Confirmed with Link: Ilya Kovalchuk Announces Retirement from NHL.

[glenwo2]

A few things:

- For all the morons who say why couldn't he do this in a couple of years, you should thank your lucky stars, he did this now instead of five years from now. For every year he plays where the amount he gets paid exceeds the cap ($11 million vs. $6.6 million), it adds to the cap recapture penalty the Devils would have suffered when he certainly would have retired when his salary dropped to $4 million.

- Why is everyone lumping the loss of Clarkson in with the loss of Parise & Kovalchuk? They are world's apart. Clarkson will never hit 30 again.

- Long-term this is a godsend for the Devils franchise. Short-term, they're dead.. Unfortunately for us Devils fans, we've never been trained to think short-term.

Well said. although you could've laid off the "morons" comment.

 

[Just Win]

For an NHL team virtually none. They can even allow years to pass off it while not paying him.

What it does do is allow the league to challenge his ability to play in the KHL and Olympics. The Devils dont' care about that, that is their right.

But that is why other teams are confused, especially teams with guys like Datsyuk, Ovechkin and Malkin that should be concerned.

Once again, I think this whole thing stinks. I really feel for Devils fans and I am not trying to rub salt in the wound. Came in to say I was surprised they didn't toll the contract with suspension and I am going to miss Kovy playing in the NHL.

Got asked to respond to why I think they should toll the contract with suspension and got lit up for it. I understand it is a rough day and I am not trying to troll or anything. Just disappointed the Devils didn't follow through and go the distance for the other league partners. But challenging it might have got him staying another year, deepening the cap-concerns and other things. It probably didn't make business sense to the Devils to do this. But don't be surprised if there is a cold shoulder from the other 29 Owners in the league, who probably wanted them to have them make this much harder on the KHL and IIHF.

Oh well not my board, best of luck. The Devils and Wings have been the best run organizations in the league for almost all of my life, they will figure something out, I am sure of that.

Why should we (especially us fans) give a **** about the other 29 teams right now? We just lost the guy that was supposed to be our main guy for a decade because he doesn't want to be here. You suffer from a total lack of empathy. Get the **** out with that **** for at least a couple of days.

 

[CerebralGenesis]

Devilpred alliance

I don't think anyone truly "knows that feel" but the GIF seemed appropriate. Really shocking; keep your heads up.

totally forgot about radulov

 

[Blackhawks26]

Hey, i personally think you guys are gonna come out stronger than ever. Yeah you lost Kovalchuck but you have a good group of guys and a smart GM. Don't start thinking about tanking. The seasons far away. Keep your heads up guys!

 

[glenwo2]

Dont even want to think about this

Elias-Zajac-Ryder
Clowe-Henrique-Someone
Zubrus-Lokti-JJ
CBGB

Someone = Brunner/Grabo/Jagr

 

[The Joker]

For an NHL team virtually none. They can even allow years to pass off it while not paying him.

What it does do is allow the league to challenge his ability to play in the KHL and Olympics. The Devils dont' care about that, that is their right.

But that is why other teams are confused, especially teams with guys like Datsyuk, Ovechkin and Malkin that should be concerned.

Once again, I think this whole thing stinks. I really feel for Devils fans and I am not trying to rub salt in the wound. Came in to say I was surprised they didn't toll the contract with suspension and I am going to miss Kovy playing in the NHL.

Got asked to respond to why I think they should toll the contract with suspension and got lit up for it. I understand it is a rough day and I am not trying to troll or anything. Just disappointed the Devils didn't follow through and go the distance for the other league partners. But challenging it might have got him staying another year, deepening the cap-concerns and other things. It probably didn't make business sense to the Devils to do this. But don't be surprised if there is a cold shoulder from the other 29 Owners in the league, who probably wanted them to have them make this much harder on the KHL and IIHF.

Oh well not my board, best of luck. The Devils and Wings have been the best run organizations in the league for almost all of my life, they will figure something out, I am sure of that.

