What kind of record can Alex Ovechkin break in 2023?
The NHL world’s eyes will be on Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals the next two seasons. No they aren’t quite favored to win the Stanley Cup, but one would be foolish if they didn’t try for it anyone. But rather they’ll be watching Caps games for a different reason.
Ovechkin has 822 goals. He needs 72 to tie and 73 to pass who is considered by many the greatest NHL player of all time in Wayne Gretzky. Many of those people who thought Gretzky was the greatest didn’t think anybody could come close to breaking the great one’s record.
But he’s not going to score 73 goals this season. I can’t do that. You can’t do that. Gretzky did it in 1984-85 but he was 24 and the game was much different. Goaltenders weren’t as athletic as they are now. They did have cool masks though.
Ovechkin will probably break it not this upcoming season but the season after. That’s the best case scenario everyone is hoping for from fans to the organization. But that doesn’t mean don’t watch games until 2024-25.
Ovechkin can still break a pretty big record this season. He enters tied with Mike Bossy with nine 50 goal seasons. Does Ovi have one more 50 goal season left in the tank? It won’t be easy. He turns 38 on September 17. Training camp begins on the 20th.
Say Ovechkin reaches exactly 50 goals on the dot and has the most 50 goal seasons all time. Doing the math that would mean Ovechkin would enter the next season with 22 to tie and 23 to pass Gretzky to become all atop the NHL mountain.
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That could put him around Christmas time or just after the New Year where everyone will be tuning in with eager eyes seeing Ovechkin pot one in for the 895th time. Wouldn’t be the first time he delivered Caps fans a present but if it was the last one you know what they say: save the best for last.