If you are Alexander Ovechkin do you have any incentive to say in Washington after this year?

Question

The teams has shown no signs of truly trying to build around him and make that team a future cup contender.

If you are Alexander Ovechkin what would the Caps have to do to convince you to stay or would you move on?

Poti and Nylander are so-so players with some potential in the right system. They are not impact players that can help Ovechkin and the Caps cup conteneders.

Answer 1

I'm not sure if money will be his main incentive. He will make at least 8mil per season for the next however many years and sponsorship on top of that, so if I were him I really wouldn't care if the Caps offered me a bit more, I would go for the team that has a shot of winning the cup, and a team in a hockey city. I saw the Caps-Sabres game last night- there was an announced crowd of 11,000. I would say a thousand or so less than that were actually at the game(and on top of that the team loyalty was about 50-50).

So what I'm saying, is when a salary gets into that range(8 million +), I would be less concerned with my salary and more concerned about the city and the chances of winning the cup. So if I were him, I wouldn't sign a contract. I would wait for another team to give me an offer sheet and hope the caps don't match it.

Answer 2

Leonsis is like Dan Snyder(owner of the Skins). He will pay what is needed to get what he wants. Hanlon is gone. GMGM will be gone before x-mas, I am almost sure. I also agree with Loblaw there. They have been trying to build around him. Ovechkin will be in DC and DC will be a contender finishing out this season and will be FO SHIZZLE be a MAJOR contender in the next 3 years. You have to understand about the DC market also. They are not selling out games because it is still football season. I used to live in DC. I went to MANY Caps games. After football you are looking at better than 85% capacity during the first part of the week and sell outs at the end of the week and weekends. It has been that way forever. Unlike other teams that are losing money or that are in dire straits the Caps are not. They still turn profits every season. Also do not discount the fact that Ovechkin and Malkin are the best of friends off the ice and in the off season. If rumours hold true of an impending fire sale in Pittsburgh , I do not see it to far fetched for Malkin to be a cap. The Caps got rid of Sutherby for a reason.

Answer 3

If I am Alexander Olvechkin I am going where the $$$$$ is!! I put fans in the seats. Without me the Caps would be close to nothing! Look how bad we are with me on the roster. Imagine this team without Alexander. They would be lucky to win a game. For the sake of the Washington franchise lets hope they resign him to a long term deal. Hopefully they can take some young guys that come cheap and build the team around him that way. You cant say the Caps organization did not try to put good players around him because that is exactly what they tried to do in the offseason by signing Poti and Nylander (who embarrassed himself last night missing an empty net vs Buffalo).

Answer 4

League rules are enough incentive to keep Ovechkin in Washington until he's at least 25 (Leonsis has already said he'll match any offer up to 20% of the salary cap).

As for showing no signs...........anybody who knows anything about hockey considers the signings of Poti, Nylander, and Kozlov as doing something to try and build around the guy, especially as McPhee asked Ovechkin who he wanted. Drafting Alzner was another positive move. The problem was that Hanlon didn't know how to put the pieces together. So, now we need to wait and see how the team responds to Boudreau, and how Boudreau deals with these players.

Answer 5

I disagree with the notion that the team has shown no signs of trying to build around him.......somewhat, they brought in Nylander and Poti for close to 10 million between them but (the somewhat part) they still have 14 million of cap space.
Also, although Hanlon did not appear to be much of a coach, Ovechkin really liked him.
As for Ovechkin jumping ship after this year, not an option.......Washington can match any offer that comes his way, and they will if it even goes that far. He has to wait until he becomes a UFA to leave which would be when he is 27.

Answer 6

well he is still a RFA after this season so he will be stuck in Washington for as long he gets signed for. just like Vanek who was a RFA who did sign an offer sheet from Edmonton but Buffalo matched the offer sheet to keep him so say LA offered him say 10 mill a year for 5 years and Washington matches that offer then he is stuck in Washington for at least 5 more years unless he desides to go home but i dont think he will $$$$$ is a big factor and i dont think that if he gets that much $$$$$ he wont care where he is playing, yes i am sure he wants to win the cup eventually but he is still young and he knows that he still has plenty of time lets just home that a team doesnt offer him a contract for like 10 years or so and that Washington matches it because then i think he will go home to Russia especially if he feels that he will never win the cup in Washington

Answer 7

When he's a UFA he will leave Washington, not in a blaze of glory but sneaking out in the middle of the night. He will head to where the $$$$ is big and the attention will stroke his ego. This guy is sooo much like Jagr in that way it's unbelievable. He'll be a Ranger or a King depending on who has the most cap room. Caps fans he's going to break your heart just like the cute little girl in grade six did. Sorry, it's the nature of the beast.

Answer 8

It's all about the money. If the team who wins the stanley cup offers him 12 mill over 4 yrs but the Caps offer him 15 mill over 4 trust me he'll stay. Also i think his contract isn't up till the end of next season.

Answer 9

FREE OVECHKIN!:
http://picsorban.com/upload/freeovechkincy.jpg

Answer 10

If Ovechkin is worth all the hype, he should be able to carry this mediocre team on his shoulders and at the very least make the playoffs.