Rumor: Ilya Kovalchuk signing with NYR

[AdamParrot]

He wants (maybe wanted) Stanley Cup and he is going to Metropolitan division where are Penguins, Capitals, Flyers, Devils and Blue Jackets? Heh, good luck, Kovy.

 

[le_sean]

Oh they are getting JT for sure as well. Quick rebuild.

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

He wants (maybe wanted) Stanley Cup and he is going to Metropolitan division where are Penguins, Capitals, Flyers, Devils and Blue Jackets? Heh, good luck, Kovy.

None of them are overly deadly, as long as Kovy plays well and NYR gets solid goaltending.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

I don't know, if true this seems like a very similar move to the Patrick Marleau signing except New York doesn't have the supporting cast

 

[adam0307]

Good veteran leader and a capable player for a room and organization full of young [Russian] guys. Really don't get how people see this as a bad move.

Also money is money but plenty of players want to live in NYC.

A "Good veteran leader?" Are we talking about the same guy? The one who bails on his team and bolts for the KHL...that guy? I don't see how he is the example that you would want to set for your young players, especially young Russian players. First thing they'll learn is that if you don't feel like playing here anymore, abandon your hundred million dollar contract and head to Russia. He appears to have zero loyalty and is clearly all about himself, not the team. That is not a guy that you want your younger players to look up to and learn from.

 

[AdamParrot]

None of them are overly deadly, as long as Kovy plays well and NYR gets solid goaltending.

So, you want to tell me that Penguins (with Crosby, Malkin, Kessel, Murray etc.), Capitals (Ovechkin, Backstrom, Kuznetsov), Flyers (Giroux, Patrick, Provorov, Ghost, Voracek, Konecny, Frost, Hart), Blue Jackets (all-around good team with Bobrovsky in net) and Devils (young and speedy team) aren't so good to Rags (without D, without 1RW, with average 1c) can go to ECF? I really doubt.

 

[Freudian]

When you got more money than patience.

 

[pheasant]

It'll be good for NYR to have Kovy in the lineup. I don't see how anyone can claim this is a bad move for them. Since when is it a bad thing to have a 1st line scoring winger walk on to the team?

Plus, it'll be good for the NHL to have Kovy back. I can't see the downside to this, unless you wanted your team to sign him instead or you just don't want Kovalchuk to beat your team on the ice.

 

[Cor]

I don't know, if true this seems like a very similar move to the Patrick Marleau signing except New York doesn't have the supporting cast

New York doesn’t have the main cast either

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

So, you want to tell me that Penguins (with Crosby, Malkin, Kessel, Murray etc.), Capitals (Ovechkin, Backstrom, Kuznetsov), Flyers (Giroux, Patrick, Provorov, Ghost, Voracek, Konecny, Frost, Hart), Blue Jackets (all-around good team with Bobrovsky in net) and Devils (young and speedy team) aren't so good to Rags (without D, without 1RW, with average 1c) can go to ECF? I really doubt.

They have Lundqvist.

 

[Minnesota]

I'd love to see Vancouver throw some money at Kovalchuk.

Seeing him play with Boeser would be fun.

 

[AdamParrot]

They have Lundqvist.

Look on Lundqvist how "good" is without defense. He had best career years when he had Girardi, McDonagh, Staal, Stralman before him (heart, soul and block shots).

Lundqvist isn't in tier with Bobrovsky for anymore.

 

[CupofOil]

Makes no sense for him or the team but ok.
The Devils would make more sense but we all know that was never happening.

 

[TheTotalPackage]

This makes no sense for either side.

There's just something about the Rangers that makes me feel that it is a place where star players go and see their talents die.

 

[haveandare]

I would have dealt Zucc either way, Kovalchuk or no Kovalchuk. Suffer for 1 or 2 years, get some lottery picks and take some risks with your 2nd and 3rd rounders.

It’s Zucc, spooner, and Namestnikov. Wouldn’t be surprised if they move all 3 if Kovy signs.

Right or wrong NYR was never going to ice an absolutely garbage team for years. They’ve moved a ton of their old core for youth and will move more - that’s the rebuild. They’re not going to purposely finish 30th for another pick imo whether it’s a good idea or not. They’ll try to put an entertaining and not completely awful lineup on the ice at least until the trade deadline

 

[AdamParrot]

This makes no sense for either side.

There's just something about the Rangers that makes me feel that it is a place where star players go and see their talents die.

For Rangers maybe yes. There will be SKA's legion probably. Kovalchuk, Rykov, Shestyorkin, maybe Gusev(?). Then there are Buchnevich and Namestnikov (as a Russians) too.

 

[haveandare]

So, you want to tell me that Penguins (with Crosby, Malkin, Kessel, Murray etc.), Capitals (Ovechkin, Backstrom, Kuznetsov), Flyers (Giroux, Patrick, Provorov, Ghost, Voracek, Konecny, Frost, Hart), Blue Jackets (all-around good team with Bobrovsky in net) and Devils (young and speedy team) aren't so good to Rags (without D, without 1RW, with average 1c) can go to ECF? I really doubt.

Sorry to say it but PIT is the only truly threatening one of that bunch. Caps are unable to get to ECF until it happens, Flyers barely made the playoffs and their D is porous, CBJ is gonna compete “next year” every year for nearly a decade.

They’re all safely better than the rangers now and will be if they add Kovy, but PIT is the only one of those teams that is really formidable in the long view of things.

 

[haveandare]

Oh they are getting JT for sure as well. Quick rebuild.

Yeah I really don’t see that happening

 

[SoundAndFury]

A "Good veteran leader?" Are we talking about the same guy? The one who bails on his team and bolts for the KHL...that guy?

Yes, we are talking about the guy whom the team allowed to leave because they had no money to pay him. You need to figure out what "bailing on the team" is.

 

[AIexisLafreniereNYR]

Let's say the Rangers bring back Rick Nash

Kreider-Zib-Buch
Kovy-Chytil-Nash
Hayes-Lias-Zucc/Spoon
Vesey-Nam-Fast

That's a dangerous line up. I'm sure they'll address the defense. That team can compete if everything is done right.

 

[SI90]

He’d have a better shot at winning with the Devils lol

My guess is he really wants to play for the NYR

 

[HawkeyTalkMan]

NYR gonna sign Kovy, maybe bring back someone like Nash/Grabner, Zuc might stay, Lundqvist is coming back.

They looked primed for sitting in mediocrity next season. Good enough to be close to a playoff spot but not make it or go anywhere, not bad enough to get a premium draft position next year.

If they were smart, they should sign Kovy to a 1 year deal and flip him at the TDL

 

[philb613]

I love that when I proposed the Rangers trading for Karlsson, all the Rangers fans called me stupid cause they were rebuilding. This signing basically is a signal that they'll be in the market for John Tavares and will be a player in the trade market this summer.

 

[Zezel22]

Kovy can’t sign, nor technically talk to other teams for another 3 months.

He’s still NJD property.

Unless NJD gave their rival permission

This is an interesting point because while everyone knows that He is a UFA July 1 and the Devils have no rights at that point, I believe the Devils do technically hold rights until then. So if he has had discussions with the Rangers and come to a verbal agreement, and that can be proven, regardless of when this is formally announced, I wonder if this constitutes any sort of violation or tampering of any kind?

 

[letsgrowcactus]

So many people saying this hurts the Rangers rebuild - there's a difference between rebuilding and tanking. You can rebuild without trying to be completely awful. If signing Kovalchuk allows them to trade Zuccarelo... makes sense.

I hoped we'd be able to sign him as a 2-3 year contract would be perfect for us. Oh well.