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Will Ovechkin beat Wayne Gretzky’s goal record?

By Molly Kate Tracy

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 03: Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals skates with the Stanley Cup prior to watching the 2018 Stanley Cup Championship banner rise to the rafters before playing against the Boston Bruins at Capital One Arena on October 3, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 03: Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals skates with the Stanley Cup prior to watching the 2018 Stanley Cup Championship banner rise to the rafters before playing against the Boston Bruins at Capital One Arena on October 3, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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Washington Capitals Alexander Ovechkin is within range of beating Wayne Gretzky’s goal record. But will he be able to beat it within the next five years?

Alexander Ovechkin currently has 730 goals and is in range to beat Gretzky’s 894 goals. With five more years in the NHL on his newly acquired contract, he would have to score 33 goals a season to beat Gretzky’s record. For Ovechkin, this looks more than possible as he has consistently scored 50 points or above in a regular season. To be honest, Ovechkin could probably score 33 points a season without even really trying. At age 36, the Washington Capitals forward is still in his prime and still outperforming most other NHL athletes.

He recently signed a 5 year deal with the Washington Capitals and has said that it was partly his ability to reach the Great One’s goal record was why he agreed to five years. However, time is not on his side. He’s currently at the age where most athletes begin to retire, and it’s likely we’ll begin to see his age take a toll on his playing. No one wants to imagine Alexander the Great beginning to succumb to his age and the injuries that come with getting older, but it may be a reality that we have to live.

However, it’s not totally impossible that he’ll still be just as good at 41 as he is now. Look at Zdeno Chara, who is 44 years old and still playing well. There are plenty of good players that have continued to play past their prime and play well. The question is if Ovechkin will be able to keep his streak of seasons above fifty points with getting older. It tends to be that as a player gets older their scoring ability goes down, and if Ovechkin is going to reach the Great One’s goal record, he’s going to need to stay healthy and just as strong as he is now.

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No matter what happens, Ovechkin will most likely be at the top as far as goals scored are concerned. He’ll definitely be in the same breath as Wayne Gretzky, and that is an accomplishment in itself. He’s already making headlines with his 730 goals; it will be interesting to see how many goals he scores this season and in the seasons to come.

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