The reporters let out some chuckles, but Ovechkin made the comment with a straight face. Still, he has to know that McMichael and Lapierre don't even hold a candle to McDavid and Draisaitl. He's probably half-joking, but also building up his teammates and showing confidence in them. Having missed the playoffs last year and likely missing out again this year, Ovechkin knows his team aren't world beaters anymore - and he seems to be okay with that.
The 38 year old legendary forward has two more seasons left on his contract before he plans to retire, which means the clock is ticking for Ovechkin to reach Gretzky's goal record. He currently sits just 54 goals behind the record with 840 goals in his career. If he can pot just a few more this year, and then maintain an impressive 25 goal pace until 41 years old, he may actually have a shot at passing Gretzky.