Quote:
Originally Posted by Stan Smyl
Ovechkin will be 32 in 5 years. This doesnt mean he will automatically suck, but it does increase the chances that he declines in output getting passed by the younger guys, gets injured more often based on how he plays, or isnt even in the nhl anymore!
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I left Ovechkin off my list.
I think he'll be a top 10 player for 1-2 more years... but I believe that young Oilers group is all going to explode soon and that's 3-4 players that could jump him.
Ovechkin's game/style reminds me most similarly of Pavel Bure. Goalscorers just typically seem to wear down a little faster & earlier in their careers.
Bure put up monster years through the age of 30 (2001, born in '71) and then hit the wall with NYR.
Another potentially comparable Russian player is Alexander
Mogilny.
Mogilny was pretty solid through the age of 32... but 3 of his 4 years after that were sub-PPG.
My biggest concern with Ovechkin is that he has that monster contract that pays him $10m/year through 2021 (another 8 years!). I don't know... at the age of 27, knowing you've got another 8 years of $10m coming your way... how hard is somebody going to try to stay at the top of their game. I have serious doubts about him putting up 90pts ever again.
