Confirmed with Link: Ilya Kovalchuk signs with Habs (1-year, 2-way deal, 700k AAV)

[BehindTheTimes]

Wait Kulak with number 77? I thought Bergevin hated jersey numbers higher than 50?

Bergy is a sly dog. He's hoping he's mistaken for Ray Bourque and he can maximize Kulak's value in a trade.

 

[Habs]

We know that #99 will never be worn again.

NHL should also retire #9 to honour Howe and Richard.

That's going too far. Richard is honored with a trophy, and Howe should be too. I hate retiring jerseys, its sad to think people will never see certain numbers on the ice again. Nobody would have worn 99 regardless.

 

[jaffy27]

who will be the first player to wear a decimal number?
This might be a good thing


10.2
6.1
2.0

Maybe Roman numerals? X......Guy Laaaaafleeeur

 

[KingsHockey24]

Wait till you see him on a line with Thompson and a token AHLer.

Jokes on you, I already saw that in LA.

 

[McGuires Corndog]

You'll have to pull out your Cousins 21 Jersey now. I know you were saving it for a special time, but that time is now.

I Weal accept your challenge

 

[Phil Parent]

That's going too far. Richard is honored with a trophy, and Howe should be too. I hate retiring jerseys, its sad to think people will never see certain numbers on the ice again. Nobody would have worn 99 regardless.

It would have taken a special kind of stupid to wear #99 but it would also take a special kind of stupid to wear #66 and that didn't stop this guy, who by all accounts is INDEED a special kind of stupid.

Joshua Ho-Sang Stats | Hockey-Reference.com

Also, punch in the face of the Islanders, who let him.

Never underestimate stupid people, Habbie.

 

[Lshap]

Anyone gonna buy a Kovalchuk jersey?

Thinking about buying a Kings jersey of him haha.

I'll be rooting for Kovy, he deserved better than playing with Adrian Kempe and Trevor Lewis.

I can't imagine owning a Kovalchuk #17 will have more value for the Habs than it did for the Kings, other than as a portable trivia question. May as well just stencil "Gretzky" on the back to **** with people's heads. At least you have that!

 

[KingsHockey24]

I can't imagine owning a Kovalchuk #17 will have more value for the Habs than it did for the Kings, other than as a portable trivia question. May as well just stencil "Gretzky" on the back to **** with people's heads. At least you have that!

Just think how rare it'll be in 10 years to find a Kovy Habs jersey.

People would go crazy for it.

 

[DavePeak]

What the hell am I supposed to do with my Kulak 17 jersey now?!

Just add chuk to it. kulakchuk, close enough lol.

Poor man’s Kovalchuk (Kulakchuk) jersey:

• Kulak #17 jersey
• Galchenyuk #27 jersey (or #94 if you were an early fan)
• Scissors
• Duct tape

 

[Habs]

It would have taken a special kind of stupid to wear #99 but it would also take a special kind of stupid to wear #66 and that didn't stop this guy, who by all accounts is INDEED a special kind of stupid.

Joshua Ho-Sang Stats | Hockey-Reference.com

Also, punch in the face of the Islanders, who let him.

Never underestimate stupid people, Habbie.

Yes for sure, there's always someone who will go down in flames for trying to wear a number they shouldn't. I don't know about you but I'd still love to see some of those numbers moving around in a CH jersey, especially #4 and 9.

 

[bsl]

If they are good and rebound means Bergevin will push for the playoffs, despite knowing full well we will either lose or end up 9th again, which means he will not be willing to part with them at the deadline.

If they do not rebound, who's going to offer anything for failed reclamation projects?

Exactly

 

[Lshap]

Just think how rare it'll be in 10 years to find a Kovy Habs jersey.

People would go crazy for it.

If the category is Rare Collectibles, I'd rather go with "Playoff Series" for $1000.

 

[Habaneros]

Just think how rare it'll be in 10 years to find a Kovy Habs jersey.

