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I NOW Consider Alexander Ovechkin A Hall Of Famer
by PuckStopsHere on 04/15/09 at 11:59 PM ET
Comments (17)
One question I try to answer is at what point in their careers, a player establishes himself as a Hall Of Famer. At what point does it no longer matter what he does or does not do for the rest of his career because he has done enough that he should make the Hall of Fame? This season I think Alexander Ovechkin got himself to that point.
Ovechkin is only 23 years old and most likely has the majority of his career ahead of him and yet he has already done more than most players will do in their lifetimes. In four seasons he has won the Hart Trophy once, the Art Ross Trophy once, the Richard Trophy twice, the Calder Trophy once, the Pearson Award once and he has made the First Team All Star at left wing three times. In this season the awards have not yet been presented, but he is a likely favorite for another Hart and Pearson Trophy as well as the First Team All Star. He is the most likely choice by fans as the best player in the game today. That is a Hall of Fame career in and of itself and it is probably only a portion of Ovechkin’s entire career.
Even if Ovechkin were to suddenly become a much weaker player for the rest of his career, these achievements are enough for Hall of Fame induction. It clearly would color the way he was looked at - as a great player gone awry - instead of as quite possibly the best left winger in the history of hockey.
The obvious question when adding Ovechkin to a list of Hall of Fame players is what about Sidney Crosby? They both entered the NHL together in 2005 and have been linked ever since. Crosby is clearly behind Ovechkin. Crosby has less career points scored. Crosby has significantly less career goals scored. Crosby has one less MVP calibre season (and in a couple months the word calibre will likely be dropped from that sentence). Crosby is only a one time First Team All Star and Ovechkin is a three (and soon four) timer. That makes a big difference - although part of the difference is that center is a more competitive position than left wing. In short, Sidney Crosby is about one MVP calibre season behind Ovechkin. He likely will make the Hall of Fame someday, but he hasn’t done enough to secure induction yet. Any reasonable projections of his career would suggest that point is coming in the not too distant future.
A player must be a real superstar to have had enough accomplishment to be a Hall of Famer in only four seasons and before age 24. Alexander Ovechkin is that good a player. He is well on his way to becoming one of the all time greatest players and very possibly the best left winger ever.
This leaves me with a sixteen player list of players who are active that I think belong in the Hall of Fame regardless of any future scenarios. They are:
Rob Blake
Martin Brodeur
Chris Chelios
Sergei Fedorov
Peter Forsberg
Jaromir Jagr
Nicklas Lidstrom
Mike Modano
Scott Niedermayer
Alexander Ovechkin
Chris Pronger
Mark Recchi
Joe Sakic
Teemu Selanne
Brendan Shanahan
Mats Sundin
Likely that list will shrink with some retirements this summer, but it may grow first depending upon how certain players perform in the playoffs.
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Tags: Alexander+Ovechkin,
Comments
ovechkin plays a stupid, self-centered game and it showed last night…13 sog, no goals, rangers win…crosby plays a smart, team-oriented game, and it showed last night as well…crosby is the better player. also, to be guaranteed a spot in the hall of fame, don’t you have to at least win a round in the playoffs? this is quite possibly the dumbest thing ever written about hockey.
Posted by ovechkin is overrated from pittsburgh on 04/16/09 at 12:34 PM ET
ovechkin after FOUR YEARS but no crosby? hmmm….pointless.
Posted by dan from earth on 04/16/09 at 12:44 PM ET
I’m a huge Capitals and Ovechkin fan, but even I think this is one of the dumbest things ever written about hockey. No one, not even Gretzky, was a HOF player after 4 seasons.
Posted by zamboni driver on 04/16/09 at 12:47 PM ET
hey, moron, the only reason why oveckin leads in scoring us because he has about a million more shots on net than crosby does. which player leads in assists? crosby has less overall points BECAUSE HE"S PLAYED LESS GAMES. try going by PPG AVG. all star voting is a ridiculous mess and full of fraud, etc. your argument is so biased it’s worthless. how well has OV done in the playoffs? has he made the finals?
Posted by reggie from alabama on 04/16/09 at 12:51 PM ET
This is not meant as an Ovechkin/ Crosby comparison. However it should be clear Ovechkin has done more in his time in the NHL than Crosby has - and yes one reason is playing more games.
Crosby projects to a Hall of Fame career and likely will get there. I think Ovechkin is already there. It is still early in his career, but he has won significantly more accolates than the majority of players already in the Hall of Fame and will add mroe to the list this season.
