GDT: G3: Caps @ Senators - 7:00pm

[StrikingDistance]

Ovi has barely played real hockey for several months, given the time he missed before the regular season ended. I don’t find it surprising he needs a little longer to get going this year.

That said, he doesn’t look like himself, to the point I wonder if there’s something lingering that they don’t want to go public with?

Probably back issues after carrying this team for 17 years.

Not worried about Ovi. One variable not mentioned yet: As he approaches 40, the unhealthy diet is accumulative and your metabolism starts slowing down. All those chicken parms add up. As he gets older, he's going to need to make dietary adjustments to compete. Of course, he's a freak, so maybe this is just a temporary negative dip in a 17 year career...too early to tell.

 

[kicksavedave]

The ”trade him“ talks are the real height of pathetic-ness.

I doubt he‘s just suddenly fallen off a cliff physically now.

I would not trade Ovi just as part of a rebuild and send him to some team struggling to make the playoffs, he's not just some "asset". But if he wanted to go someplace competitive, a legit Cup contender, if he asked, I'd honor his wishes without a second hesitation. So "trade talk" is very conditional.

Father time is undefeated though, and its totally a fair question to ask if this is age finally catching up with him, or if this is just a temporary slump/slow start. I tend to think its a mix and not an absolute binary selection. His slumps will get longer and "slumpier", and his peaks will be lower, with each passing month. This is factually inevitable. But he'll get a bunch of goals this year, barring injury, knock on wood.

 

[zappa4ever]

get a grip children
we're 3 gms in
it wasn't over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

None of this talk is about the Senators game so… locked.