Alex Ovechkin‘s race towards Wayne Gretzky’s all-time aim document — as soon as thought unbreakable — has captured the eye of the complete hockey world.
However that isn’t the one Gretzky document at risk of falling.
On this piece, we’ll check out six different data belonging to The Nice One that might someday be damaged and the gamers who’ve an opportunity to do it.
Rather a lot must go proper for historical past to occur however Ovechkin’s present push is proof a lot is feasible.
Most point-per-game seasons
Gretzky’s document: 19
Sidney Crosby’s present quantity: 19
It is a document that might be damaged inside every week as Crosby is simply two factors away from the twentieth point-per-game season of his profession. After lacking two video games earlier this season, Crosby will hit the mark if he reaches 80 factors in 80 video games. Coming into play Tuesday, he has 78 with 10 video games remaining.
Crosby has by no means completed a season beneath a point-per-game mark, together with two seasons reduce brief by concussions, one season disrupted by a lockout and two extra performed in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Gretzky, nonetheless, fell brief in his closing yr with 62 factors in 70 video games. At age 37 and with a three-year extension already signed, Crosby has loads of time to push this document even increased.
Amongst lively gamers, Crosby leads the best way adopted by Evgeni Malkin (15 point-per-game seasons), Alex Ovechkin (14), Steven Stamkos (12), Patrick Kane (11) and Connor McDavid (10). A decade from now, we may see McDavid problem this document however for now, Crosby is the one closing in on it.
Most targets, common season and playoffs mixed
Gretzky’s document: 1,016
Alex Ovechkin’s present quantity: 960
Between the common season and playoffs, Ovechkin has 960 profession targets (888+72). Gretzky’s mixed document is 1,016 (894+122). If Ovechkin scores seven extra targets to get to 895 and break Gretzky’s regular-season document, he’ll want solely 50 extra to interrupt the mixed mark.
The Capitals have rebounded from being a fringe playoff group to a Stanley Cup contender this season. An extended playoff run would give Ovechkin extra probabilities to chip away at this document however time will not be on his aspect. The soon-to-be 40-year-old has yet one more yr on his contract and has indicated previously that the 2025-26 marketing campaign might be his closing season.
Ovechkin has proven this yr he’s nonetheless able to scoring 40 targets and he would want to do it yet one more time to have an opportunity of breaking this document, too.
Most 50-goal seasons
Gretzky’s document: 9 (tied with Mike Bossy and Alex Ovechkin)
Leon Draisaitl’s present quantity: Three
Draisaitl is one aim away from his fourth 50-goal season however an harm has him out of the lineup because the calendar nears April. Nonetheless, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on Hockey Night time in Canada that Draisaitl’s harm isn’t anticipated to maintain him out long-term, that means he ought to no less than get an opportunity to attain yet one more time this yr.
At present, Ovechkin and Draisaitl are the one lively gamers with greater than two 50-goal campaigns. Even when Draisaitl does full his fourth this yr, he received’t even be midway to catching the document. The Cologne, Germany native shall be turning 30 in October and might want to defy Father Time to gather one other six 50-goal seasons.
Most 60-goal seasons
Gretzky’s document: 5
Auston Matthews’ present quantity: Two
There have solely been six 60-goal seasons previously 20 years and Auston Matthews has two of them. Ovechkin solely did it as soon as and Draisaitl has by no means executed it.
Matthews set the wage cap period document one yr in the past with 69 targets however a lingering harm means he’ll probably end with lower than half that whole this season. Nonetheless, Matthews is barely 27 and his profession 0.64 targets per sport is the best amongst all lively gamers, together with Ovechkin. If he can keep wholesome, this document might be inside attain.
Most 100-point seasons
Gretzky’s document: 15
Connor McDavid’s present whole: Seven
Connor McDavid is barely 28 and already has seven 100-point seasons on his resume. Solely Gretzky (15), Mario Lemieux (10) and Peter Stastny (seven) have as many.
McDavid has 90 factors this yr however is out with an harm and the Oilers solely have 12 video games remaining. If he fails to achieve 100 this yr it will be simply the third time in his profession after an injury-shortened rookie yr and the 2019-20 season that was reduce brief by the COVID-19 pandemic (he had 97 that yr).
For his profession, McDavid’s 1.51 factors per sport common ranks third behind solely Gretzky and Lemieux. He must hover round that mark for an additional eight years to interrupt this document.
Most consecutive 100-point seasons
Gretzky’s document: 13
McDavid’s present quantity: 4
As talked about above, McDavid was stopped at 97 factors in 2019-20 when the season was shut down for the pandemic. If that hadn’t occurred and he had scored these closing three factors, his streak of 100-point seasons would now be at 9 and this document would have been inside his grasp.
Since that 97-point season, McDavid has put collectively 4 consecutive 100-point campaigns. However an harm has put that streak in jeopardy. Whereas McDavid isn’t anticipated to be out long-term, he nonetheless wants 10 extra factors within the Oilers’ closing 12 video games to maintain the streak alive. And if he does it, he would want one other 9 consecutive seasons of 100 factors to interrupt the document, taking him to age 37.