Try this one. Assuming Ovechkin makes the First Team All Star this year (which is basically a lock) that will be his fourth time at left wing in his career. A list of all left wingers with more First All Star teams ever. Bobby Hull, Ted Lindsay and Luc Robitaille. Thats the full list. That is one heck of a Hall of Fame credential. Add too it two Richard Trophies, one and likely two Harts and all the rest. He is in whenever he is done.
I would be surprised if Crosby doesn’t get there some day but someday is not today. Maybe its this season if he has a big playoff or next year.
Posted by PuckStopsHere on 04/16/09 at 01:00 PM ET
so, essentially, you’re making the distinction based on all-star voting?? for left wingers?? even if you do get voted for “left wingers” (like that’s hard) all star voting is not worth much, obviously, because it’s not controlled in any way. it’s a popularity contest based on two months worth of play. did you not see that habs fans CHEATED to get their players in and the LEAGUE KEPT THEM IN ANYWAY. saying a player in in after four years of shooting and zero cups is not saying much. here’s crosby’s awards:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidney_Crosby#NHL
wow, big deal.
Posted by reggie from alabama on 04/16/09 at 01:10 PM ET
The First Team All Star is voted for by the Professional Hockey Wirters Association at the end of the season. You are wrong to mistaken it for the All Star Game.
Of course it is a skill to shoot as often as Ovechkin does. This year he had the second most shots ever in a season. Behind only Phil Esposito in 1970/71. Ovechkin in other years ranks 3rd and 6th all time. Being able to take that many shots is quite the skill.
Although Ovechkin has little playoff success yet, I think he has accomplished enough to be a Hall of famer already. He wouldnt be the first one there with no playoff success and in all likelihood before he is done that arguement will be a pretty moot point as he will likely get some (but that would only further add to his already sufficient credentials).
Posted by PuckStopsHere on 04/16/09 at 01:21 PM ET
Since you want to bring up history. Do you know Ovechkin was the first player in almost 50 years to win a scoring title with more goals than assists, as he did last year. Once again, this year he scored more goals than had assists. It takes more skill being a team player who rewards his teammates with great setups, than shooting from any angle, from any place on the ice. Most of his assists are from shots that go ride or rebounds. Being one dimensional does not warrent being in the HOF.
Posted by Sammy from VA on 04/16/09 at 01:46 PM ET
ok, even if he did get “official” all star status that’s just really weird to choose that as something to distinguish him from crosby…it’s really just not worth that much. if you think shooting really takes that much skill then i really don’t know what to tell you. do you play hockey? do you really think crosby, Pavs or hossa couldn’t shoot 4 or 5 more times a game if they wanted to? or is it that they just don’t because it obviously isn’t worth much and their coach would instantly bench them?
Posted by reggie on 04/16/09 at 02:23 PM ET
You are absolutely insane to consider AO a HOF right now, and it is an insult to the players in the HOF to put him in their category right now. Sure, AO will get in, no question about it, but im sure im not the first to say it is A LITTLE PREMATURE. If he were in a fatal car accident today and died, I promise you he wouldnt get into the HOF… except maybe from pitty and sympathy from the wreck. Part of being a HOFer is being able to do it for extended periods and have some longevity in the NHL.
Posted by PC from Da Burgh on 04/16/09 at 05:24 PM ET
Like zamboni driver, I’m a huge Caps fan and love watching Ovechkin play. However, he has not yet made himself into a Hall of Famer. We’ll have to see what happens after 2021 when his contract is up with the Capitals. All of the things you listed show his potential for his remaining seasons in the NHL. He’s already made a name for himself, that’s for sure, and I think without a Cup, it would like a disappointment in his career. I HATE Sidney Crosby, but he’ll eventually be in the HOF, too.
Ovechkin has a better balance between goals and assists. This season he was almost dead even with 56-54 and has career totals of 219-201. If you can bull your way through a couple defensemen, who cares if you have more goals than assists?
Ovechkin’s a better player than Crosby, but both will be in the HOF.
Posted by Crosby is a DOUCHE from MD on 04/16/09 at 05:33 PM ET
I cannot believe the some of these comments being made to bash Alexander Ovechkin.
Are we drum Mike Bossy out of the Hockey Hall of Fame because he had more career goals than assists?
Shall we eject Phil Esposito because he, too, took a lot of shots at the net?
