by Max Goren
History was made on Wednesday night when Alexander Ovechkin scored his 900th NHL goal, becoming the first player to ever reach that milestone. There is no doubt that Ovi will be remembered as an all-time great, probably the best goal scorer hockey has ever seen. Despite his incredible career accomplishments, his latest history-making moment did make me wonder: will Alex Ovechkin even be remembered as the greatest player of his generation?
His main competition, Sidney Crosby, is off to a torrid start this season, tied for the league lead in goals with 11 to go along with eight assists. Oh, and Crosby defeated his Russian counterpart on Thursday night, as he continues to lead a Penguins team that was expected to be in the league’s basement to playoff contention. When it comes to Crosby vs. Ovechkin, there is no wrong answer, and a strong argument could be made that the Hockey Hall of Fame should waive its three-year waiting period whenever both legends decide to hang up the skates. However, for the sake of the Friday Faceoff fans, let’s compare the legacies of these two all-time greats, and see if there are any other active players that could exceed their incredible career accomplishments.
Let’s take a look at career resumes, starting with Ovechkin, who is, in this writer’s opinion, the best goal scorer to touch NHL ice. The career accolades are staggering: 2006 Calder trophy winner, 12-time all-star, nine Rocket Richard trophies, three Hart trophies, three Ted Linsday awards, and of course, a 2018 Conn Smythe trophy as the MVP in Washington’s Stanley Cup win over the Vegas Golden Knights. In 1505 games played to date, Ovechkin is the all-time leader in goals, powerplay goals, game-winning goals, and shots on goal.
Now, a look at Crosby’s resume: eight-time all-star, two Rocket Richard trophies, two Hart trophies, three Ted Lindsay awards, and two Conn Smythe trophies as part of three Stanley Cup wins in 2009, 2016 and 2017. While Crosby doesn’t hold any all-time scoring records, in 1367 games, he is the active leader in assists and points.
In terms of individual accolades, Ovechkin has a slight advantage. More all-star selections, a significant advantage in Rocket Richard trophies as the season leader in goals, and one more MVP trophy than Crosby. However, when you factor in that Crosby missed a significant number of games in his prime between 2007 (when he was coming off a 120 point season as a 19-year-old) and 2013 due to injuries, their individual accomplishments are extremely similar. Despite the injuries and missed games, Crosby has out-produced Ovechkin in terms of points as well, with 73 more points in 138 fewer games than Ovi.
So, what do you prioritize more when assessing a player’s legacy: individual accolades, or team success? Crosby has captained his team to three Stanley Cups, compared to Ovechkin’s one win in 2018. Washington has only made it past the second round of the playoffs once in Ovechkin’s career, and Pittsburgh has won three out of their four series meetings since these two legends debuted.
Like I said earlier, there is no wrong answer when it comes to Crosby vs. Ovechkin, and their stories may still have a few more chapters left to be written. But for my money, I’ll take Sid the Kid in this matchup- his 200-foot game, coupled with consistent production and leadership gives him a slight edge over Ovi.
Is there anyone in the league today that can challenge these two greats in terms of legacy? The obvious contender is Connor McDavid, whose astonishing point production could see him become just the second-ever player to reach 2000 points- he’s already over halfway there with 1103 in 727 games, giving him a points-per-game rate of 1.517. Only two players in NHL history scored at a higher rate: some guys named Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. There is no doubt his talent will secure McDavid’s spot among the all-time greats whenever he retires, but he will have to lead his team to playoff success before he can challenge the legacies of Ovi and Sid.
Puck Knowers’ Player to Watch of the Week: Ben Kindel, Pittsburgh Penguins
The Player to Watch on the last edition of Friday Faceoff was Utah’s Logan Cooley, who rejected a rich contract extension before this season in a bet on himself to secure an even better deal. And a better deal was secured- Cooley signed an 8-year, $80 million extension shortly after being named my player to watch; you’re welcome, Logan!
This week, keep your eye on Ben Kindel, the 18-year-old up-and-comer for the Pittsburgh Penguins. The emergence of Kindel has been key in their surprising start, as he plays on their top forward line and powerplay unit alongside Sidney Crosby. With five goals and seven points so far, look out for this teenager to continue to develop into a staple in the Penguins’ lineup for years to come.