Who wins the Rocket this year? Ovechkin or the field

psycat

Registered User
Oct 25, 2016
3,239
1,149
So Ovi won 6/7 but still it's somehow "smart" to bet on the field? Sure sooner or later(likely sooner) Ovechkin will stop contend for the Rocket but why would this be the year? I don't see any other clear cut favorites either. Matthews got injury issues, Draisaitl might be a one off with high shooting %, Laine inconsistent and so on.

I bet on Ovi.
 

TheDawnOfANewTage

Dahlin, it’ll all be fine
Dec 17, 2018
12,025
17,511
Good question OP. I'd say Ovie 50%, Matthews 25%, Laine 10%, Rest of field 15%? Somethin like that, although I might wanna bump Matthews even higher- could potentially turn it up another level on a stacked team, friggin hate to say it but that dude will get his RRs sometime- might start this year.

OR

Laine will score 62 goals in the third game of the season and then do nothing the rest of the year. Also a possibility. Seriously though, I question his ability to return to form- make it 30% Matthews 5% Laine.
 

thadd

Oil4Life
Jun 9, 2007
26,717
2,718
Canada
As much as I love my Oilers, I'd really like to see Ovechkin break #99's all time goal total, so I'm hoping Ovechkin does it again.
Well... if Ovechkin scores 60 and Drai or McDavid somehow win the Rocket, I'm totally cool with that, as well. :P
 
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Employee427

Registered User
Jan 6, 2019
99
77
In my opinion from now on he starts slowly declining in terms of goals scored and averages around 40 goals in next 5 seasons.
Wont be best undisputed best goalscorer in league anymore but part of interchangeable TOP 5 or so (guys like Matthews, Laine, McDavid etc..). Will win 1 more RR in weak season for other goalscorers and ends up with 9 Richard Trophies total.

Wont win RR next season.
 

txpd

Registered User
Jan 25, 2003
69,649
14,131
New Bern, NC
In my opinion from now on he starts slowly declining in terms of goals scored and averages around 40 goals in next 5 seasons.
Wont be best undisputed best goalscorer in league anymore but part of interchangeable TOP 5 or so (guys like Matthews, Laine, McDavid etc..). Will win 1 more RR in weak season for other goalscorers and ends up with 9 Richard Trophies total.

Wont win RR next season.

Ive seen the Ov movie and sequels enough now to believe he is declining when I see it. Everything said above could have applied to last season or the one before and didn't.

Here's the thing, what about his game last season showed any decline from the season before? You can make a case that his willingness to use his playmaking skill accelerated and that he grew his game. I think its fair to suggest that Ovechkin has never successfully brought his full range of skills to bare at the same time. As he has aged, he has adjusted and brought different skills out. The moment you have to treat his passing game with the same respect as his shooting game, his goal scoring will go back up again.

Sorry, he is going to have to prove to me he cant do it anymore.

Edit: A fully grown Tom Wilson only elevates the threat of Ovechkin.
 
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DannyGallivan

Your world frightens and confuses me
Aug 25, 2017
7,563
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Melonville
"The Field" is a boring option. Let's be specific. Laine has a lot to prove after a horrible season, and Ovechkin can't keep doing this forever. Laine is due to score over 50 goals, and Ovechkin is due for an injury. I say that Laine isn't the only person to finish ahead of Ovie too (including if Ovechkin is healthy). Colorado will score by the bushels, and MacKinnon will lead them. Look at McDavid to prove that 50 isn't out of reach for him, either.
 

bobholly39

Registered User
Mar 10, 2013
22,078
14,589
So Ovi won 6/7 but still it's somehow "smart" to bet on the field? Sure sooner or later(likely sooner) Ovechkin will stop contend for the Rocket but why would this be the year? I don't see any other clear cut favorites either. Matthews got injury issues, Draisaitl might be a one off with high shooting %, Laine inconsistent and so on.

I bet on Ovi.

There are actually a lot of very legitimate contenders for the Rocket this year.

Laine - we all know how well he scan score goals. If he kept up his November pace last season all year long he'd have 100+ in a season. Not saying that's going to happen - but with more consistency he should be able to challenge for the Rocket.

Matthews - he's healthy, as far as i know none of his injuries are expected to have lingering effects - so short of predicting an injury for him, i think in a full season he should be a strong contender for 50

MacKinnon - With how well Colorado's top line produces, i don't think it'd be shocking to see him put 50

McDavid/Drai - Same as above. Just depends which of the 2 scores more vs assists, but i could see either/or scoring 50+ under the right circumstances

Then you still have a few darkhorses such as:

Pastrnak - Boston's top line was usually seen as better than even Colorado's or Edmonton's. with health and full season, maybe he breaks out

Malkin/Crosby/Kane - You never know, one of them could decide to break out for another top goal-scoring season as they have in the past.

Stamkos - Maybe shouldn't even be in the darkhorse category. With Kucherov and if he starts scoring like he can, he could be a legitimate contender.

Tavares - He did great with Marner last year, he could also score a few more and challenge.


I obviously agree that Ovechkin is the favorite among this group - but the field as a whole is actually a very strong choice.
 
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Muikea Bulju

Registered User
Oct 11, 2018
1,140
816
It’s actually laughable if u think debrincat will win the rocket next year. He most likely never wins one.

He did hit 41 goals in his 21-year-old-season

If they start to put him with their best players, give him loads of OZ-starts, 1:50 of every powerplay, and always keep good enough playerss with him on the power play, he might win the rocket some year.

