Has Alex Ovechkin Become Too Predicatable?


The doubts and whispers began last season when Alex Ovechkin finished with career lows in goals (32) and points (85). Had the world’s most dynamic hockey player already passed his prime, at the young age of 25? Or was Ovechkin just stuck in an offensive rut, being handcuffed by a more defensive brand of hockey?

This season has been providing the answer that no one in Washington wants to hear about the 26-year-old left-winger.

With 13 games remaining in the season, Ovechkin ranks 22nd in the NHL with 27 goals, 112th in assists with 24, and 52nd in points with 51.

Not bad for a guy making $4 million a season. But the Capitals are paying Ovechkin $9 million this season, and $88 million more over the next nine seasons. Ovechkin is on pace to match last year’s total of 32 goals, and set a new career low 60 points, 46 less than what he averaged in his first four seasons in the NHL.

Also, he is on pace to finish a minus player for the first time in the past five years. The previous four seasons, Ovechkin has been a combined plus-105.

So why the dramatic dropoff?

Many believe it’s due to the league adjusting to his tactics. Every defenseman knows that when Ovechkin has the puck, he will carry it in and try to rip a shot. So what do they do? They poke check him, making him frustrated. He hasn’t made any adjustments to the way the defenders approach him. It’s the same thing every time down the ice.

In recent games, coach Dale Hunter has tried putting him on the right-wing to give him a new look. However, it really hasn’t mattered as the defenseman on that side just poke checks him still.

Ovechkin ranks eighth in the NHL with 246 shots and is on pace to finish with another career low of 295 shots. By comparison, in his first six seasons he averaged 421 shots, and close to 5.3 shots per games.

Perhaps the most telling statistic of Ovechkin is that he leads the NHL in shots that miss the net with 117 and ranks 213th in shooting percentage with just 11% of his shots going in the net.

Weird enough, Ovechkin’s lack of production comes when Dale Hunter is asking the superstar to simplify his game and sacrifice personal statistics for strong positional play.

I’m sure if the Capitals make the playoffs, and make a strong run at the Stanley Cup, Ovechkin is more likely to not hear that his best days are behind him. If not, it will be yet another long summer of speculation and criticism for Ovechkin.

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