People would go crazy for it.

the key is the autograph..lol

Here's our first Kovy (AK27) "Kovy I" jersey recently sold for $264.00 at auction

Alexei Kovalev Montreal Canadiens Autographed Fanatics Hockey Jersey



Now our 2nd Kovy(IK17) "Kovy II" has landed ...if he can stick for more that half a season ,there should be value in the jersey with an autograph.....lol......unsigned = fools gold..lol

 

[TouzY]

There is a big risk. Kovy gets hot and Habs end up 17th. Ffs. ****ing dimwits.

Damn, thats true... wasnt thinking straight when i wrote that...

 

[Kriss E]

Please don’t use quotation marks for words that weren’t posted.

I mean..why are you being obtuse? Or do you not even understand your own words here:

Yeah like part of the point is that the youth is what they’re banking on and not immediate success. Did you not get that memo?

Ie..''Youth Movement''. Is that so hard to get?

I also don’t understand what your point is. Kovalchuk isn’t taking anyone’s role away other than Weal. He’s a stopgap.

My point was very simple and you quoted me so not sure what you're not following.
This team is a mess, it needs to focus on rebuilding, meaning work on the transition towards the 25 under players. Our biggest need looking at that group is high end talent, for that, we need to drop down the standings.
Grabbing on to stopgaps like Kovalchuk and Scandella works directly against that. Bergevin is hoping to save his season by trying to make the POs with those guys. That is not what we should be doing.

That was my point. Not sure why you didn't understand, was pretty clear and simple.

It’s very clear they’ve decided to have the young players play with veterans versus a barren team.

Yes, after repeatedly failing to add older players via free agency, year after year.

 

[FerrisRox]

Wait Kulak with number 77? I thought Bergevin hated jersey numbers higher than 50?

The team has tons of jersey numbers higher than fifty, what would give you that idea?

 

[Fixxer]

Big Mac grasping at anything right now. Once again no plan. Meanwhile more teams who have more injuries are doing just fine.

Big Mac Excuse-again will never lead us anywhere.

I thought Big Mac was McCarron but I figure it out now. lol

 

[Fixxer]

Who is that guy on the left.? He said he played with Kovalchuk in Atlanta.

Bill Lindsay.

Now that you said it, I even remember him playing and being in NHL 2002 IIRC.

Also, he wasn't positive about the Kovalchuk "experiment" working out. He said Kovalchuk was a black hole once he got the puck. Other than shoot. He plays individual and .. anyway, we hope it changed... :s :x

 

[sampollock]

No Kovy tonight, wait for another day

 

[Edgy]

The team has tons of jersey numbers higher than fifty, what would give you that idea?

https://montrealgazette.com/sports/...all-smiles-after-earning-job-and-a-new-number

Fleury wore No. 83 during training camp and that number was still on the nameplate in his locker stall after practice. But old-school GM Marc Bergevin isn’t a big fan of players with high numbers, so Fleury was given No. 20 after getting the news he made the Canadiens’ final 23-man roster.

 

[the]

The team has tons of jersey numbers higher than fifty, what would give you that idea?

Bergevin doesn't like his players wearing a high number.

 

[sandysan]

Wait till you see him on a line with Thompson and a token AHLer.

and then get outplayed by both

 

[sandysan]

I’d be angry too if I honestly thought Kovalchuk would be used on the PK. However, that’s completely absurd.

so when we have a guy in the box we can only put 4 players on the ice to defend.
when we don't have anyone in the box but kovalchuck is on the ice, how many players do we have to defend ?


pssst the answer is 4 because kovalchuck treats defensive responsibilities like ebola, A cardboard cutout of chris chelios is a better defender than kovalchuck is.

When we get pinned in our end ( which happens) if kovalchuck is on the ice, we are screwed,

 

[sandysan]

Bold prediction...IK does well until the end of the year and MB resigns him lol

counterprediction : semin v2.0

 

[LaP]

https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/video/dreger-kovalchuk-didn-t-want-to-wait-he-wants-to-play-now~1867176

Dreger confirms there were other teams interested, but they wanted to wait to see how things developed, but Kovalchuk wanted to play now, so he signed with us.

The interest was surely low for him to accept a two way deal at 700k. I mean people must come back to earth. When you sign a player to a two way league minimum deal or acquired a player for a 4th or 5th round draft pick 99% of the time this player can't play an important role for your team. It's the reality.