Alex Ovechkin is already the 33rd greatest goal scorer in NHL history. The Russian machine has 525 career goals, and, at 30 years old, was the fifth fastest player to reach the 500-goal plateau.
Ovechkin is scoring, however, in a time period where goals are even harder to come by than usual. On Sunday, Hockey Reference tweeted that Ovechkin’s 601 career adjusted goals puts him in the top 20 all time.
Alex Ovechkin is already in the Top 20 for career Adjusted Goals https://t.co/X5sBS92CDp
— Hockey Reference (@hockey_ref) September 4, 2016
As The Globe’s James Mirtle points out, it’s within the realm of possibility that Ovechkin ends up being the greatest goal scorer of all time.
[adinserter name=”nation-ad”]Plausible he'll wind up first if he stays healthy. https://t.co/BGiKzTF8EW
— James Mirtle (@mirtle) September 4, 2016
It’s a topic we’ve written about in the past
several times too. The lesson: Never take Ovi for granted, because we will likely never have another player like him ever again.
Here’s the adjusted goals top 100 via Hockey reference:
| Rank | Player | Years | G/A |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Gordie Howe* | 1946-80 | 925 |
| 2. | Jaromir Jagr | 1990-16 | 822 |
| 3. | Wayne Gretzky* | 1979-99 | 758 |
| 4. | Teemu Selanne | 1992-14 | 741 |
| 5. | Brett Hull* | 1986-06 | 738 |
| 6. | Jarome Iginla | 1996-16 | 690 |
| 7. | Brendan Shanahan* | 1987-09 | 672 |
| 8. | Phil Esposito* | 1963-81 | 671 |
| 9. | Maurice Richard* | 1942-60 | 653 |
| 10. | Luc Robitaille* | 1986-06 | 652 |
| 11. | Steve Yzerman* | 1983-06 | 644 |
| Bobby Hull* | 1957-80 | 644 | |
| 13. | Joe Sakic* | 1988-09 | 643 |
| 14. | Mark Messier* | 1979-04 | 628 |
| 15. | Mario Lemieux* | 1984-06 | 616 |
| 16. | Marcel Dionne* | 1971-89 | 610 |
| 17. | Mike Gartner* | 1979-98 | 609 |
| 18. | Dave Andreychuk | 1982-06 | 605 |
| 19. | Alex Ovechkin | 2005-16 | 601 |
| 20. | Mats Sundin* | 1990-09 | 599 |
| 21. | Mark Recchi | 1988-11 | 590 |
| 22. | Nels Stewart* | 1925-40 | 587 |
| 23. | Keith Tkachuk | 1991-10 | 584 |
| 24. | Mike Modano* | 1989-11 | 578 |
| 25. | Jean Beliveau* | 1950-71 | 575 |
| 26. | Marian Hossa | 1997-16 | 565 |
| 27. | Joe Nieuwendyk* | 1986-07 | 560 |
| 28. | John Bucyk* | 1955-78 | 557 |
| 29. | Frank Mahovlich* | 1956-74 | 550 |
| 30. | Peter Bondra | 1990-07 | 549 |
| 31. | Patrick Marleau | 1997-16 | 544 |
| 32. | Stan Mikita* | 1958-80 | 541 |
| 33. | Dino Ciccarelli* | 1980-99 | 530 |
| 34. | Ron Francis* | 1981-04 | 518 |
| 35. | Pierre Turgeon | 1987-07 | 517 |
| Norm Ullman* | 1955-75 | 517 | |
| 37. | Jeremy Roenick | 1988-09 | 514 |
| 38. | Sergei Fedorov* | 1990-09 | 508 |
| 39. | Jari Kurri* | 1980-98 | 503 |
| 40. | Alex Delvecchio* | 1950-74 | 501 |
| Howie Morenz* | 1923-37 | 501 | |
| 42. | Daniel Alfredsson | 1995-14 | 492 |
| 43. | Aurele Joliat* | 1922-38 | 489 |
| 44. | Pat Verbeek | 1982-02 | 487 |
| 45. | Guy Lafleur* | 1971-91 | 480 |
| Alexander Mogilny | 1989-06 | 480 | |
| 47. | Vincent Lecavalier | 1998-16 | 471 |
| 48. | Theoren Fleury | 1988-03 | 468 |
| Alex Kovalev | 1992-13 | 468 | |
| 50. | Bill Guerin | 1991-10 | 467 |
| 51. | Ilya Kovalchuk | 2001-13 | 466 |
| 52. | Ted Lindsay* | 1944-65 | 465 |
| 53. | Bernie Geoffrion* | 1950-68 | 464 |
| Patrik Elias | 1995-16 | 464 | |
| 55. | Pavel Bure* | 1991-03 | 463 |
| Rod Brind’Amour | 1989-10 | 463 | |
| 57. | Mike Bossy* | 1977-87 | 461 |
| 58. | Owen Nolan | 1990-10 | 458 |
| Jean Ratelle* | 1960-81 | 458 | |
| 60. | Jason Arnott | 1993-12 | 456 |
| 61. | Rick Nash | 2002-16 | 450 |
| 62. | Shane Doan | 1995-16 | 448 |
| 63. | John LeClair | 1990-07 | 447 |
| 64. | Paul Kariya | 1994-10 | 445 |
| Martin St. Louis | 1998-15 | 445 | |
| 66. | Tony Amonte | 1991-07 | 443 |
| Michel Goulet* | 1979-94 | 443 | |
| 68. | Marian Gaborik | 2000-16 | 438 |
| 69. | Dale Hawerchuk* | 1981-97 | 435 |
| Ray Whitney | 1991-14 | 435 | |
| 71. | Gilbert Perreault* | 1970-87 | 434 |
| Markus Naslund | 1993-09 | 434 | |
| 73. | Joe Mullen* | 1981-97 | 432 |
| 74. | Bryan Trottier* | 1975-94 | 428 |
| 75. | Gary Roberts | 1986-09 | 426 |
| 76. | Dean Prentice | 1952-74 | 424 |
| 77. | Brian Bellows | 1982-99 | 423 |
| 78. | Bill Cook* | 1926-37 | 422 |
| Vincent Damphousse | 1986-04 | 422 | |
| 80. | Ryan Smyth | 1994-14 | 420 |
| 81. | Joe Thornton | 1997-16 | 419 |
| 82. | Milan Hejduk | 1998-13 | 418 |
| 83. | Bernie Nicholls | 1981-99 | 417 |
| Rick Tocchet | 1984-02 | 417 | |
| 85. | Dany Heatley | 2001-15 | 415 |
| Glenn Anderson* | 1980-96 | 415 | |
| 87. | Doug Gilmour* | 1983-03 | 414 |
| Pat LaFontaine* | 1983-98 | 414 | |
| 89. | Lanny McDonald* | 1973-89 | 412 |
| 90. | Yvan Cournoyer* | 1963-79 | 410 |
| 91. | Darryl Sittler* | 1970-85 | 409 |
| 92. | Steve Thomas | 1984-04 | 406 |
| 93. | Eric Lindros* | 1992-07 | 404 |
| 94. | Stephane Richer | 1984-02 | 402 |
| 95. | Daniel Sedin | 2000-16 | 401 |
| 96. | Miroslav Satan | 1995-10 | 398 |
| Denis Savard* | 1980-97 | 398 | |
| 98. | Rod Gilbert* | 1960-78 | 396 |
| 99. | Ray Ferraro | 1984-02 | 395 |
| 100. | Andy Bathgate* | 1952-71 | 394 |
