Ovechkin's Legacy: The Biggest Loser

(photo courtesy of sbnation.com)

Over his short career, Alexander Ovechkin has seen his status slip from being the Russian answer to Sidney Crosby, to being just another "Russian enigma". Ovie saw his role change drastically in this year's playoff run in an attempt by coach Dale Hunter to get his offensively-charged lineup to play a defense-first style. Ovechkin's ice time dropped drastically as a result, but the Caps were pulling out some gritty wins. 

(photo courtesy of washingtonpost.com)

Game seven in the Big Apple was a tightly-contested match that offered Ovie the opportunity to change the narrative about his worth as a big-game player. Instead, he withered under the pressure, failing yet again to make the big play and carry his team to victory. Pressure creates gems, but it also creates rubble, and Ovechkin is running out of chances to show us what he's made of.

Radulov Makes Preds Legit

(photo courtesy of theprovince.com)

When Alexander Radulov bolted for the KHL back in 2008, it sparked massive controversy about fair and proper player movement between the two leagues. With that behind him, and after dominating rinks in his home country, he has returned a more seasoned player. This has got to be scary for the rest of the West, as the Preds were already seen by many to have been the big winners on trade deadline day. They’ve now got one of the deepest forward units in the NHL, and because they aren’t a very offensively skilled team, the addition of the crafty Radulov will be a massive boost. They’ve got defense, goaltending, coaching, and now a top-end goal scorer. Other GM’s may think it’s dirty pool, but all’s fair in love and war. This move could push Nashville into legitimate contention.