Ovechkin is post-peak but still in his prime. And why are people knocking him for being a PPG player in the KHL? Based on last years scoring leaders he'd be right at the top-http://en.khl.ru/stat/leaders/202/pts/
Here this years leaders thus far-http://en.khl.ru/stat/leaders/222/pts/
Every guy on the first page with more points has played more game, and by my quick count he's 10th in PPG. What a scrub!
Lucic scored 30 at age 22. Not that big of a difference between 20 and 22.
It is definitely a big difference, or at least it could be. Maybe two of the most important years as a pro. Not in every case, but sometimes it is a huge difference between 20 and 22 year old player.
Lucic scored 30 at age 22. Not that big of a difference between 20 and 22.
When you're that young it can be a pretty big difference.
Lucic doesn't really have anything to do with this thread either. Lucic is an elite player. Maybe not offensively, but he can dominate the game.
Kane is developing into that type of player, with greater offensive abilities. He is elite. The reason Kane was brought up is because he's a very talented NHL player who isn't having an immediate impact in the KHL.
It's a completely different league and the season has just begun. You can't draw conclusions about any player with such a short frame of reference.
In terms of washed up goal scorers. Teemu Selanne has career span of which he has been elite scorer in the young age, regressed and came back as a 40-50 goals scorer after the tender age of 35. Players are not washed up before their 27th birthday, get real.
Though, I don't agree with OP, Selänne is a MAJOR exception.
Well, Caps may aswell trade him while they can salvage a few draft picks. Perhaps a package of a 2nd rounder and conditional 7th would do the trick. Even that price may be too steep for someone so clearly past his prime.
At 17.25, his shots per hour of ice time is the best in the KHL by a big margin (Malkin is in 2nd with 15.99). By that measurement he's breaking the KHL, last year the best players in the league there could only manage around 12 shots per 60 minutes.
Given a full season of play he probably be the best goal scorer in KHL by a fair margin, a guy like number 8 isn't going to keep scoring on only ~6% of his shots on net.
Also on that note, Radulov plays 24 minutes night, much more than those NHL stars just coming to the league. That's a factor in why he's got the scoring lead so far.
Radulov has played 8 more games than Kovalchuk, if anything Kovalchiuk is the best player in the world right now.
I hear they do give secondary assists, however, they don't give them away that easily. (as easily as the NHL)
Wait, the best player in the game of hockey is the one with the most points? NOW I KNOW. Thank you so much! Offense is obviously the only important thing in the game!
Malkin had 13 in 12 before the their last game. And Magnitogorsk is not a bubble team.
Yeah, but Malkin scored 7 pts in last 2 games, and now has 20 pts in 14 games... And Ovechkin just finished his another scoreless game where his team lost 4-0.
But by all means keep being shocked when Ovie doesn't score 50. And while your at it why not freak out when steel rusts, food gets mouldy, and elderly people die. Clearly all unprecedented form of decay.
Wait, the best player in the game of hockey is the one with the most points? NOW I KNOW. Thank you so much! Offense is obviously the only important thing in the game!
At 17.25, his shots per hour of ice time is the best in the KHL by a big margin (Malkin is in 2nd with 15.99). By that measurement he's breaking the KHL, last year the best players in the league there could only manage around 12 shots per 60 minutes..
lol. Counting shots in KHL is the stupidest thing ever. Do you realize that in Russian hockey the shot on goal is considered wasteful if you weren't sure for 99% that you'd score, or your partner had better positioning? He's getting away with it only because he's Ovie.
I wouldn't write anyone off as "post-prime" at the age of 27. The KHL is completely different and the Capitals were down in scoring across the board. I don't know if Ovechkin can re-capture his explosiveness that he once possessed, but there is still a lot of hockey in him and we've seen players dip and re-emerge before.
__________________
"It has not been a good day. I lost my glasses early this morning and I had to go buy a pair of 79 dollar reading glasses today. 79 bucks. You can literally get them at Costco, three-for-20." - Darryl Sutter's response to going up 2-0 in the series.
The difference between AO and IK making IK a better player lately is not based on pure skills but on intelligence and the understanding of hockey's evolution.
Post lockout festival is over, you can't beat a defence by yourself anymore. Any move, dangle, trick is scrutinized, analyzed and then blocked.
Ovechkin still doesn't get it.
a guy with 339 goals and 679 points doesn't get it? do you really think every goal and every point was because of his dangles and tricks?
99% players in NHL are after their prime in age of 30. Unless you Teemu or Lidstrom or St. Louis.
2/3 of players in NHL are past their prime in age of 27. Don't believe me check the stats
So Ovi is over 27 is he past his prime? Probably. Do you need to look his stats in KHL to make this statement? Hell no
lol. Counting shots in KHL is the stupidest thing ever. Do you realize that in Russian hockey the shot on goal is considered wasteful if you weren't sure for 99% that you'd score, or your partner had better positioning? He's getting away with it only because he's Ovie.
If that were actually true then the save percentages for guys in the KHL would be vastly different then they are. Turns out KHL shooter score on KHL goalies pretty much in the same range as NHL shooters score on NHL goalies.
Looks more like he imported his technique for scoring in the NHL, get in shooting position more often than anyone else in the world and unloading. Long term that will result in goals for a guy with Ovechkin's shooting abilities.
Do you realize that in Russian hockey the shot on goal is considered wasteful if you weren't sure for 99% that you'd score, or your partner had better positioning? He's getting away with it only because he's Ovie.
