NHL: Washington Capitals at New York Rangers - Source: Imagn — Mar 5, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) celebrates after scoring a goal in the third period against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. (Credit: IMAGN)

NHL analyst makes bold prediction on Alex Ovechkin's next goal milestone amidst his hunt for Wayne Gretzky's all-time record

Modified Mar 07, 2025 15:04 GMT

NHL insider Mike Rupp gave his take on Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin’s chase of Wayne Gretzky’s record. Ovechkin is only 10 short of breaking “The Great One’s” total tally of NHL goals.

Speaking during his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Rupp praised Ovechkin’s durability.

“If he wants to, I think this guy (Ovechkin) can get 1,000 goals, and if you look at it, it's only like three more years of playing the game,” Rupp said.

He talked about the Washington Capitals, which is firing on all cylinders in the league. Rupp, a former Stanley Cup winner, said that the excellent performances of the team took a lot of pressure off Ovechkin’s shoulders.

“The Washington Capitals like this a good squad," Rupp said. "They got young guys on their team. They've got this Conor McMichael, Dylan Strome still age appropriate. They've got Aliaksei Protas. They're loaded, like they're not going away anytime soon.

“So I guess the big thing is it's not like the team relies on Ovie. He doesn't carry that on his shoulders from a night-to-night basis. He just goes there to have fun. Go to his little office, back scratcher. Bang! Pounds some pucks in. Next thing you know, they're winning hockey games regardless of Ovi scoring or not.”

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Ovechkin, nicknamed the “Great 8”, currently has 885 NHL goals, nine less than Gretzky’s 894. Analysts believe the 39-year-old Russian is likely to overhaul that number within the remaining 20 games left for the Capitals this season.

Capitals riding Alex Ovechkin’s pursuit of Wayne Gretzky's record to the top of the NHL

The Capitals are currently joint first in the NHL and are strong contenders to win the President’s Cup. They look like the team to beat in the playoffs.

In Wednesday’s game against the New York Rangers, Ovechkin scored the tying goal in the third period to take the game into overtime. Capitals right winger Tom Wilson then put the pack in the net in overtime to seal the 3-2 win.

After the game, Capitals coach Spencer Carbery spoke about Ovechkin nearing the record.

"Ten more," Carbery said via NHL.com. "We got this."

Ovechkin has 32 goals in 46 games this season, for a goal per game rate of 0.70. According to predictions, he will overtake Gretzky in the first week of April.

About the author

Tushaar Kuthiala is an NHL journalist at Sportskeeda with over a decade of experience in the field. Tushaar was an avid ice skater in his childhood and his love of competitive sports and background in writing led him to sports journalism.

Tushaar doesn't have a favorite NHL team as such, which allows him to watch and write from a truly neutral perspective. If he had to pick, Tushaar most enjoys watching the Boston Bruins and Edmonton Oilers.

Wayne Gretsky, Bobby Orr and Alexander Ovechkin are Tushaar's favorite players of all time. Their highlights reels, stats and accolades speak for themselves.

When not working, Tushaar writes fiction and reads books and manga.

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