Could an NHL record Wayne Gretzky holds be in danger?

There is a reason why he is called "The Great One". Wayne Gretzky was above and beyond anyone else who played the game.

Fitting that the one player who could possibly beat one of his records be called the "Great 8".

Alex Ovechkin has been lighting the lamp ever since his first NHL game. He has continued to do so and will most likely continue to do so for the rest of his career. Now the question remains, does Ovechkin have what it takes to beat Gretzky's goal scoring record? John Buccigross of ESPN asked himself the same question and yes, we realize just asking that question is crazy, but let's look at it a little closer. 

Ovechkin currently has 537 goals. He is currently 31 years old. Let's say he plays till he is 40-41, which is possible. 

This season he is on pace for just under 50 goals but he is a player who tends to heat up in the second half, so let's say he scores 55. That puts him at 580 goals with we will say 10 seasons left. He would still need 315 goals to pass Wayne's 894 over those 10 seasons for an average of 31.5 (we will push it to 32) goals a season.

Now 32 goals a season doesn't seem all that much for Ovy, but who knows what will happen injury wise or if he could keep up such a pace. One thing for sure, it will be interesting to see exactly how many goals Ovechkin will finish with. Knowing the type of player and person he is, if the record is in reach, he will most likely continue playing until he does.