What was Kovy's 2 way game like before leaving?

[MR4]

hi, i'm curious to find out what Kovy's game was like at the tail end of his NHL career before he left. Maybe false info but I think I've read posts that said he was a 2 way beast when with NJ

What changes did Kovy make in his game in NJ compared to his ATL days? And can you give a general description of his game?

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[Ripshot 43]

FYI, your post will be received with hate.

In short, Kovy learned how to be defensively responsible in his short time with the Devils. In no way was he a beast but he was no longer allowed to be a neutral zone floater.

 

[MR4]

FYI, your post will be received with hate.

In short, Kovy learned how to be defensively responsible in his short time with the Devils. In no way was he a beast but he was no longer allowed to be a neutral zone floater.

Yea he did pull a huge dick move leaving like that so it's probably opening old wounds but it doesn't mean he won't be one of the hugest signings this offseason so just trying to get a read on him, thank you for the description

 

[Ripshot 43]

Yea he did pull a huge dick move leaving like that so it's probably opening old wounds but it doesn't mean he won't be one of the hugest signings this offseason so just trying to get a read on him, thank you for the description

I still stand by that it hurt us short term but tremendously helped us to get out of the last 5-6 years of that contract. Playing nhl teams over these past 4 whatever years would’ve killed Kovys back even more.

He was even killing penalties for us after a little while with our team and was very dangerous on the PK.

 

[Wingman77]

As touched on by Ripshot, he was much improved from where he was earlier in his career - large in part thanks to Lemaire and further to a combo of DeBoer and him buying into DeBoer. He actually had gone to Lemaire asking him to help him work on his defensive game and to give him PK time to work on which Lemaire gradually did.

 

[Devils731]

His defensive play was ok. He learned that an attacking defense can lead to offensive chances.

 

[MartyOwns]

Yea he did pull a huge dick move leaving like that so it's probably opening old wounds but it doesn't mean he won't be one of the hugest signings this offseason so just trying to get a read on him, thank you for the description

i’d like to think most of us are over it

 

[devilsblood]

His defensive play was ok. He learned that an attacking defense can lead to offensive chances.

Well put. Which spoke to his effectiveness on the PK. And watching Parise Im sure helped in that regard. We were a dangerous PK for 75 games.

 

[devilsblood]

Yea he did pull a huge dick move leaving like that so it's probably opening old wounds but it doesn't mean he won't be one of the hugest signings this offseason so just trying to get a read on him, thank you for the description

Dude, he is old. He prob still has some game left, and I don't know available UFA's this year so maybe he will be one of the better one's, but there is a reason no one wanted to trade for him this past offseason.

 

[MadDevil]

Adequate is about how I'd describe his defensive play. Which was a pretty large step forward from his Atlanta days. But then that was also 5-6 years ago, so who knows what kind of player he'll be now.

 

[MR4]

Thanks for the input guys

Dude, he is old. He prob still has some game left, and I don't know available UFA's this year so maybe he will be one of the better one's, but there is a reason no one wanted to trade for him this past offseason.

He actually has a better stat line season right now than Radulov's last KHL season, he should be able to put up 1st line #'s imo

Adequate is about how I'd describe his defensive play. Which was a pretty large step forward from his Atlanta days. But then that was also 5-6 years ago, so who knows what kind of player he'll be now.

Eh ok, guess you're not signing a Kovalchuk to play defense anyways, but yeah I'd be worried that the KHL reverted him back to ATL days

 

[njdevils1982]

guy had the best two game ever…the gretzky of two way game in fact…….played both NHL and KHL

 

[Oneiro]

In talking to other fans, Devils fans exaggerated how much his two-way game progressed.

But I think on this board, the perspective on his defense was (slightly) more measured.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Kovalchuk was never even an above average defensive player. He certainly improved in that regard while in NJ, but he still wasn't anything special

He was an elite PKer because he was able to counterattack and score goals shorthanded. But that doesn't necessarily mean he was good defensively per se. A lot of people confuse the two.

 

[TheUnseenHand]

i’d like to think most of us are over it

Most of us are. The few who are not are very vocal.

Kovy was decent defensively, but a two way beast is over stating it. He started dropping back into the defensive zone instead floating around waiting for the puck up high. He wasn't great positionally, but his physical tools allowed him to make up for mediocre positioning. I can't speak to what he has done in the KHL.

 

[Billdo]

Dude, he is old. He prob still has some game left, and I don't know available UFA's this year so maybe he will be one of the better one's, but there is a reason no one wanted to trade for him this past offseason.

I’d be willing to bet it was because they weren’t willing to give what Shero wanted when he’d be free in a year, not that teams weren’t interested in him.

 

[Rhodes 81]

Honestly, NJ is in a much better spot today than we would have been if Kovy never left.

His defensive game was the same as it was his whole career, which is average when he is motivated to play it and bad when he isn't. He was mostly motivated during his time here.

He was an elite pk'er due to his speed and stick skills.

 

[Blackjack]

It's been a while, but IIRC Kovalchuk was effective at moving the puck out of the defensive zone which I think is the most important thing a winger can do defensively.

I don't think he was good at stripping pucks or blocking shots, but do you really want your elite scoring winger blocking shots? Kovy closed out games because if he got the puck on his stick he could end it immediately. He wasn't a "two way monster" or anything like that, but he was a possession monster. I don't think he was the best stickhandler in the league, but if you watch him carry the puck, it seems like its glued to his stick more than any other player I've ever seen. I don't even understand how he did that.

Watch him carrying the puck between the blue lines here.

 

[Richer's Ghost]

Defensive ratings when he got here: 2/10
Defensive rating when he left here: 6/10

Team average defensive rating the entire time he was here: 7/10

I think that sums it up.

 

[NjDevsRR]

It was delicious

 

[JimEIV]

He was never even average.

Most fans here saw a player go from a complete liability to partial liability and celebrated the uptick from retarted to just slow.

Either way he never got off the short bus.

 

[Triumph]

Where Kovalchuk never improved as a defensive player was in the angles he took in the offensive zone as F1 on the forecheck - those were always bad. In my memory, he seldom forced turnovers or pressured the puck carrier in any real way.

As a Devil, he engaged in the defensive zone (something he didn't do when he got here), but was still never all that good, and his play off the puck wasn't great in the D zone either.

These flaws in his game are why he'll almost always be a negative territorial player relative to his teammates.

 

[devilsblood]

Thanks for the input guys
He actually has a better stat line season right now than Radulov's last KHL season, he should be able to put up 1st line #'s imo

Radulov nearly doubled the point total of the next leading scorer on that team. Kovy isn't even his teams point leader. And Shipachyov had a better ppg then Kovy last year. That didn't turn out well in Vegas.

I think he'll be decent in his return to the NHL, but I'd be very surprised if he can produce at fist line level.

 

[Its a Trap]

It went 2 ways.