Around the League 2018-19 IV

[Bleedred]

jones is an .898 sv% this year, which a great win/loss. he's trashhhhhhhhh

He's been so bad this year, whenever he has one of these typical games of 3 goals on 23 shots or 3 goals on 25 shots or 4 goals on 28 shots, his save percentage on the season doesn't even drop a point anymore.

 

[Bleedred]

I'm surprised no one here is talking about the Kovalchuk stuff lately. He's been in the news.

Apparently he isn't even on the road trip with the Kings for their 3 game trip up to Calgary/Edmonton/Vancouver and is back home practicing. According to Rob Blake, it was Kovalchuk who suggested this, because it was already decided that he wouldn't play on the trip and would be a healthy scratch. The media is already speculating it is punishment for him critiquing Willie Desjardins decision to bench him publicly in the media.

I really don't think it's tin foil hat territory to suggest the crazy conspiracy that they might be trying to force him to ''Retire'' again. Not because they don't like him, but because Blake knows they're f***ed for cap space, he now thinks it was a mistake because he had competing in mind this year and now he sees the team was not competitive and by getting him to retire, that's a $6.5 million dollar cap hit gone off the books. He might figure ''Welp, he's done it before, maybe he'll do it again and retire?''.

 

[SpeakingOfTheDevils]

The latest on Kovalchuk doesn’t surprise me one bit. He’s such a loser.

There were people who really liked that deal for LA. To me, it’s damn near Lucic territory.

 

[Billdo]

Figures, Detroit wins.

 

[Bleedred]

The latest on Kovalchuk doesn’t surprise me one bit. He’s such a loser.

There were people who really liked that deal for LA. To me, it’s damn near Lucic territory.

I just now thought of something. This just came to me.

He’s a 35+ contract, so the only relief they would get in forcing him to retire is getting rid of the player. The cap hit stays another two years if he retires.

And I’m pretty sure there’s no loophole if the player agrees to mutually terminate the contract, like he did with us, the cap hit won’t go away. So they’re on the hook for the cap hit for two more years.

So maybe my conspiracy theory really does not hold water.

 

[MartyOwns]

kovy is at .52 PPG playing less than 17 minutes a night at 35 years old on a god awful team. that’s slightly better than coleman and bratt, who have similar ATOI.

full disclosure- i love the guy, so that’s my bias. but i really believe that in the right role on the right team, he comes pretty close to earning that contract.

 

[Triumph]

I just now thought of something. This just came to me.

He’s a 35+ contract, so the only relief they would get in forcing him to retire is getting rid of the player. The cap hit stays another two years if he retires.

And I’m pretty sure there’s no loophole if the player agrees to mutually terminate the contract, like he did with us, the cap hit won’t go away. So they’re on the hook for the cap hit for two more years.

So maybe my conspiracy theory really does not hold water.

They still wouldn't have to pay him if he left. Plus there's theoretical scenarios where they make him miserable enough that he wants out, but first he gets traded to e.g. Ottawa and then retires. I'm not sure if I were the other team on the other end of that deal that I would trust Kovalchuk to retire, because he's not getting that kind of money in Russia anymore.

kovy is at .52 PPG playing less than 17 minutes a night at 35 years old on a god awful team. that’s slightly better than coleman and bratt, who have similar ATOI.

full disclosure- i love the guy, so that’s my bias. but i really believe that in the right role on the right team, he comes pretty close to earning that contract.

Jesper Bratt has .65 PPG. Kovalchuk is bad now. He has to score a lot to be any good and he's not scoring. The Kings are a disaster but it can't all be them.

 

[Goptor]

I think its just Rob Blake trying to intentionally lose. We've seen it numerous times where an inexperienced GM justifies long rebuilds mostly so that they have time to learn their job before ownership gets suspicious. In this case Blake hires Desjardins based off his past failures just so he can go to the owner and say "The team I inherited is awful. Its going to take atleast 5 years before we're competitive again."

Their mid-season deals also support this theory. If the Kings had any intention of winning next year they would have been keeping guys that are still good like Muzzin and dumping the dead weight.

Kovalchuk is probably better than he's shown this year - same with Kopitar, Doughty, Toffoli, and likely Carter too. They are just stuck on a team dead set on losing....
Its the only thing that reasonably explains why every single player on that team is having one of their worst career years at the same time.

 

[MartyOwns]

Carpenter Agrees To Two-Year, Entry-Level Contract

 

[Nubmer6]

They still wouldn't have to pay him if he left. Plus there's theoretical scenarios where they make him miserable enough that he wants out, but first he gets traded to e.g. Ottawa and then retires.

I vaguely remember some ridiculous part of the "over35" rules where if the player gets traded then retires, the ORIGINAL team (i.e. LA) takes the cap hit (or at least part of it).

Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Brodeur]

Reports that Adam Fox will be returning to Harvard for his senior year. That trade looks that much better for Calgary. Tough spot for Carolina.

 

[SETHROLLINS]

If Kovy is willing to waive his NTC and LA retains 50% on the contract I'm sure teams will offer up a mid round draft pick for the guy.

 

[Tao Jersey Jones]

 

[Nubmer6]

They really teach 'em young in Philly...



Today Gritty, tomorrow Santa.

 

[JrFischer54]

for the draft lotto will ottawa have a rep there or the av's?

