Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin is develop nearer to changing into one of the vital heralded gamers in NHL historical past. The legendary ahead already has a ton of information on the NHL historical past books, however there’s yet one more nonetheless to go that might put him within the pantheon of all-time greats.
With the 2024-25 season now in progress, Ovechkin is on the verge of changing into the NHL’s all-time targets chief. Ovechkin can cross Wayne Gretzky’s mark (894) throughout the 2024-25 common season. The Capitals standout at present has 863 profession targets, so he would wish to rack up simply 31 extra targets this season with a purpose to prime Gretzky’s league document.
The 2023-24 marketing campaign proved to be a mortal one for Ovechkin, who scored 31 targets final season. Ovechkin’s 31 targets was his lowest goal-scoring whole since he netted 32 targets within the 2012-13 season. Ovechkin did have simply 24 targets in 2020-21, however that season was shortened because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ovechkin scored 42 targets throughout the 2022-23 season, and has tallied no less than 41 targets in 13 of his 19 NHL seasons.
Ovechkin at present has tallied 1,568 factors (863 targets, 705 assists) in his skilled profession. He did make much more historical past in 2023-24 when he registered an NHL document 18th 30-goal season as he handed Mike Gartner (17) for the distinction.
Ovechkin reached the 10-goal mark for the season with a two-goal efficiency in a 3-2 win towards the Nashville Predators on Nov. 9. Ovechkin continues to maintain the tempo that he must with a purpose to catch Gretzky by the tip of the common season. Proper now, Ovechkin is on tempo for 59 targets, which might simply be sufficient to surpass “The Nice One.”
Ovechkin will doubtless proceed to be a longtime pressure on the Capitals’ prime power-play unit, so there will likely be loads of goal-scoring alternatives. He has gotten off to a a lot hotter begin than he did in 2023-24 when he recorded simply 5 targets over the primary two months of the season.
CBS Sports activities will preserve monitor of Ovechkin’s targets all through the 2024-25 season and preserve tabs on how shut he’s to eclipsing Gretzky’s all-time document.
