Capitals: How Many Goals Alex Ovechkin Is On Pace For This Season
By Jim Lynch
Alex Ovechkin is climbing up the mountain of the most goals in the entire NHL, and it is only a matter of time before he takes the next step to the top spot. Ovechkin has 759 goals in his career thus far, all with the Washington Capitals. He is just eight goals away from passing Jaromir Jagr for third all-time. Jagr has 766 goals and the first and second spots are filled by Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe. Gretzky scored 894 goals and Howe registered 801.
Ovechkin is not showing any signs of slowing down. He was just elected to yet another all-star game and is still leading his team to be one of the best in the entire league despite an aging group that many would consider done.
Ovechkin has 29 goals on the year, and has five during the month of January. The great eight is playing the game at a high level, and if you take a look at the numbers we might be able to predict how many goals he could score this season.
Alex Ovechkin is on pace for 56 goals this season with the Washington Capitals.
Through 42 games, Ovechkin has scored at a pace of .6904 goals per game, if you take that and look at the rest of the season that is an additional 27 goals for the great eight bringing his season total up to 56.
If Ovechkin were to hit or pass 56 goals that would tie him for the second-best season of his career, yet he is now doing it at the age of 36, now that is impressive. Ovechkin still has a lot of great hockey ahead of him.
Just check out his career totals throughout his 17 year NHL career thus far.
| Scoring | Goals | Assists | Shots | Ice Time | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Age | Tm | Lg | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | PIM | EV | PP | SH | GW | EV | PP | SH | S | S% | TSA | TOI | ATOI | FOW | FOL | FO% | BLK | HIT | TK | GV | Awards |
| 2005-06 | 20 | WSH | NHL | 81 | 52 | 54 | 106 | 2 | 52 | 28 | 21 | 3 | 5 | 23 | 31 | 0 | 425 | 12.2 | 1751 | 21:37 | AR-1,AS-1,Calder-1,Hart-6 | ||||||||
| 2006-07 | 21 | WSH | NHL | 82 | 46 | 46 | 92 | -19 | 52 | 30 | 16 | 0 | 8 | 25 | 21 | 0 | 392 | 11.7 | 1754 | 21:23 | AS-1,AS-9,Hart-22 | ||||||||
| 2007-08 | 22 | WSH | NHL | 82 | 65 | 47 | 112 | 28 | 40 | 43 | 22 | 0 | 11 | 32 | 15 | 0 | 446 | 14.6 | 907 | 1894 | 23:06 | 7 | 11 | 38.9 | 44 | 220 | 68 | 93 | AS-1,Byng-9,Hart-1,Pearson-1,Richard-1,Ross-1,Selke-30 |
| 2008-09 | 23 | WSH | NHL | 79 | 56 | 54 | 110 | 8 | 72 | 36 | 19 | 1 | 10 | 27 | 27 | 0 | 528 | 10.6 | 1027 | 1817 | 23:00 | 8 | 24 | 25.0 | 32 | 243 | 60 | 107 | AS-1,AS-10,Hart-1,Pearson-1,Richard-1,Selke-50 |
| 2009-10 | 24 | WSH | NHL | 72 | 50 | 59 | 109 | 45 | 89 | 37 | 13 | 0 | 7 | 36 | 23 | 0 | 368 | 13.6 | 818 | 1569 | 21:48 | 10 | 12 | 45.5 | 20 | 181 | 66 | 75 | AS-1,AS-9,Hart-2,Pearson-1,Selke-28 |
| 2010-11 | 25 | WSH | NHL | 79 | 32 | 53 | 85 | 24 | 41 | 25 | 7 | 0 | 11 | 36 | 17 | 0 | 367 | 8.7 | 771 | 1688 | 21:22 | 6 | 12 | 33.3 | 23 | 239 | 48 | 58 | AS-2,Hart-14 |
