Entering the 2024-25 season, Ovechkin needed 42 goals to break Gretzky’s record of 894 career tallies. After scoring goal No. 875 on January 23, Ovechkin now needs just 20 goals to pass Gretzky for the NHL’s record.

We're tracking Ovechkin's pursuit of Gretzky's goal record and trying to determine the game in which he's most likely to break the record.

It's no small feat, and looking from the outside in, one would wonder: how does that impact a team's structure? And critics have, with some questioning if it's a distraction to the Capitals dressing room.