 

[JrFischer54]

kovy is at .52 PPG playing less than 17 minutes a night at 35 years old on a god awful team. that’s slightly better than coleman and bratt, who have similar ATOI.

full disclosure- i love the guy, so that’s my bias. but i really believe that in the right role on the right team, he comes pretty close to earning that contract.

heck for not being in the nhl for those years and like you said being on that crap team and crappier situation he would've put up 25 goals this year. i think if he landed on a playoff team he would've gone balls to the wall crazy to try and win a cup. I think if he does win a cup he would retire the next day. were other teams really not that interested in him this summer i dont remember? i know he wanted to also get paid so that probably limited teams i don't blame him there but i do blame him for taking the years with the kings what was he thinking? he should've signed a 1 year "show me" deal and this summer? teams would've been trying to land him. hell he would've been dealt at the deadline a few weeks ago on a one year deal

 

[Satans Hockey]

for the draft lotto will ottawa have a rep there or the av's?

It's gotta be Colorado, that would be so meme worthy and awkward if they have an Ottawa rep standing there winning the #1 pick when they can't even use it haha

 

[Bleedred]

heck for not being in the nhl for those years and like you said being on that crap team and crappier situation he would've put up 25 goals this year. i think if he landed on a playoff team he would've gone balls to the wall crazy to try and win a cup. I think if he does win a cup he would retire the next day. were other teams really not that interested in him this summer i dont remember? i know he wanted to also get paid so that probably limited teams i don't blame him there but i do blame him for taking the years with the kings what was he thinking? he should've signed a 1 year "show me" deal and this summer? teams would've been trying to land him. hell he would've been dealt at the deadline a few weeks ago on a one year deal

The Sharks were at least one of the other teams interested.

But Pete scared him away because Kovy thinks his bad coach, who play him too many minutes and force him to play with scrub like Ponikarovsky and Bobby Butler. And he also thought Martin Jones was mediocre.

Half kidding about that being the reason he didn't sign with San Jose.

It worked out for the best because I'm not sure they have Karlsson if they did sign him. And Karlsson helps them win a cup, although because of said mediocre goaltender, they'll probably go out in the first round.

And Kovalchuk is just one more older and slower player for the Sharks, who have quite a few of those already.

 

[Bleedred]

It's gotta be Colorado, that would be so meme worthy and awkward if they have an Ottawa rep standing there winning the #1 pick when they can't even use it haha

Just envisioning the Ottawa rep standing around there (Dorion) for the Colorado lottery win is really making me laugh a lot.

 

[Rebel Devil]

Alex Debrincat with his 40th goal of the season last night ... really frustrates me that he didn't wind up a Devil. I don't even know what their interest level was in him, but I remember the Devils having some ammunition to trade up to get this guy if they wanted him. I kept thinking he was going to be something special at a bargain price, and he has become that. The Cat went pick 39 .. two picks before Nathan Bastian.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Alex Debrincat with his 40th goal of the season last night ... really frustrates me that he didn't wind up a Devil. I don't even know what their interest level was in him, but I remember the Devils having some ammunition to trade up to get this guy if they wanted him. I kept thinking he was going to be something special at a bargain price, and he has become that. The Cat went pick 39 .. two picks before Nathan Bastian.

Takes two to tango. Someone has to be willing to trade back.

Not like we didn’t find our own gem in the later rounds of that draft.

 

[Brodeur]

Just envisioning the Ottawa rep standing around there (Dorion) for the Colorado lottery win is really making me laugh a lot.

Reminds of the 2003 NBA Draft lottery. Jerry West had just been hired by Memphis and representing the team at the lottery reveal. But the team had traded a 1st round pick in 1997, and the pick kept getting deferred and deferred due to those atrocious NBA protection rules. After all those years, Memphis still owed its first rounder to Detroit but for the 2003 Draft it was still #1 overall protected.

They announce the order and it gets down to the final two: Cleveland or Memphis. Could you imagine being Jerry West in that moment? You're either getting LeBron James or nothing. Although that portion gets overshadowed since Detroit used the pick on Darko Milicic.

Ottawa has Columbus' pick which is potentially in the lottery, but it's top 3 protected so it wouldn't make too much sense to send Dorion.

 

[NJDevs26]

I think each team has to have someone in the room to observe the drawing regardless if they have a protected pick or not

 

[JrFischer54]

Reminds of the 2003 NBA Draft lottery. Jerry West had just been hired by Memphis and representing the team at the lottery reveal. But the team had traded a 1st round pick in 1997, and the pick kept getting deferred and deferred due to those atrocious NBA protection rules. After all those years, Memphis still owed its first rounder to Detroit but for the 2003 Draft it was still #1 overall protected.

They announce the order and it gets down to the final two: Cleveland or Memphis. Could you imagine being Jerry West in that moment? You're either getting LeBron James or nothing. Although that portion gets overshadowed since Detroit used the pick on Darko Milicic.

Ottawa has Columbus' pick which is potentially in the lottery, but it's top 3 protected so it wouldn't make too much sense to send Dorion.

WOW that would have been a sight to see. if columbus misses the playoffs and ottawa sends someone for that pick but watches their original first win.



i still believe that sens/avs won't win the #1 pick maybe a few years ago it wouldn't be a big deal because no one outside the nhl world would see it and quickly forgotten about. now? with smart phones the net and social media? i wouldn't be surprised if the sens pick moved down to 3

 

[glenwo2]

They really teach 'em young in Philly...



Today Gritty, tomorrow Santa.

The most hilarious thing I've ever seen.