The Washington Capitals had a surprising 2024-25 campaign, finishing as the top team in the Eastern Conference. The highlight of the season may have been Alex Ovechkin breaking Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record. After scoring his 895th career goal, Ovi was the all-time leading goal scorer in the regular season. Now, the Great 8 is in striking distance of another record currently owned by the Great One, the most goals in the regular season and playoffs combined.
Heading into this season, Ovechkin has scored 897 regular-season goals and has found the back of the net 77 times in the playoffs. That has him at a combined 974 goals. The total is the second most of all time. Meanwhile, Wayne Gretzky has 1,016 goals between the regular season and playoffs. While Ovechkin is not going to catch Gretzky's 122 playoff goals unless he plays a few more years with deep playoff runs, he can score goal number 1,017 this season.
Ovi still has the goal-scoring ability to catch that mark quickly. Last season, he played in just 65 games after breaking his leg. He still scored 44 goals. He has lit the lamp 40 or more times in nine of the last 11 seasons. The Great 8 would have also reached that mark had a full 82 games been played in 2020-21. He needs just 43 goals this season, including the playoffs. The Caps are currently projected to make the playoffs, so the record is within striking distance.
Record watch for Alex Ovechkin
Ovechkin has put up amazing numbers in his career. He has done this while losing the 2012-13 season due to a lockout, seeing the 2013-14 season shortened to 48 games due to the same lockout, and COVID-19 shortening two seasons.
Ovechkin is also within striking distance of other records. He has 3,743 career hits and needs just 287 more to break the record held by Cal Clutterbuck. He is also just 73 games away from tying Nicklas Lindstrom for most games played with a single franchise, without playing for another franchise. To break the record of most games played with a franchise regardless of the rest of their career, he would need to play 191 more games to pass Gordie Howe.
He may not get to Howe. This may be the last season of Ovi in the NHL, but as a source with the Capitals put it to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski, “If he scores another 40 goals this season, why not run it back?”
Regardless of whether this is his last season or not, if he breaks records again or not, there is one thing Ovi would love to do again in his career, and that is to lift the Stanley Cup.
