Alexander Ovechkin

Note: Ovechkin is currently active so this post may not reflect the current hockey season.

Career

• NHL: 2005-16; 11 seasons, all quality
• Totals:
  • 525G (1st Russian All Time),
  • 441A (12th) for
  • 966P (4th),
  • +78 (10th) in
  • 839 games (19th);
  • 132.9 PS,
  • 21:18 ATOI
• Ovechkin is currently 5th All Time in GPG and 17th All Time in PPG
• Ovechkin is currently 23rd All Time in Offensive Point Shares
• Era: Ovechkin is 1st in Goals, GPG,[1. By nearly .2 GPG], Points, PPG[2. by .1 PPG], OPS,[3. By over 40 OPS] and PS,[4. By over 35 PS] 8th in Assists, 9th in APG, and 11th in Games[5. Of the 61 players to play in at least 800 games since 2005]
• 82-game average: 52G, 43A for 94P, +8
• 3-year peak (2007-10): 82-game average of 60G, 57A for 117P, +29
• Possession[6. Since 2007-08]: 54 CF%, 3.6 CF%Rel, 53.5 FF%, 3 FF%Rel
• Playoffs: 41G, 41A for 82P, +9 in 84 games; 21:45 ATOI
• Playoffs Possession[7. Since 2007-08]: 55.2 CF%, 5.2 CF%Rel, 54.2 FF%, 4.4 FF%Rel
• Adjusted:
  • Hockey Reference:
    • 601G (19th All Time), 482A for 1083P
    • Adjusted 82-game average: 59G, 47A for 106P
    • Per Game:
  • VsX:
• Never traded.

Accomplishments

• Hart (’08, ’09, ’13),
• Ted Lindsay (’08, ’09, ’10[9. Tied 3rd most trophies All Time])
• Calder (’07)
• Rocket Richard (’08, ’09, ’13, ’14, ’15, ’16[10. Most trophies since the award’s inception]),
• Art Ross (’08)
• Back Check MVP (2009, 2010, 2013?)
• Back Check Best Player (2008, 2009, 2010)
• Best Player[11. By Point Shares] once (’08), Top 5 four times (’09, ’10, ’15), Top 10 six times (’13, ’16)
• Best Offensive Player[12. By Offensive Point Shares] five times (’08, ’09, ’10, ’13, ’15), Top 5 eight times (’06, ’14, ’16), Top 10 ten times (’07, ’11)
• Goals:
• Leader-boards:
  • Led the league in Goals six times,
  • Top 5 10 times
• Per Game leader-boards:
  • Led the league in GPG six times,
  • Top 5 10 times
• Single-season totals:
  • Score 65 goals once,[13. 1 of only 12 players ever]
  • 55 goals twice,[12. 1 of only 15 players to do so]
  • 50 goals seven times,[13. 1 of only 3 players to do so]
  • 45 goals eight times,[14. 1 of only 5 players to do so]
  • 35 goals nine times,[15. 1 of only 17 players to do so]
  • 30 goals every season he’s been in the league[16. 1 of only 11 players to score 30 goals eleven times]
• Assists:
  • Top 10 in Assists thrice
  • Top 10 in APG thrice
  • Single-season totals:
    • Tallied 50 assists four times,
    • 40 assists six times
• Points:
• Leader-boards:
  • Led the league in Points once,
  • Top 5 six times,
  • Top 10 eight times
• Per game leader-boards:
  • Led the league in PPG thrice,
  • Top 5 five times,
  • Top 10 eight times
• Single-season totals:
  • Scored 110 points twice,
  • 100 points four times,
  • 90 points five times,
  • 80 points seven times,
  • 70 points nine times,
  • 60 points ten times,
  • 50 points every season he’s been in the league
• Top 5 in Plus Minus once, Top 10 twice
• 1st Team All Star seven times, 1st Team All Rookie, 2nd Team three times
• 5 All Star Games
• Monthly 1st Star thrice, Monthly 2nd Star twice, 3rd Star once, Rookie of the Month thrice
• Weekly 1st Star eight times, 2nd Star twice, 3rd Star thrice.

Great Teams

• World Championships:
  • Best Player[17. By points] on one World Champion Bronze (’05 Russia),
  • Top 3 Forward[18. By points] on one World Champion (’08 Russia),
  • Top 6 Forward[19. By points] on one World Champion (’14 Russia), one Runner Up (’10) and one Bronze (’07 Russia),
  • Late arrival for one  World Champion (’12 Russia) and one Runner Up (’15 Russia)
• WJCs:
  • Best Player[18. By points] on one WJC Runner Up (’05 Russia),
  • Top 6 Forward (by points) on one World Junior Champion (’03 Russia)

Ovechkin may be the greatest goal scorer in the history of the NHL. It’s a serious argument that must be entertained.

The only criticism that could be levied against him being included in the Greatest of All Time list his reputation for being unable to win, which is supposedly born out by Russia’s lack of international success when it matters most (i.e. at the Olympics) and by his ostensibly lackluster production in both international tournaments and in the NHL playoffs. But a quick look at his gaudy possession stats in the NHL playoffs should dispel that thought.