Alex Ovechkin says he's 'maybe' a top 15 player in the NHL

In advance of Wednesday's rivalry game between the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins, the NHL's leading goal-scorer was quick to praise the opposition while dropping a healthy dose of humility upon himself.

Whether Alex Ovechkin was just pumping the Penguins' tires while setting himself up as the underdog for Wednesday's game is unknown, but it's pretty clear that the Washington forward deserves to rank a bit higher on any top 15 list.

Here's a look at the top five scorers on a point-per-game basis over the past five seasons (2009-10 to 2013-14):

(via QuantHockey.com)

On top of that, Ovechkin's 185 goals in that span rank him second, behind only Stamkos (199) and well ahead of Corey Perry (154).

It's safe to say that Ovechkin, at the very least, belongs in a conversation for top five players in the NHL, and will no doubt be looking to perform as such against Crosby, Malkin & Co. on Wednesday.