Alex Ovechkin is easily 2021 MVP for Capitals

The Washington Capitals return to the ice to practice and the team hopes to return to game action soon enough starting on Wednesday night against the Nashville Predators, knock on wood. Alex Ovechkin is making a serious case already for the Hart Trophy conversation with his hot start to the season. With a team decimated by injuries and COVID-19, the Great Eight still stands and his work on the ice despite the adversity makes him the Caps 2021 MVP.

He’s doing it all at age 36 and his 17th season in the league. He’s on pace to even beat his career high 65 goal season that he put up in the 2007-08 campaign en route to his first Hart Trophy.

Ovechkin has 22 goals through 31 games played. He’s got that goal scoring touch yes but what lots of people don’t talk about enough is his 25 assists as well. So not only is he putting the puck through the net, he’s smarter with the puck and not afraid to dish it out to the open teammate.

Ovechkin’s 25 assists are more than he had in the COVID shortened seasons of 2019-20 and 2020-21 with 19 and 18, respectively. Those seasons saw Ovechkin play in 68 and 45 games. Last year he dealt with injuries, this season that hasn’t been the case. Instead he’s had to deal with the adversity of his long time teammates missing extended time like Nicklas Backstrom. That also might be why we see him sharing the puck more.

With 752 goals in his career, he could have just Gordie Howe and Wayne Gretzky in his sights at seasons end as Jaromir Jagr’s 766 third place mark is in jeopardy. Ovechkin has also had to lead a team full of rookies that stepped in nicely with the injury and pandemic situation. And I’m sure their in awe watching the great eight on the ice just as much as we are from the couches and the stands.