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Who can break Alex Ovechkin's goal record as Capitals star plays final season?

Alex Ovechkin is set to conclude his legendary NHL career after the 2026-27 season, leaving behind an unmatched legacy as the league’s all-time leading scorer with 929 goals—a record he shattered in 2024 by surpassing Wayne Gretzky’s previous mark of 894. Now 41, Ovechkin is poised to add another historic milestone this season, needing just 11 more goals to break Gretzky’s combined regular-season and playoff total of 1,016.

His durability has been a key factor, as he reached 400 career goals in 634 games and added 32 goals last year at age 40, proving age hasn’t dulled his lethal scoring touch. Yet with his final chapter underway, the question lingers: who will step forward to challenge his goal-scoring record?

Auston Matthews stands as the most likely candidate, having already matched Ovechkin’s single-season 60-goal feat twice, though injury concerns have limited his consistency in recent campaigns. Leon Draisaitl, a consistent 50-goal threat, has also emerged as a contender, though his slower ascent to 400 goals and reliance on teammate Connor McDavid’s presence could impact his long-term trajectory.

Meanwhile, younger talents like David Pastrnak and Macklin Celebrini—who exploded to 45 goals in his second season—could rise if they maintain their scoring pace and avoid setbacks. With Ovechkin’s retirement looming, the race to claim hockey’s most iconic record has officially begun, but durability and sustained production will separate the pretenders from the potential successors.

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