What happened to Aleksandr Ovechkin? “There is no going back”

Aleksandr Ovechkin has been walking in the shadows in the early season. The 38-year-old star is fading. AOP / USA TODAY Sports

Last ten matches. Powers 0+4.

Washington Capitals captain and the team’s biggest star Alexander Ovechkin is currently playing the worst of his career in terms of points.

The balance of the entire early season is 25 games and 16 (5+11) points. At this rate, Ovetškin would score 16+36=52 in 82 regular season matches. Even last season, the balance of 73 games was 42+33=75.

Head of European Player Scouting at Elite Prospects Lassi Alanen is not very surprised by the 38-year-old conker’s sharp decline.

– In the case of aging top players, it often happens that the career development curve remains in a gentle decline for a long time, until at some point it falls off the ledge and there is no going back. This would appear to be happening with Ovechkin, if not now, then likely soon, which would only be natural.

Bad luck

According to Alanen, Ovetškin has always been a player who has relied on his physical attributes such as his speed and strength. When these qualities begin to weaken with age, the player’s level inevitably drops.

However, Ovechkin’s physique has not weakened so drastically during the summer that it alone would explain the radical collapse in goals and power points.

He has also had bad luck in goal posts.

Moneypuck– website, Ovetškin has created the expected 9.8 goals in the early season, although he has found the net only five times.

– Maaliodotama says that he has still been able to get to the scenes reasonably well. It is clear that, even at his current level, he will score goals at a faster pace than at the beginning of the season in the long run, Alanen sees.

Ovechkin has finished with more than 13 percent accuracy in the previous five seasons, but this season’s shooting percentage is less than six so far.

An ineffective weapon

For years, Ovechkin has been one of the NHL’s most dangerous possession guns, but this season the net has swung only once with superiority.

– The evolution of possession play is passing Ovechkin. Today, it is known that one-timers from Ovechkin’s bravura spot are a rather inefficient launch option, and it is preferred to look for chances much closer.

In spite of this, Ovechkinin still tries to shoot the puck into the backpack from his mood, as a result of which the Capitals’ dominance percentage (8.2) has sunk to the worst in the entire series.

On the other hand, superiority is really the only place where the captain is even useful, because according to Alanen, finishing skills are probably the last to fail.

– Nowadays, Ovechkin is even more dependent on his shot. If it doesn’t work, he doesn’t bring much added value to the rink.

The story continues after the picture.

Same dude

Some of the top players are able to modify their playing style as they get older and lose speed. Offensive stars may even become defensive specialists.

Ovechki does not belong to this caste either. He has not managed to modify his playing style over the years.

– He hasn’t suddenly become, for example, a world-class playmaker, and he hasn’t found ways to compensate for his aging. He’s just a worse version of himself now.

This can be seen in a negative way, especially in the overall game. Ovechkin is clearly a negative player in the five-on-five game, measured both by the ratio of expected goals (46.31%) and the ratio of dangerous goal positions (46.00%).

– He has focused on saving his energy even more on scoring at the expense of other areas, Alanen sees.

Ovechkin is chasing feverishly Wayne Gretzky regular season goal record, which is 894 hits. It is now 67 goals away, and the man’s contract expires in the summer of 2026.

Can Ovechkin break Gretzky’s record yet?

– It is still possible, although less likely than before the start of the season. With not many games and seasons left, every cold spell eats up the odds quickly.