Confirmed with Link: Ovechkin 5x9.5m

[txpd]

If he's about that record he has to be in the 40s this year.

Right. I think he has two more Ov level seasons and the record is a lock. If he has two more Ov level seasons, how much is father time taking out of him for that period. After those 2 lets look at Ov v FatherTime again.

 

[CapsGr8]

5 years? Someone give me a reason outside of the heart to be happy about this please.

The guy has been underpaid most of his career, think of this as a way to help equal out his true worth.

Ovie will give it his all offensively (to get the record). He can easily score 30 goals playing in front of the net. We got a preview earlier in the year.

I am, however, slightly worried about his defense as he ages.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

The guy has been underpaid most of his career, think of this as a way to help equal out his true worth.

Ovie will give it his all offensively (to get the record). He can easily score 30 goals playing in front of the net. We got a preview earlier in the year.

I am, however, slightly worried about his defense as he ages.

I’m not too worried about his defense. Defending as a forward, especially as a winger is mostly about getting in lanes and directing opposing players towards the bad ice (boards, corners etc).

He’s a big dude and you don’t need to be a speed demon to be good defensively. Guys like Bergeron or Backstrom don’t fly around their own end to defend everywhere, they just direct players towards the bad ice and take the puck away.

 

[philip]

A reason? You need help to come up with one? Come on. You are acting like he is going to score 29 goals this season and 22 the season after that. There is no reason to expect any less of Ovechkin than what Ovechkin has done so far in his 30s. Would you honestly be surprised if he won the Rocket this season? If you would be, then I can't help you at all.

You have to think breaking the record is a pipedream to think its an instant bad contract

I don't think I'm acting like that! I just think 5 years for a goalscorer who is nearly 36 is at least 2 years too many. How many 39/40 year olds+ look like 9.5m players out on the ice? nevermind 41. Getting a goalscoring record would be great for Alex personally obviously, but I'm not sure we should be putting his goals above the team as a whole. With Ovechkin it's really really easy to let heart rule the head because of what he's done for us; but you have to be cold as ice when it comes to making decisions for the future of the team. I think 3 years maximum and then re-visit and re-assess after that if he's still producing at that age would have been much more sensible.

 

[Raikkonen]

I don't think I'm acting like that! I just think 5 years for a goalscorer who is nearly 36 is at least 2 years too many. How many 39/40 year olds+ look like 9.5m players out on the ice? nevermind 41. Getting a goalscoring record would be great for Alex personally obviously, but I'm not sure we should be putting his goals above the team as a whole. With Ovechkin it's really really easy to let heart rule the head because of what he's done for us; but you have to be cold as ice when it comes to making decisions for the future of the team. I think 3 years maximum and then re-visit and re-assess after that if he's still producing at that age would have been much more sensible.

How to lose friends and alienate people.

 

[philip]

How to lose friends and alienate people.

Just trying to be pragmatic!

 

[Employee427]

Even if Ovi sucks in years 4 and 5 it does not matter because if he and Backstrom suck in final years of their contracts then it is 100% we are not going to win a Cup or come even close to it and if that is the case we are going to begin the rebuild in year 4-5 and just let their contracts run out and for next 2-3 years cap hit 9.5M for Ovi is IMO solid.

 

[g00n]

LOL the only reason we have a Cup window at all is because of Ovechkin. When he goes then barring some amazing GM moves and AHL development we're going to be a team full of JAGs and 2nd Tier stars, just like we were for decades.

Plus we have no idea how Ovie will perform, but all indications suggest continued Energizer Bunny stamina since he's been declared "done" more than once and proven critics wrong.

So worrying about Ovie at 40 or 41 is pointless until there's an actual problem that causes us to lose a top tier talent that could be the next core.

 

[strungout]

Lets go!!!

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

5 years? Someone give me a reason outside of the heart to be happy about this please.