Get the **** out of here with that crap, NO ONE cares man, NO ONE

 

[Devils Trap]

Hey, i personally think you guys are gonna come out stronger than ever. Yeah you lost Kovalchuck but you have a good group of guys and a smart GM. Don't start thinking about tanking. The seasons far away. Keep your heads up guys!

Never. We will never ever tank. Thats not what we do

 

[JerseyGuy276]

****ing Russians...ENjoy your payday you greedy Piece of ****. Thank God you never got to touch the Stanley Cup.

 

[yettyskill]

This is kinda like the Devils version of the Red Wedding, except nobody knew it coming so we don't have reaction videos to watch.

 

[RandoDoomer]

Well, at least this puts an end to the "should he play LW or RW" debate. #silverlining

 

[Emperoreddy]

I am glad guys are being respectful, but god do I wish someone would just go off on ihim.

 

[Devils Trap]

I am glad guys are being respectful, but god do I wish someone would just go off on ihim.

If he signs with another team in the NHL then dear lord I pray for his personal safety when he comes into NJ (Oh wait, no I dont, I wouldnt have a care in the world of what would happen to him)

 

[Classic Devil]

Well, at least this puts an end to the "should he play LW or RW" debate. #silverlining

That made me laugh.

 

[Sarge18]

If only he listened to his wife and signed in LA....

 

[The Devil In I]

When this first happened, I thought it was that mcbain ****** going on a twitter hacking rage fest over the earlier events.

 

[Bleedred]

So will we sign somebody? Please don't tell me we're gonna replace him with Tedenby. That worked really well with replacing Parise last year.

 

[DevilChuk*]

When the first happened, I thought it was that mcbain ****** going on a twitter hacking rage fest over the earlier events.

IT ALL MAKES SENSE.

good one mcbain

 

[AfroThunder396]

So Parise was our franchise guy.

We brought in Kovy to score points and take some pressure off Parise.

Then Parise gets hurt and have to play with just Kovy for a year, and we miss the playoffs.

Then the one and only year we have both Parise and Kovy healthy for a full season, we make it to Game 6 of the SCF.

And then Parise leaves for no reason.

So Kovy is our franchise guy.

We brought in no one to replace Parise and score points to take some pressure off Kovy.

Then Kovy gets hurt and have to play with just no one for a year, and we miss the playoffs.

And then Kovy leaves for no reason.

So no one is our franchise guy.

tl;dr - Parise's fault

 

[New Jersey]

Click on my Twitter link in my sig to view t-shirt burning.

 

[NJDevilsFan21]

Wow what the ****ing hell this can't be real life. O I jd,aslas.d.]l[
a;s,ld.>

 

[PuckHogs29]

This is kinda like the Devils version of the Red Wedding, except nobody knew it coming so we don't have reaction videos to watch.

Nailed it. Thank you. That's the last time I felt gutted like this. It sucked reading it and it didn't get any better watching it.

 

[Just Win]

****ing Russians...ENjoy your payday you greedy Piece of ****. Thank God you never got to touch the Stanley Cup.

I am pissed at that ****ing traitor like everyone here, but please don't generalise Kovy being a miserable **** on his fellow countrymen.

I don't see Malkin, Datsyuk or anyone else doing this. And neither did guys like Sarge do this. Kovy does not equal all Russians.

 

[Bawston]

I feel awful for you guys. Hang in there, Devils fans.

 

[Uli Hiemer]

If only he listened to his wife and signed in LA....

should have stayed in Russia.

 

[glenwo2]

So how long till we say good bye to Schneider?

Hopefully not for a very long time.....


Lou would do whatever it took to make sure he stays a Devil after this year. Remember that he has 2 years remaining on his current deal. So look for Lou in the next offseason to pull out all the stops in giving Cory a Massive Extension.

(at least that's what I'm hoping will happen)