Will Alex Ovechkin meet up with Wayne Gretzky? Pursue the NHL excessive scorer report as Capitals-Star ascends the record of all-time goalscorers

Will he or will he not? That is all everybody desires to know.

To gauge whether or not Alex Ovechkin will overtake Wayne Gretzky for the NHL’s all-time targets report, you want to set up a collection of transferring targets and supply solutions to principally unanswerable questions. And whereas the straightforward reply is just, “It is too early to say,” it is no enjoyable both.

Ovechkin began the season 164 targets behind Gretzky. After a robust begin to the Capitals legend, this is a more in-depth have a look at what precisely it will take to threaten Gretzky’s place in historical past.

All statistics up to date by January tenth.

NHL All-Time Objectives Chief

On March 23, 1994, Gretzky surpassed Gordie Howe for the # 802 purpose scoring report. Within the second interval on the Nice Western Discussion board in Inglewood, Calif., Gretzky put the puck previous Canuck’s goalkeeper Kirk McLean to interrupt Howe’s almost 14th anniversary -old report.

Nearly 28 years later, Gretzky nonetheless holds up, as a result of no person has even achieved 100 targets of his report. Gretzky scored his final purpose on March 29, 1999.

GRETZKY: Final NHL purpose | Final NHL recreation

Most targets in NHL historical past

PLAYER	TEAMS	GATES
Wayne Gretzky	EDM, LAK, STL, NYR	894
Gordie Howe	DET, HFD	801
Jaromir Jagri	PIT, WSH, NYR, PHI, DAL, BOS, NJD, FLA, CGY	766
Alex Ovechkin	WSH	754
Brett Hull	CGY, STL, DAL, DET, PHX	741

Most targets in an NHL season

PLAYER	TEAM	SEASON	GATES
Wayne Gretzky	Edmonton Oilers	1981-82	92
Wayne Gretzky	Edmonton Oilers	1983-84	87
Brett Hull	St. Louis Blues	1990-91	86
Mario Lemieux	Pittsburgh penguins	1988-89	85
Phil Esposito	Boston Bruins	1970-71	76
Alexander Mogilny	Buffalo saber	1992-93	76
Teemu Selanne	Winnipeg Jets	1992-93	76

Will Alex Ovechkin meet up with Wayne Gretzky?

Sporting Information will inform you “Imagine” within the phrases of nice coach Ted Lasso.

Firstly of this season, Ovechkin was 164 targets behind Gretzky. Whereas he is off to an excellent begin, he is unlikely to hit the web as soon as per recreation. An inexpensive high-end might be 50 targets per season – which he has met or dwarfed eight occasions in his profession. He additionally received shut at 46 in 2006-07, 49 in 2017-18 and 48 within the 2019-20 season shortened by COVID.

Fifty targets in a season of 82 video games ends in a tempo of 0.61 targets per recreation. If he performed ahead each recreation – inconceivable to say the least – it will take him 229 video games (as of January 10) to catch Gretzky. That may be someday within the 2024-25 season.

After all, if he continues to attain rapidly, he might arrive earlier. Ovechkin’s profession excessive for targets per recreation is 0.79, which he has come a great distance again in 2008/09. Within the final 5 seasons (2016-17 to 2021) he scored 205 targets in 358 video games, an excellent 0.57 targets per recreation. Not a nasty clip regardless of being within the last levels of his profession.

Even when the captain of the Capitals pots 50 per season (together with 2021-22), he will not hit the mark till 2024-25 on the earliest.

What number of targets does Alex Ovechkin have?

Ovechkin has scored as much as 754 profession targets after scoring two targets within the Capitals 3-1 win over Purple Wings in Detroit on December thirty first. Each targets got here within the third interval; a tie on the finish of a Washington energy recreation 17:10 within the body after which an insurance coverage marker at 19:19.

Profession statistics from Alex Ovechkin

Ovechkin’s star energy was evident from day one. After profitable the Calder Trophy with 106 factors (52 targets, 54 assists) in 81 video games in his rookie 12 months, he received the Rocket Richard Trophy 9 occasions. The trophy has solely been round because the 1998/99 season and is awarded to the NHL’s prime scorer.

He is the one participant to have received it at the least 3 times. Oh, and he nearly received it in his rookie 12 months earlier than shedding to the Sharks’ Jonathan Cheechoo by 4 targets. He was additionally a purpose shut within the 2009-10 season.

And a fast reminder: Ovechkin not solely needed to cope with the 56-game COVID-shortened season 2021, but in addition the 48-game lockout-shortened season 2012-13. Think about the place he could be now if these seasons had been a full 82-game chalkboard.

OVECHKIN: The seven most vital profession targets

SEASON	GP	GATES	G / GP	SUPPORTS	POINTS
2005-06	81	52	0.64	54	106
2006-07	82	46	0.56	46	92
2007-08 *	82	65	0.79	47	112
2008-09 *	79	56	0.71	54	110
2009-10	72	50	0.69	59	109
2010-11	79	32	0.41	53	85
2011-12	78	38	0.49	27	65
2012-13 *	48	32	0.67	24	56
2013-14 *	78	51	0.65	28	79
2014-15 *	81	53	0.65	28	81
2015-16 *	79	50	0.63	21	71
2016-17	82	33	0.40	36	69
2017-18 *	82	49	0.60	38	87
2018-19 *	81	51	0.63	38	89
2019-20 * ^	68	48	0.71	nineteenth	67
2021	45	24	0.53	18th	42
2021-22	37	24	0.69	28	52