Well, you get to watch the best goal scorer to ever play the game of hockey and the best player in franchise history -- historically, currently, and in the future -- play for your favorite team for another half decade. During that time they'll hopefully compete for another Cup and barring something catastrophic, you'll get to watch him raise the ranks of all-time goal scorers and potentially break a record the sport long considered unbreakable. By the time this contract we'll have gotten to watch him do things other athletes couldn't ever hope to do for over two decades (21 seasons).

I guess letting him walk so we could "bank the cap space," shutting the door on the best era in franchise history unnecessarily, and hoping that we ever again draft someone who is even a fraction of the player Ovi is would be a close second in terms of options they could have pursued but this one seems better I think.

 

[philip]

LOL the only reason we have a Cup window at all is because of Ovechkin. When he goes then barring some amazing GM moves and AHL development we're going to be a team full of JAGs and 2nd Tier stars, just like we were for decades.

Plus we have no idea how Ovie will perform, but all indications suggest continued Energizer Bunny stamina since he's been declared "done" more than once and proven critics wrong.

So worrying about Ovie at 40 or 41 is pointless until there's an actual problem that causes us to lose a top tier talent that could be the next core.

Yeah I think most of our core is getting towards being on the wrong side of 'ageing' and we should be looking to the future. Where we go from here, you know. (EDIT: I should say though, I never meant 'lets get rid and start again', I just meant let's be a bit smarter and base the longevity of the contract on his continued production, rather than 'hoping' he still looks like a 9.5m player at 40!). But I'm probably saying that as a Caps fan who has only ever KNOWN the Ovi era. Competing. Playoffs every year mostly a given. I am aware though that the Caps franchise was very 'meh' before Ovechkin was drafted so perhaps I am being a bit eager in planning for the next stage quite yet!

I don't know if I've ever seen a player around the 40+ mark still playing and still a king, but the 'what else do we do though?' does make some sense now you say it.

 

[txpd]

Just trying to be pragmatic!

Pragmatic?
1. A 3 year contract was not an option. He wants to play til he's 40(36, 37, 38, 39, 40). He negotiates his own contracts and is not going to do it more than once. He has said that he wishes he had signed a longer contract when he signed his last deal. They effectively just extended his 13 year deal for 5 more years. He has never underperformed his contract.
2. He has won 3 of the last 4 goal scoring titles and was a contender for it this past weird season.
3. He is making the same dollar as Mark Stone and Jamie Benn. He is making less than Jack Eichel and Anze Kopitar. You honestly think that 39 year old Ovechkin can't produce what those guys are doing now?
4. Lastly, do you have any concept of how much money Alex Ovechkin is going to make for the Capitals and for the league in that last season? Pragmatically speaking.

 

[txpd]

I guess letting him walk so we could "bank the cap space," shutting the door on the best era in franchise history unnecessarily, and hoping that we ever again draft someone who is even a fraction of the player Ovi is would be a close second in terms of options they could have pursued but this one seems better I think.

Pragmatically speaking the customers would love that.

 

[philip]

Pragmatic?
1. A 3 year contract was not an option. He wants to play til he's 40(36, 37, 38, 39, 40). He negotiates his own contracts and is not going to do it more than once. He has said that he wishes he had signed a longer contract when he signed his last deal. They effectively just extended his 13 year deal for 5 more years. He has never underperformed his contract.
2. He has won 3 of the last 4 goal scoring titles and was a contender for it this past weird season.
3. He is making the same dollar as Mark Stone and Jamie Benn. He is making less than Jack Eichel and Anze Kopitar. You honestly think that 39 year old Ovechkin can't produce what those guys are doing now?
4. Lastly, do you have any concept of how much money Alex Ovechkin is going to make for the Capitals and for the league in that last season? Pragmatically speaking.

