Ovi and Nicky duo a chance to skate off into the sunset.

LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 29: (L-R) Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals, coach Wayne Gretzky, Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Justin Faulk #27 of the Carolina Hurricanes and coach Paul Coffey react from the bench area during the Metropolitan Division and Pacific Division match-up of the 2017 Honda NHL All-Star Game at Staples Center on January 29, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 29: (L-R) Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals, coach Wayne Gretzky, Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Justin Faulk #27 of the Carolina Hurricanes and coach Paul Coffey react from the bench area during the Metropolitan Division and Pacific Division match-up of the 2017 Honda NHL All-Star Game at Staples Center on January 29, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images) /

So how does Alex Ovechkin become the NHL’s all time top scorer?

Let’s do the math and figure out the amount of goals and length of time it can take for Alex Ovechkin to catch Gretzky.

So far this season Ovechkin has 40 goals entering Saturday night’s contest against the Flyers and 698 on his career. Ovechkin needs 197 goals to break Gretzky’s “unbreakable” record.

40 goals at this point in the season means Ovechkin is on pace for 61 goals. Let’s say he finishes there. That would bring him to 719. Next season is his final season in his current contract and he’ll turn 35. Let’s say he scores 40 goals, that would bring him to 759.

Now Ovechkin wants nothing more than to retire a Capital and same with the fans and the team. Say he signs a four year extension but his numbers begin to dip as age catches up. He still scores 35 that first season to get up to 794. That would give Ovechkin exactly 100 goals needed to tie.

This is where it gets tricky. Can he score 100 goals in his next three seasons in that projected contract. For the exercise of numbers decline 30 goals followed by 25 and 20, that would get him to 869 just short of Gretzky.

WASHINGTON, DC -FEBRUARY 4:Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) celebrates the second of his three goals in the third period at Capital One Arena February 04, 2020 in Washington, DC. The Washington Capitals beat the Los Angeles Kings 4-2 with help from a hat trick from Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) in the third period.(Photo by Katherine Frey/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC -FEBRUARY 4:Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) celebrates the second of his three goals in the third period at Capital One Arena February 04, 2020 in Washington, DC. The Washington Capitals beat the Los Angeles Kings 4-2 with help from a hat trick from Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) in the third period.(Photo by Katherine Frey/The Washington Post via Getty Images) /

Ovechkin needs just a few more 40 goal seasons and he’ll get there for sure. Ovechkin scores 40 goals and 35 to get to 794. He follows that up with another 40 goal season to get him up to 834. At this point, he’ll be entering his age 38 season. 30 goals those next two seasons to tie it is very doable and of course he’ll have a crooked number like 31 or 33 to get him just over the hump.

Top 3 heroes against the Kings. light. More

Whether Ovechkin catches Gretzky or not, us Capitals fans have been spoiled the last 15 years of witnessing greatness before our eyes. Our very own version of Gretzky who arguably might be better.

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