Capitals' Alex Ovechkin Left Off Top Players List

People have started to doubt the aging Washington Capitals captain.

Mar 18, 2024; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) skates against the Calgary Flames during the first period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images / Sergei Belski-Imagn Images

For going on 20 seasons, the Washington Capitals have been led by one of the sport’s all-time greatest players, Alex Ovechkin. Since being drafted first overall in 2004, Ovechkin has led the league in goals nine times, continuously helped push the Capitals to the postseason, and led the way to a Stanley Cup championship in 2018.

There is little doubt that Ovechkin will soon break Wayne Gretzky’s goal-scoring record, but according to TSN, that might be all he’s good for anymore.

TSN is set to release their top 50 NHL players list and they’ve already come out and stated Ovechkin will not be featured. Analysts Frankie Corrado and Bryan Hayes went on to back their decision.

“It’s a fair assessment, and I’ve been waiting for everyone at TSN to catch up to me,” Hayes said. “I didn’t have him in my top 50 last year, and I think I was proven right.”

At 38 years old, Ovechkin had a slow start to the 2023-24 season, but finished with 31 goals and 34 assists for 65 total points, and a surprise appearance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Hayes suspects that an older Ovechkin has a one-track mind heading into his 20th year: goal scoring.

“What is he now?” Hayes asked. “He’s a guy with a solo focus. It’s chasing Gretzky. It’s chasing the history books.”

Ovechkin needs 42 goals to surpass Gretzky’s 894; he may hit it this season, but he’ll have to put in a lot of effort and find a higher level of play than what he showed last year.

“This is a very fair assessment on where he’s at right now,” Corrado said. “It probably ends up taking him another two years before he beats Wayne Gretzky’s goal-scoring record.”

It’s obvious that the 2023-24 season wasn’t Ovechkin’s best. He only had eight goals through the first 43 games of the season and the Capitals weren’t in a playoff spot until the last game of the season. Will Ovechkin enter the 2024-25 season with an extra fire to not have that slow of a start?

“I don’t think it’s that easy,” Hayes said. “He’s 39 years old. I don’t think they have Stanley Cup aspirations, either.”

At Ovechkin’s age, it won’t be easy for him to stand out as an elite player, which there seems to be a growing number of in the NHL.

Ovechkin still has a fire to win, but also understands the kind of history he can make. Despite that, TSN believes there are at least 50 players better than him in the NHL right now.

Make sure you bookmark Breakaway OnSI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more! 

• Blackhawks Rookie's Injury Timeline Revealed
• Multiple NHL Rule Changes Set to Take Effect
• Wild Want Even More From Superstar Forward
• Canadiens Not Done Making Upgrades
• Watch: Penguins Icon Scores First Goal of Final Season