Martin Brodeur has been able to remain relevant because he has adopted his style to suit the ever-changing NHL. I would argue many pure butterfly goalies won't be able to have long careers because of the excess strain on their knees and hips.
My point about elite players that want to remain elite still stands. If Ovie isn't going into the dirty areas anymore, he is choosing not to stay elite. Martin St. Louis is 37 and is in the top 10 in league scoring right now. I know Jagr left the NHL for a few seasons, but even at 40, last year he managed to put up over 50 points.
If Ovechkin wanted to find a way to still be an elite player, he would.
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