Starting off his NHL career following
the 2004-05 season
lost to lockout allowed Alexander Ovechkin to hone his skills playing
for Dynamo
Moscow. While he had played there for 3 prior seasons, the extra year
of
conditioning playing among real men and not juniors, certainly had him
tuned up
for his rookie season. He ended his first season with 52 goals and 54 assists, one of the
highest rookie tallies
in recent memory. He also faced off against Sidney Crosby throughout
the year
for the lead in rookie scoring, and this is a narrative that will play
themselves
out for the rest of their careers: Who is the better player in the NHL.
As it were, it looks as Ovechkin will
be spending the
balance of his career in Washington,
as in 2008 he signed a 13 year extension worth a staggering $124
million.
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