| 2011-12 | 26 | WSH | NHL | 78 | 38 | 27 | 65 | -8 | 26 | 25 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 17 | 10 | 0 | 303 | 12.5 | 610 | 1544 | 19:48 | 6 | 9 | 40.0 | 42 | 215 | 34 | 51 | AS-10 |
| 2012-13 | 27 | WSH | NHL | 48 | 32 | 24 | 56 | 2 | 36 | 16 | 16 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 11 | 0 | 220 | 14.5 | 441 | 1002 | 20:53 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 18 | 120 | 30 | 25 | AS-2,AS-1,Hart-1,Richard-1 |
| 2013-14 | 28 | WSH | NHL | 78 | 51 | 28 | 79 | -35 | 48 | 27 | 24 | 0 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 1 | 386 | 13.2 | 766 | 1603 | 20:33 | 2 | 1 | 66.7 | 22 | 204 | 32 | 48 | AS-2,Hart-23,Richard-1 |
| 2014-15 | 29 | WSH | NHL | 81 | 53 | 28 | 81 | 10 | 58 | 28 | 25 | 0 | 11 | 19 | 9 | 0 | 395 | 13.4 | 825 | 1646 | 20:20 | 2 | 3 | 40.0 | 32 | 259 | 45 | 58 | AS-1,Hart-2,Richard-1 |
| 2015-16 | 30 | WSH | NHL | 79 | 50 | 21 | 71 | 21 | 53 | 31 | 19 | 0 | 8 | 16 | 5 | 0 | 398 | 12.6 | 779 | 1604 | 20:19 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 225 | 24 | 50 | AS-2,AS-7,Hart-6,Richard-1 | |
| 2016-17 | 31 | WSH | NHL | 82 | 33 | 36 | 69 | 6 | 50 | 16 | 17 | 0 | 7 | 27 | 9 | 0 | 313 | 10.5 | 624 | 1506 | 18:22 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 29 | 216 | 29 | 46 | AS-3,Hart-12 |
| 2017-18 | 32 | WSH | NHL | 82 | 49 | 38 | 87 | 3 | 32 | 32 | 17 | 0 | 7 | 24 | 14 | 0 | 355 | 13.8 | 705 | 1652 | 20:09 | 3 | 5 | 37.5 | 21 | 139 | 25 | 71 | AS-3,Hart-9,Richard-1,Smythe-1 |
| 2018-19 | 33 | WSH | NHL | 81 | 51 | 38 | 89 | 7 | 40 | 33 | 18 | 0 | 5 | 28 | 10 | 0 | 338 | 15.1 | 668 | 1695 | 20:55 | 1 | 4 | 20.0 | 41 | 223 | 47 | 70 | AS-1,Hart-7,Richard-1 |
| 2019-20 | 34 | WSH | NHL | 68 | 48 | 19 | 67 | -12 | 30 | 35 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 5 | 0 | 311 | 15.4 | 602 | 1405 | 20:40 | 1 | 0 | 100.0 | 30 | 184 | 28 | 48 | AS-3,AS-6,Hart-13,Richard-1 |
| 2020-21 | 35 | WSH | NHL | 45 | 24 | 18 | 42 | -7 | 12 | 15 | 9 | 0 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 182 | 13.2 | 351 | 878 | 19:30 | 0 | 2 | 0.0 | 23 | 98 | 11 | 20 | AS-9 |
| 2021-22 | 36 | WSH | NHL | 42 | 29 | 29 | 58 | 18 | 6 | 21 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 23 | 6 | 0 | 193 | 15.0 | 375 | 920 | 21:54 | 3 | 2 | 60.0 | 9 | 63 | 22 | 28 | |
| Career | 17 yrs | NHL | 1239 | 759 | 619 | 1378 | 93 | 737 | 478 | 276 | 5 | 119 | 382 | 236 | 1 | 5920 | 12.8 | 11086 | 25929 | 20:56 | 49 | 87 | 36.0 | 420 | 2829 | 569 | 848 |
Provided by Hockey-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 1/24/2022.
I think the most frustrating part about Ovechkin’s career has to be the fact that he already could have passed Gretzky for the top spot if it wasn’t for three shortened seasons in 2013, 2020, and 2021, as well as a lockout at the beginning of his career in 2005.
Ovechkin is already a hall of fame lock when he calls it a career, but considering how good he has been the past few years offensively, I think it is safe to say he could be adding even more accomplishments to his name before he hangs up his skates.