If they don't move Kovalchuk to LW, Pete needs to be fired

[Saugus]

I think the changing of his game is a bi-product of slowing down, and it's a smart thing to do on a 15 year contract. That being said, he's still not slow. He has speed when he want to fly.

Honestly I think Kovy is better when he slows it down a bit. Sometimes when he is going all out at full speed he ends up ahead of the play and makes himself less effective.

What happens if Kovy is double shifted as a defenseman?

His positioning would be horrible.

 

[MartyOwns]

What are you looking for out of Kovalchuk, seriously? We brought him from Atlanta where he was a one trick pony and now he's turned out to be a all around player, cause he's a team player and wanted to learn the proper way of playing the game... the "Devils way" of playing hockey and now you and a bunch of other posters want him to go back to his old roots?

Again, you should spend more time focusing on the players that are underachieving instead of those who are leading the team in pts and minutes played. You sound like those kids that think that goals are the only important stat in hockey when in reality, assists are just as valuable.

If Kovy had 22 goals and like 5 assits, you'd probably complain that he's turned into a selfish player and he should pass the puck more often so he can spread the wealth.

I always read your posts on the subject, think critically, and then respond. and here I was, about to do it again, when I realized you never give me the same courtesy. keep talking about how I want him playing thrashers hockey, how I permanently want him moved to LW, or whatever else is going on in your mind..you couldn’t be further from the truth. stop asking me ‘what I expect from kovy’ and then never reading or comprehending my replies. very annoying.

btw, the same posters who complain about “the HF boards/posters of yesteryear†then become unnecessarily hostile over something so simple as TRYING moving our best player to his most natural position to see how it works. its very ironic. and again, I’ll use the example of using kovy on the PK. had it been suggested on this board 3 years ago, certain posters would be tripping over themselves to say what a moronic, ‘childish’ notion that was. nobody on this forum, myself most certainly included, knows as much as we think we do.

 

[DEVILS ALL THE WAY*]

I always read your posts on the subject, think critically, and then respond. and here I was, about to do it again, when I realized you never give me the same courtesy. keep talking about how I want him playing thrashers hockey, how I permanently want him moved to LW, or whatever else is going on in your mind..you couldn’t be further from the truth. stop asking me ‘what I expect from kovy’ and then never reading or comprehending my replies. very annoying.

btw, the same posters who complain about “the HF boards/posters of yesteryear†then become unnecessarily hostile over something so simple as TRYING moving our best player to his most natural position to see how it works. its very ironic. and again, I’ll use the example of using kovy on the PK. had it been suggested on this board 3 years ago, certain posters would be tripping over themselves to say what a moronic, ‘childish’ notion that was. nobody on this forum, myself most certainly included, knows as much as we think we do.

There has to be several solid reasons as to why Kovalchuk is playing on the right side and the fact that our RW depth is pretty terrible, is probably one of the reasons why he's playing there.

With that said, Kovalchuk isn't the problem and the side he's playing on isn't the problem either... it's Zajac, Henrique and a lack of talent on the left side of our #1 unit that should be scrutinize here and nothing else IMO.

 

[Ascone13]

I feel like Kovalchuk needs to shoot more. He is a great sniper when he goes for the shot. Yes, LW may improve his scoring, but he needs to adapt to whatever position he is playing.

 

[MartyOwns]

I feel like Kovalchuk needs to shoot more. He is a great sniper when he goes for the shot. Yes, LW may improve his scoring, but he needs to adapt to whatever position he is playing.

re: shooting more. I would add to that by saying shoot…a one timer, from the left circle. I think if we tried this, we see zajacs (or whoever is centering) numbers improve..we’ll force teams to defend us differently..and the RW will probably scoop up some garbage goals. how can a right-handed player get away a similarly lethal one timer from the right side? he can’t. I’d ask someone ELSE to rush the puck up (i.e. not kovy), circle, cycle, etc and then feed kovy in that perfect spot.

 

[Saugus]

Kovy usually ends up in the left circle on the PP anyway. But we don't tell him to station himself in the circle on every rush. Half the time he's the one carrying the puck in to begin with.

And he really does enter the zone wherever he likes, regardless of his position. His position of RW only really matters on the breakout and for defensive positioning, and sometimes not even then.