Current NHL players with the best chance to catch Alex Ovechkin

Ovechkin will eventually set a record for goals that seems impossible to pass, and it’s hard to see anyone coming close to the record again. However, that shouldn’t stop anyone from wondering who might be next in line. A few players have an avenue to pass Ovechkin, yet a lot must go right, and the stars must align for even the best scorers in the game today to do it.

Auston Matthews

Of all the current star players to do it, Auston Matthews is the first who comes to mind, and understandably so. He’s an elite scorer and has been throughout his career with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He’s 27 and closing in on the 400-goal mark in his career, leaving him plenty of time to catch Ovechkin. Matthews still has a few 50 or possibly 60-goal seasons in him that will get him close to Ovechkin by the end of his career.

Matthews also has all the skills needed to continue scoring at a high level. His shot stands out and is his best skill, one that notably ages well in the NHL. On top of that, he is someone who can find the back of the net in multiple ways, whether it’s by gashing an opponent on the rush or skating to the dirty areas to finish a scoring chance.

The big thing that will work against him is his injury history. He hasn’t played a full 82-game season since his first, and he must stay healthy to come close to the record. His recent injury history is even more concerning as he hasn’t looked the same following his shoulder surgery, and it’s unclear if he’ll ever be that same dominant player, something that is a concern for his record chase but also for the Maple Leafs, who need an elite version of him to make a Cup run.

The Other Stars in Their Primes

Sidney Crosby and Steven Stamkos are at the ends of their careers and won’t catch Ovechkin. The star players in their primes might, so let’s look at which elite talents have the best chances of doing it.

Nathan MacKinnon

Nathan MacKinnon is 29 and behind Matthews on the scoring chart. It makes him an unlikely candidate to reach Ovechkin, but his peak suggests he might make up a lot of ground in the next few seasons. He scored 51 goals last season on his way to earning the Hart Trophy, and he has 126 goals in the last three seasons. There’s a good chance MacKinnon has 500 goals by his age 34 season, but the key is for him to keep up this pace.

Leon Draisaitl

The other big-name player with a good shot at reaching Ovechkin is Leon Draisaitl. He’s closing in on 400 goals, and at 29 years old, he can still put together a decade of elite scoring. The problem is that he has struggled to stay on the ice, and just like Matthews, the injuries can catch up to him and leave him short of the record.

Connor McDavid

It’s slightly surprising to see how low Connor McDavid’s goal total is. Sure, 361 is a lot, yet considering he’s the best player of this era, the expectation would be for him to be in the same range as Matthews and Draisaitl. It speaks to McDavid being more than just a goal scorer as he also creates offense and sets up other skaters (he has 711 assists at the time of this typing). It’s unlikely he will get close to the record, but don’t put it past the greatest player of this generation.

Young Rising Stars To Watch

All the superstars right now have age and mileage working against them. They’ve already started to wear down, and the injuries are starting to work against them. It’s why the best bet for a skater to pass Ovechkin might be a future star, someone who will be elite in the future and is starting to show their scoring upside.

Cole Caufield

They don’t call him “Goal Caufield” for nothing. Cole Caufield is starting to hit his stride in all facets of the game, and it’s why the Montreal Canadiens are closing in on a playoff berth. He is only 24 and has 117 goals. So, the upcoming seasons, where he’s starting to enter the prime of his career, will be telling as they can put him on track to pass Ovechkin.

The 2022-23 season, unfortunately, didn’t help his cause. He only played in 46 games as he missed the rest of the season with an injury. That setback has Caufield behind in the chase, and considering he’s a smaller skater, at 5-foot-8 and weighing 175 pounds, it’s questionable if he’ll remain healthy throughout his career.

Matvei Michkov

Matvei Michkov is the next elite winger in the NHL. He was a rookie this season, yet looked like one of the best in the league, scoring 24 goals and adding 34 assists to an otherwise struggling Philadelphia Flyers team. He only has one season under his belt, and it’s a big projection for Michkov, yet he proved he can be a difference-maker for years to come and notably be a remarkable scorer.

Macklin Celebrini

Macklin Celebrini is the next generational talent who, like Michkov, is a rookie, proving he’ll be one of the best players in the NHL. He’s still a teenager and will likely have 50 goals or more by the time he turns 20, yet there’s one big issue with Celebrini. He’s more of a playmaker than a scorer, and it’s going to prevent him from piling up the goals (just like McDavid couldn’t, and Connor Berard is struggling to do as well).

The One Name To Watch

The young names have the most upside, and the above skaters all have a path to breaking the record if they only get better from here on out. However, there’s one player with a good chance to chase down Ovechkin, and if he does, it will be 20 years from now if not more.

Wyatt Johnston

Wyatt Johnston is closing in on the 90-goal mark, and he’s only 21. Along with being one of the game’s best young scorers, he’s also one of the most overlooked players in the NHL, and his early success is flying under the radar. He’s on the Dallas Stars, which is both a small-market hockey team and has elite talent throughout the lineup with Jason Robertson, Miro Heiskanen, Thomas Harley, and Mikko Rantanen there, yet he could end up with the best career of them all. Stars general manager (GM) Jim Nill is certainly betting on it after he gave the forward a five-year extension this season (although he might need to hand out a few more of them if a record chase comes into play).

He averages 30 goals per season, and at that pace, he’ll reach 700 goals if he plays until he’s 40 years old. However, Johnston hasn’t hit his stride yet and still has his best hockey ahead of him. There are a few 50-goal seasons and possibly 60-goal seasons in store for Johnston if he continues to build off his offensive skill set.

Better yet, Johnston is poised to age well and continue scoring well into his 30s. He also has the most important skills needed to find the back of the net. Notably, he has an incredible shot and can handle the puck near the goal, while his size, at 6-foot-1 and weighing 185 pounds, makes him one of the bigger skaters on the ice. Johnston won’t get pushed around like other young and skilled players, which will not only allow him to finish scoring chances but also remain healthy as well.

Ovechkin’s record seems far away, and it’s unlikely we’ll see anyone come close to breaking it. Yet, Johnston can quietly put together multiple great seasons and, at age 30, be at the 500-goal mark. Then the chase is on!