Alex Ovechkin: 2020-21 season review

Hey, did you know that Alex Ovechkin does not have a contract yet for next season?

By the Numbers

Visualization by HockeyViz

About this visualization: This series of charts made by Micah Blake McCurdy of hockeyviz.com shows lots of information for the player over the season. A short description of each chart:

• Most common teammates during 5-on-5
• Ice time per game, split up by game state
• 5-on-5 adjusted shot attempts by the team (black) and opponents (red)
• 5-on-5 adjusted shooting percentage by the team (black) and opponents (red)
• Individual scoring events by the player
• 5-on-5 adjusted offensive (black) and defensive (red) zone starts

Fan Happiness Survey

About this visualization: At three times during the season (end of January, end of March, and end of May), RMNB shared an open survey with fans, asking the following question for each player:

On a scale from 1 to 5, how HAPPY are you to have this player on the team?

1 means VERY UNHAPPY TO HAVE THEM ON THE TEAM
2 means UNHAPPY
3 means NEITHER HAPPY NOR UNHAPPY
4 means HAPPY
5 means VERY HAPPY TO HAVE THEM ON THE TEAM

The numbers above show the average score for the player in each survey period.

Peter’s Take

Alex Ovechkin is technically an unrestricted free agent this summer, and yet 31 other teams are not exactly buzzing with excitement to sign him. It’s not like Ovi isn’t a superstar anymore; he is. It’s just that everyone knows he and Washington are going to come to an agreement eventually. But eventually is vague. Lemme see if I can narrow it down for you.

Yeah, it’ll come some time soon after the Seattle Kraken’s expansion draft on Wednesday July 21. Take it to the bank.

Now let’s talk about the ice. I think we can all consider 2021 a disappointing outing for Ovechkin, but I wouldn’t say that’s necessarily because he played poorly. Twenty-four goals in 45 games is more than a 40-goal pace in a full season, but we definitely didn’t get a full season from Ovechkin. First there were four games lost to COVID suspension, but later in the year Ovechkin got a lower-body injury that nagged him through the playoffs. Ovechkin also discussed a back problem, which, sure, yeah, it invites an obvious joke about him hoisting the whole team on his back, but the injury really does worry me.

Ovechkin is no spring ovenchicken. He’ll turn 36 before next season begins, and even for a machine like him durability will eventually become hard to maintain. When we discuss the Gretzky goal record, I worry less about Ovechkin’s scoring drying up and more about there just not being enough games.

Like, can you see an aging curve here?

‘Cause I can’t.

Ovi on RMNB

• Who is to blame for all of Alex Ovechkin’s lost goals?

• There’s gonna be a few non-update updates about Ovechkin’s contract here. We’re not really expecting it until after the expansion draft.
• Kuznetsov on how many goals Ovechkin would score: “I truly believe that he’s gonna get fifty.” Reader, he did not.
• In fact, Ovechkin somehow waited until the third game of the season to score?!
• Then he missed four games for COVID suspension.
• On his suspension: “Rules are rules.”
• In his first game back, Ovi scored the game-winner.
• On Super Bowl Sunday, Ovi had a four-point game. He has scored the second most goals on that day.
• When Alex Ovechkin does a good backcheck, yeah, that’s a story here on ol RMNB dot com.
• Congratulating Sid.
• The ever-growing list of goalies whose dreams Ovechkin haunts.
• Here’s the whole headline of a must-read story: Trent Frederic dropped his gloves to fight Alex Ovechkin. Ovi was like ‘lol get off the ice.’ Later, Ovi high-sticked him in the balls. Ovi was fined for it.
• Man, Ian had fun with that story. Another headline: Trent Frederic says he didn’t lose any sleep after Alex Ovechkin speared him in his Frederics
• Ovechkin tied and then passed Phil Esposito in all-time goals.
• Backstrom on Ovi’s skills: “It’s just so impressive. I think the way he shoots the puck, the way he scores, the way he plays the game is just fun to see. As a teammate, you’re just enjoying every moment.”
• Floor hockey vs the young’n
• In March, Ovi had a monster game against the Rangers with the tying and game-winning goals.
• The very next day he suffered a lower-body injury that bothered him for the rest of the season.
• Just to be safe, I think we should ask him to get rid of the trampoline.

• An even-strength goal from the Ovi Spot.
• By the end of March, Ovi recorded eleven goals in eleven games.
• Then the injury resurfaced. In early May, Ovechkin elected to play in a game against the Rangers but left after one short shift.
• Ovechkin was a hot potato after the Schultz/Samsonov goof.
• Finally, perhaps signaling his future here, Ovechkin invested in the NWSL’s Washington Spirit.

Your Turn

What’s Ovechkin’s next contract gonna be? Will he catch Gretzky, and can he stay healthy? The question to the last two will be the same.

Read more: Japers Rink