Barry Trotz: Ovechkin Is Extremely Coachable, Apparently

Oct 11, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) celebrates a goal against the Boston Bruins during the first period at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 11, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) celebrates a goal against the Boston Bruins during the first period at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Alex Ovechkin is apparently extremely coachable, which could mean bad things for every other team

For the past couple of years, the Washington Capitals have been considered non-threats in the Eastern Conference- not for weaker players, but for one of their strongest.

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Alex Ovechkin has long been one of the most controversial players in the NHL. He’s without a doubt one of the greatest players on the ice today, with incredible scoring ability and an absolute ruthlessness that many players do not possess- either one or the other, let alone both attributes.

Ovechkin’s biggest criticism has nothing to do with his play ability, though. Rather, it has to do with his cooperation on the ice- he’s ruthless but uncaring, willing to score but not defend, and in-your-face confrontational to the point of being a bad sport. He had one of the worst +/- ratings in the league over the course of the 2013-2014 season, despite being one of the top scorers in the NHL, and seemed extremely unwilling to change his style of play.

The Capitals have ushered in new head coach Barry Trotz, though, who seems to have no issues meeting Ovechkin in the middle. In a recent article on NHL Pro Hockey Talk, Trotz ‘raved’ about how coachable the captain is, claiming that “all of the things that have been said about him are the complete opposite”.

Should this be the case, the league- particularly the Eastern Conference- should be extremely worried. This is apparently no longer a thing-

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