There's no need to be horrible about it. I've explained what I meant and made another post which you seem to have ignored. You do you I guess but I don't need Ovechkins history mansplained to me, thank you very much. I can't remember the last time I saw a 39/40 year old still play like a legit star, if Alex still is at 38 then great have an extra year or two, that's literally all I said. I never said to bin the guy. Be better

 

[txpd]

There's no need to be horrible about it. I've explained what I meant and made another post which you seem to have ignored. You do you I guess but I don't need Ovechkins history mansplained to me, thank you very much. I can't remember the last time I saw a 39/40 year old still play like a legit star, if Alex still is at 38 then great have an extra year or two, that's literally all I said. I never said to bin the guy. Be better

Horrible?

You asked for one reason. I gave you 4. No attitude.

 

[John Price]

https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1ypJdgdPNqLGW

 

[John Price]

the above link is special joe b and locker coverage with ovechkin

I miss Joe B and Locker. Why did Caps get eliminated so early

 

[tenken00]

https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1ypJdgdPNqLGW

Ovie's live virtual press conference

 

[tenken00]

 

[Hi ImHFNYR]

"I needed to sign for 5 so I could play long enough to catch gretzky"

I guess no one told ovie he could sign a 2 or 3 year deal and then just sign another one when it's over.

(Thought this was the main board when I clicked) I don't think that's some awful comment worth deleting tho. Just a tongue in cheek bit of sarcasm

 

[OV Rocks]

"I needed to sign for 5 so I could play long enough to catch gretzky"

I guess no one told ovie he could sign a 2 or 3 year deal and then just sign another one when it's over.

(Thought this was the main board when I clicked) I don't think that's some awful comment worth deleting tho. Just a tongue in cheek bit of sarcasm

Haha they don't teach math when getting you PHD, but I don't care, Ovi for 5 more years is way better in my heart than Ovi for 2 more years

 

[g00n]

"I needed to sign for 5 so I could play long enough to catch gretzky"

I guess no one told ovie he could sign a 2 or 3 year deal and then just sign another one when it's over.

(Thought this was the main board when I clicked) I don't think that's some awful comment worth deleting tho. Just a tongue in cheek bit of sarcasm

Yeah really funny.

Why would he sign for 2-3 years when they're willing to give him 5? They probably would've given him 6 if he asked. If he's within reach of the record at the end of 5 he may opt for another year, imo.

 

[Hi ImHFNYR]

Yeah really funny.

It's not the Laugh Factory and I think you missed the point.

Relax a little!

 

[Hi ImHFNYR]

Haha they don't teach math when getting you PHD, but I don't care, Ovi for 5 more years is way better in my heart than Ovi for 2 more years

We did the same for hank and it was PAINFUL the last 2 years we had him. It'd suck if the end of ovies career he's only talked about as one of the worst contracts in the league. It's just so damn near impossible to play as long as he has. A two year deal would have made it so if he drops off a bit then he could still get another 2 or 3 years, just at a lower AAV.

The man's a legend and a physical freak so I'm all in on him keeping up his ability and breaking the record. Hope it works that way

 

[Hivemind]

I don't think anyone arguing caution against the 5 year deal wants Ovechkin to play less than five years or wants him to change to a different team. I don't want it to happen. I don't expect it to happen. I pray that it won't happen. But we're coming off a reality in which Zdeno Chara just played a season for the Capitals and it took an act of god to stop Henrik Lundqvist from playing for the Capitals. Patrick Marleau spent time in Toronto, and Thornton is there now. Daniel Alfredsson had that season in Detroit and Mats Sundin in Vancouver. I don't want to ever see Ovechkin in another NHL team's jersey, but it wouldn't be unprecedented.

It comes down to where you see the franchise's priorities in 4 or 5 years. Is it chasing 894? Or is it chasing another Cup? For those who still hope for the "both" answer, a shorter deal with subsequent (presumably cheaper) extensions may have been the best answer. That's why you see some people thinking that 5 years is too long. If the franchise is hellbent on another Cup, the 5 year deal could even jeopardize the odds that Ovechkin remains a Capital. I doubt the franchise will go that route, but I can understand the logic of those who fear it. I suspect the last few years of Ovie's contract will be all about the 894 circus.