Top 5 storylines as the Capitals enter a new season

#1 Alex Ovechkin might not break Wayne Gretzky’s all time goals record this season, but he could break a different Gretzky one

Alex Ovechkin enters the season needing 73 goals to pass Wayne Gretzky for number one all time among NHL goal scoring. He’ll need to average 25 goals in the next three seasons to reach the mark. That’s how long his new contract that he signed with the Caps in 2021 has left.

If Ovechkin has a 50 goal season this year it’ll be his 10th in his NHL career of scoring 50 or more goals. If he can hit it he’ll be all alone among the top of the NHL among players in that category. He will pass both Mike Bossy and Wayne Gretzky.

If Father Time catches up sooner than all of us would like it to for the great eight, he could still reach 30 goals and if he does he would pass former Capital Mike Gartner for the most 30 goal seasons in NHL history. Gartner has 17. Ovechkin enters his 19th season. The only year Ovechkin didn’t score 30 goals was the COVID shortened 2020 21 season where he had just 24.

Not only that but he could break some other milestones. He enters the new season 15 points shy of 1,500 career points. He’s 53 games shy of 1,400 career NHL games played. He’s also one power play goal shy of 300 career power play goals. Could tonight be the night he does it?

Those are our top 5 storylines as we enter a new Capitals season. Enjoy the game tonight and the season ahead.