Is Kovalchuk back on the table this summer?

Iron Balls McGinty

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Aug 5, 2005
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Coming off the Olympics I was thinking about this last night and it is being reported again today that Kovalchuk is looking to return to the NHL this summer as a UFA. Do the CBJ take another run at him or will he sign with a big name team that the CBJ can then in turn help provide them cap relief in return for other offensive talent?
 

Theo Von

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I make be mistaken but.. I don’t recall him ever seriously being on the table for the CBJ. Link?
 

JohnnyJacket13

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I make be mistaken but.. I don’t recall him ever seriously being on the table for the CBJ. Link?

It was rumored over the summer that Jarmo had significant interest in adding him via a sign-and-trade with New Jersey.

My guess would be no, unless Kovalchuk is willing to take a 1-2 year contract
 

mikeyp24

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I make be mistaken but.. I don’t recall him ever seriously being on the table for the CBJ. Link?
I think we were one of the main teams associated with him even though GMJK laughed at the idea to the media.
 

Viqsi

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It was rumored over the summer that Jarmo had significant interest in adding him via a sign-and-trade with New Jersey.

My guess would be no, unless Kovalchuk is willing to take a 1-2 year contract
I had assumed that that had more to do with getting Henrique and Kovy just being a bonus.
 

JohnnyJacket13

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Kovalchuk is too good of a player to not make a serious play for.

What kind of contract would you offer him? I'm not denying he's a good player, I just don't think it would fiscally make sense to strap ourselves to him contractually for more than 2 years
 

CBJWerenski8

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I'd make a run at him, but if his demands are similar to what they were in the summer (7.5 mill or so for multiple years) then it's a pass. Love the player though
 

JohnnyJacket13

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FWIW

Do you foresee the Blue Jackets as a major player in the Ilya Kovalchuk sweepstakes starting July 1?

AP: I see them being interested, yes. They were interested last summer when New Jersey still held his rights and wanted to do a sign-and-trade. I think him being a UFA this summer severely lessens the chance that he comes to Columbus, but we’ll see. The Blue Jackets want more, more, more when it comes to offensive explosiveness. Perhaps Bobrovsky and Panarin can be persuasive?

The 'Ask Porty' mailbag, vol. 22: A post-trade deadline...
 

blahblah

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Nov 24, 2005
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He'll be 35 and just coming back to North American game after KHL. I wouldn't even consider it.

He'll be back in the NHL and he'll produce. It probably won't be with us and he probably won't be as expensive at what some might think. Almost no chance he's be back to scoring goals, but 25 seems quite reasonable. What's that worth, for how long, with a known flight risk? Who knows.
 

CBJ goalie

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I think it's worth the risk, depending on the price.
He's shown he still has the talent - and he's admitted the only thing left for him is the Stanley Cup, so he's driven.
 

JacketFanInFL

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All day. Instant offensive injection, which is sorely needed. Who could say no to 300+ career power play points with our traveling clown show?
 

Jyrki

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We need another Top 6 center more badly, but if the deal is right you don't turn down a player of Kovy's caliber.
 

tyhee

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He'll be back in the NHL and he'll produce. It probably won't be with us and he probably won't be as expensive at what some might think. Almost no chance he's be back to scoring goals, but 25 seems quite reasonable. What's that worth, for how long, with a known flight risk? Who knows.

This post brings up the "how long" question which in Kovalchuk's case I think has to be one year.

He's about to turn 35 so if he is signed for multiple years, it will be a dreaded age-35 contract in which in the second and subsequent years the team has to take the cap hit regardless of whether or where he's playing. So if in Year 2 of a deal Kovalchuk decided to retire from the NHL and return to Russia (sound familiar?) then the team that signed him in the NHL would still have to include his salary and bonuses in accordance with Article 50.2(c)(iv) of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Between the questions of when will he regress due to age, how good will he still be at age 35 after several years out of the NHL, and what the risk is of him retiring or fleeing once again for Russia before his contract expires, I don't think offering him a deal longer than one year makes sense, though there is likely some NHL GM out there willing to take the risks.

The risk of him bailing back to Russia or just retiring from hockey isn't so great for teams that don't usually spend to the salary cap anyway because having to account for his cap hit may still leave the team under the cap (or at least not having to make so many moves to get under it) so Columbus might be in a better position than those teams who spend to the cap on a regular basis.
 
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