I don't think he will win the Rocket in any season with high competition, but if some year 48 goals will do it, he might do it.
 

Midnight Judges

HFBoards Sponsor
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Feb 10, 2010
13,491
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Agree smart money is on the field, and I would have probably said that any of the past 5 years (and been almost always wrong lol), but it's a testament to Ovechkin that this is even a reasonable question.
 
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StoneHands

Registered User
Feb 26, 2013
6,608
3,674
I know everyone says to always take the field in these situations but those people would have gone broke over the last 7 years.
 

Artorius Horus T

sincerety
Nov 12, 2014
19,133
11,840
Suomi/Finland
Now obviously this below is my honest opinion, you can disagree all you want and you should...
'cause we should all have are own voice and mind. Form your own opinions about things. This is mine.
- i have formed this opinion after seeing his every single goal, point, great play
all the way from from his OHL rookie season, to this day in the NHL

|

Alex DeBrincat scored the team leading 28 goals in his rookie season with absolutely atrocious minutes
and line mates as a 19 and 20 year old (1st pro year, straight from juniors).

Alex defied the sophomore jinx by scoring 13 goals more with less than 3 minutes more of avg ice time per game
as a 20 and 21 year old (2nd pro year).

Can someone find me another 20-21 year player who has ever scored 13 goals more (or 41 goals for that matter)
what in his rookie season, with just above 17 minutes of ice time per game?,...cause not sure is there anyone else.

Alex is faaaaaaaaar away from being a ready player, or a player who has peaked.
Alex is still very young raw talent, who is developing each year, he still has lots to improve his game to be complete.

DeBrincat's next season is his first full season with his OHL line mate and best friend; Dylan Strome.
Their chemistry is magical and it will only grow each season as they grow and as long as they play together and both are healthy.
On Hawks PP1 Alex gets a chance to play a first full season with Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and with his buddy Dylan Strome,
Alex scored 13 PP goals already last season...expect that to double this season.

All that should be taken into consideration when predicting who is going to win the Rocket this season.
- and all the above is the reason why i picked Alex DeBrincat to win the Rocket

PS. People are talking about his s% and how its too high and it will go down, significantly. Why should it thou?
just because everyone else's have ? BULL!. It didn't go down in the OHL (as everyone expected it to go down),
as a matter of fact, it went up each season. (as it has gone up so far in the NHL) Now NHL is a complete different animal what OHL
<duh> however.... Alex DeBrincat isn't like any other player before, all of you must of already seen this to be true,
or am i the only one who sees it????, hope not, because if not...he doesn't play hockey like others do,
Alex plays hockey like a chess player plays chess.
 

CascadiaPuck

Proud Canucks investor.
Jan 13, 2010
1,756
2,251
Vancouver
Time is undefeated, so it's probably wiser to pick "the field" (dark horse from the field: Boeser with Pettersson and Q. Hughes setting him up for a bunch). But I'm hoping Ovechkin finds a way again!
 

thadd

Oil4Life
Jun 9, 2007
26,717
2,718
Canada
The field is probably the safer bet but I'm not going to bet against Ovi.
Why would the field be a safer bet?
Healthy Liane has a legit chance this year, but it looks like he might end up missing training camp.
Point potentially missing training camp isn't going to make it any easier for anyone out of Tampa to challenge for the Rocket.
I'm never going to bet on Matthews until he stays healthy for a full season like he managed to in his rookie season. And while he doesn't play on the same line as Marner 5 on 5, having Marner missing training camp again isn't going to help his chances.
Who else stands a chance?
I previously spouted Drai and McDavid for challengers and that should be no surprise since I'm an Oil fan and I am expecting more points out of Drai this year, but I'm still not ready to pencil he or McDavid in for Rocket winner.
Ovechkin and his team are all signed, healthy and well rested considering they didn't come off of a deep playoff run. They have a few players nursing injuries, but they're all expected to be over rehab before training camp starts. I really feel the smart money in all situations points towards Ovie this year.
 

TheMule93

On a mule rides the swindler
May 26, 2015
12,466
6,512
Ontario
I go with the field pretty easily. Ovi is barely finishing ahead of his peers as of late, and at his age hes not going to be getting better unlike some of the other Richard contenders.
 

FinnJet

Just one Lainer
Jan 20, 2017
289
236
Ovi would still be my bet, but if Laine gets rid of what ever was slowing him down last season(and i don't mean Little) , he will score plenty just to prove him self. Ovi 20%, Laine 15%, Field 65%
 

Thordic

StraightOuttaConklin
Jul 12, 2006
3,013
722
Why would the field be a safer bet?

Because Ovi is one player, and the field is made up of a lot more than one player? And that field of players is younger. From a pure odds perspective, the odds that someone other than Ovi wins are better than Ovi winning. I can almost guarantee Vegas would agree with me.

But as I stated, I would still bet on Ovi because he's proven he can dominate and shows no signs of slowing down.
 

Sam Spade

Registered User
May 4, 2009
27,484
16,207
Maryland
I go with the field pretty easily. Ovi is barely finishing ahead of his peers as of late, and at his age hes not going to be getting better unlike some of the other Richard contenders.

I'll give you last season as it was a squeaker but 2018 he won by five goals, 2016 four goals, 2015 ten goals, 2014 eight goals. That's not "barely finishing ahead of his peers", that's being able to miss games and still win easily.
 

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