The 2024-25 NHL season promises to be an exciting one, with Washington Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin on the cusp of making history. At 853 goals, the 38-year-old Russian winger is just 41 goals away from surpassing Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal-scoring record of 894.
Capitals center Dylan Strome, who assisted on Ovechkin’s 801st goal back in December 2022, tying him with Gordie Howe for second on the all-time list, is confident that Ovechkin will eventually catch Gretzky. Strome expressed his optimism during an appearance on TSN 1050’s First Up, saying, “Whether it’s this year or next year, I think it’s going to happen at some point and we’re all excited and going to try to get him the puck as much as we can and help him out.”
After a slow start to the 2023-24 season, Ovechkin found his groove in the second half, scoring 23 goals in the final 36 games to help propel the Capitals into the playoffs. Strome, who assisted on 14 of Ovechkin’s 31 goals last season, praised Ovechkin’s humility and team-first mentality, noting, “He’s very appreciative of his teammates…Of course he thinks about the [all-time] record. He’s going to maybe be the greatest goal-scorer in the history of the NHL so we’re in it with him and hopefully it’s this year.”
With three Hart Memorial Trophy wins and a Stanley Cup championship under his belt, Ovechkin has consistently been a goal-scoring machine throughout his career, surpassing the 40-goal mark in 13 of his 19 seasons. Strome is confident that Ovechkin will continue his goal-scoring prowess, saying, “Everyone counted him out throughout 40 games last year and he really took off in the second half, so I’d expect a lot of the second half ‘Ovi’ that we got last year. We are all waiting for it, and we’ll be ready.”
Despite their first-round playoff exit last season, the Capitals have bolstered their lineup with key additions in Pierre-Luc Dubois, Andrew Mangiapane, Taylor Raddysh, Brandon Duhaime, Jakob Chychrun, Matt Roy, and Logan Thompson. The team looks poised to be a playoff contender once again in the competitive Metropolitan Division.
As Ovechkin embarks on his 20th NHL season, eyes from around the league will be on him as he chases Gretzky’s historic record. Will this be the year that Ovechkin etches his name in the annals of NHL history? Fans and teammates alike will be eagerly watching to see if the legendary winger can achieve hockey immortality.
