Washington Capitals: Top 3 players ready for a breakout season in 2021

#1 Alex Ovechkin

Despite being the oldest player on the team, I still wouldn’t bet against Alex Ovechkin having another stellar season with the Washington Capitals. Needing just 33 goals for the next five seasons to catch Wayne Gretzky, Ovechkin has the potential to do just that and score more than 33 goals next season.

If he does that it will take some of the pressure off the later years when age does unfortunately catch up to the great eight. It will eventually but I doubt it happens this year. Ovechkin will turn 36 next month and just signed a five year extension where he will make $9.5 million per year.

Last season Ovechkin scored a career low 24 goals and 18 assists for 42 points. Keep in mind he spent the beginning of the season on the COVID protocols list and dealt with an injury towards the end of the regular season. Ovechkin played in 45 of the Caps 56 games.

His numbers would be bigger obviously if they were an 82 game season and Ovechkin must be chomping at the bit knowing that a normal season is on the horizon which gives him a chance to catch the great one and have him in his sights the next couple of seasons.