There are only two players in the history of the NHL to win the Hart Trophy and not eventually gain induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame: Defenseman Tom Anderson and goaltender Al Rollins. (Unless he has a tremendous career turnaround, Jose Theodore will likely make it a hat-trick.)
If (when) Ovechkin wins his second Hart Trophy this season, that puts him in the very select company of these two-time winners: Mark Messier, Guy Lafleur, Phil Esposito, Stan Mikita, Bobby Hull, Jean Beliveau, Bill Cowley, Nels Stewart, and Dominik Hasek. All but Hasek are in the Hockey Hall of Fame, and The Dominator will undoubtedly join them in 2011.
Only seven players—Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Eddie Shore, Mario Lemieux, Bobby Clarke, Bobby Orr and Howie Morenz—have won more Hart Trophies. Ovechkin will likely have another decade in his career to try and add to his totals (as will, for that matter, Sidney Crosby).
I think it’s fair to say at this point in their careers that Ovechkin has enjoyed more personal success (with all the scoring and silverware) while Crosby has enjoyed more team success (with a trip to the Finals). Both are special players and both are almost certainly destined to be Hockey Hall of Famers. To say so at this point is merely stating the obvious.
Oh, Zamboni Driver: You wrote “No one, not even Gretzky, was a HOF player after 4 seasons”? Growing up in Edmonton during the glory years, when Gretzky scored 50 goals in 39 games, finished the year with 92 goals and 212 points, and won his third Hart Trophy in his THIRD NHL SEASON, we had no doubt Gretzky was someday bound for the Hockey Hall of Fame…
Posted by Matthew McCallum from Redding, California on 04/16/09 at 05:43 PM ET
Tavares is a lock for the HOF too! Look at his jr stats. Really guys, really?
If you want to compare him to Gretzky, Lemieux, etc. you are a true mo-ron. The game is completely different and the “new” NHL started around 97; defense and goalies and little things like that.
Anyways, the BEST players make their team better and have good to great stats. OV is probably bottom of the top ten if I’m starting a team to win; not sell tickets. He has the easiest job in the NHL…just shoot the puck. I do agree he earns all the shots and it is amazing.
Wingers score goals. Centers play defense, handle draws, create plays, etc. so comparing him to Sid is also retarded. In the end both Sid and OV will make the HOF, but Sid will win the cup. OV will eventually pull a Hossa and have a team try to carry him to one…
Posted by thedumbestarticleever from Brookfield Place 30 Yonge Street Toronto, ON Canad on 04/16/09 at 09:59 PM ET
You commentors are complete idiots.
Ovechkin’s 200 and 200 in 4 years is something only Gretzky and Lemieux have done before, in a period of better Defense and better Goaltending.
That’s not even to mention the Trophy case he’s won himself, one of which (the Richard), Crsoby will likely never win, which means that Crosby will never duplicate Ovechkin’s 4-in-a-single-season feat of last year.
How in the world is he NOT HoF worthy right now?
Oh, and he has to get himself into position to shoot, and have the puck, and not have it deflected away or blocked by those in front of him. His shot totals are hard earned, and if most of his assists come from shots rather than passes, who cares? A goal is a goal, and he created the situation.
I’m a Caps fan, but at least I’m not blind that I can’t read a reasonable article, see its merit, and agree with it. If Crosby’s and Ovechkin’s careers were switched, and the Caps were in the finals last year instead, I’d totally agree that Crosby was HoF worthy already, having done more than most will ever do in a career.
Posted by Anonymous on 04/17/09 at 12:52 PM ET
My top ten of active players that I can see as future HOF (Goalies/D/F)
1. (G) Martin Brodeur
2. (D) Nicholas Lidstrom
3. (C) Joe Thornton
4. (LW) Alexander Ovechkin
5. (RW) Alexei Kovalev
6. (C) Evgeni Malkin
7. (C) Mike Modano
8. (RW) Teemu Selanne
9. (G) Chris Osgood
10. (D) Andrei Markov
But its only my Opinion, so dont get mad if u dont like my list, everyone is Entitled to their own opinions so those are who I think will be future Hall of Famers.
Posted by Avalanche41 on 08/19/09 at 09:46 PM ET
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Any player with more goals than assists is a selfish joke and doesn’t deserve to be in the HOF. Period. I would score that many goals if I took that many shots on net.
Watching OV try to play defense is painful. Shouldn’t that be part of a HOF’ers game?
Posted by Scott Hartnell's a Joke from Toronto on 04/16/09 at 09:26 AM ET