Proposal: Ilya Kovalchuk to Boston.

[YP44]

For the same reason Boston would be? Like, I'm pretty sure Boston isn't the only playoff contending team in the NHL that would look at a productive Kovalchuk and think "hey, maybe we should look to acquire the cheap, productive veteran winger with a league minimum contract?"

all i am saying is there was already a past interest by the Bruins. Not sure you can say that about the other contending teams.

Could I see him going elsewhere, yes. But Boston would be the least surprising team for me.

 

[Extra Texture]

I dont know if there is any GM in the league who is going to expend any significant assets getting a guy they could've gotten for free just a few weeks ago. Kovy was free, ready to play for a contender, and teams passed. I can't see a GM, even one on a team that has been ravaged by injuries, reversing course and giving up actual assets to get him between now and the deadline.

Maybe, maybe if its a very late round pick. Maybe they look at a 5th rounder as the price for seeing if Kovy "still has it". But at that point, what's the incentive for Montreal? They probably pitched Kovy on a career revival in Montreal, where alot of Russian players have seemed to thrive. My guess is the guy actually wants to be there, and if he moves it will be in the offseason on his own terms.

 

[Michoulicious]

My bet is a conditional 3rd, becoming a 2nd depending on team performance in the playoffs.

 

[jfhabs]

The Habs just signed this guy off the street when anyone else could have made the same offer and didn’t. He’s having a nice streak in Montreal while benefitting from significant ice time but that doesn’t mean much as he likely wouldn’t get the same deployment elsewhere.

I’ve seen a few threads asking about Kovalchuk’s trade value now and it seems a lot of Habs fans are setting themselves up for disappointment.

Not sure Boston would be interested, but from any team, a comparable I would suggest would be the return Ottawa got in 2011 for Alex Kovalev who was in hid late 30’s but could still chip in offensively. A conditional 7th which could become a 6th based on performance.

Alexei Kovalev trades - NHL Trade Tracker

Maybe Bergevin can pull a rabbit out of his hat and get as high as a 4th, but any more than that would be extremely unlikely in my view.

Aparently many contenders wanted to wait till after TDL to sign him, that's why Kovalchuk decided to join the habs. They offered him a contract now and a spot on the top6. In 2011 Kovalev had become purely a PP specialist. Kovalchuk is still very decent 5vs5. I was quite surprise with his conditioning/skating. He's probably worth a 3rd round pick, maybe a 2nd if he keeps it up.

 

[abo9]

Even the massively overrated and ancient Rick Nash could at least play defense competently.

Thankfully, Clode doesn't have any hair left.

If anyone wants Kovalchuk for his defensive play they should be fired immediately. He's a PP specialist and a guy you want in the offensive zone.

 

[jfhabs]

I dont know if there is any GM in the league who is going to expend any significant assets getting a guy they could've gotten for free just a few weeks ago. Kovy was free, ready to play for a contender, and teams passed. I can't see a GM, even one on a team that has been ravaged by injuries, reversing course and giving up actual assets to get him between now and the deadline.

Maybe, maybe if its a very late round pick. Maybe they look at a 5th rounder as the price for seeing if Kovy "still has it". But at that point, what's the incentive for Montreal? They probably pitched Kovy on a career revival in Montreal, where alot of Russian players have seemed to thrive. My guess is the guy actually wants to be there, and if he moves it will be in the offseason on his own terms.

Well, if you're other options are going to cost you a 1st or 2nd + at the TDL, why not throw a 3rd Montreal's way for Kovy. The player you might get for a 1st might only be slighty better on the short term.

 

[Merrrlin]

I can't see it costing more than a 4th or 5th for Kovalchuk. Maybe not even that much.

Well, if you're other options are going to cost you a 1st or 2nd + at the TDL, why not throw a 3rd Montreal's way for Kovy. The player you might get for a 1st might only be slighty better on the short term.

I would say because players with a 1st+2nd pricetag are usually difference makers. Kovy is opportunistic, and borderline unplayable 5v5 IMO.

Kovy to NYI for a 4th. One of the few teams that can afford to ice him 5v5, and desperately need his opportunistic goal scoring.

 

[Captain Mountain]

all i am saying is there was already a past interest by the Bruins. Not sure you can say that about the other contending teams.

Could I see him going elsewhere, yes. But Boston would be the least surprising team for me.

And I'm saying if there's any interest from at least one other team, I'm guessing Boston wouldn't be the one to get him, because they likely aren't going to beat another team and another team would win the tie.

 

[fsanford]

Lol if you look at Kovalchuk's first 5 games in LA, he puts up 6pts in 5 games and the Kings purposely reduce his ice time and basically screw the guy over. He produces and the Kings are purposely reducing his ice time more and more until they finally get the result they wanted, hoping he'd leave. That's a pathetic display by a GM like Blake if anything.

He came to the Habs and has earned those minutes, hell he's earned a ton of respect for the contract he took just to stay in the NHL when everyone was joking about the fact that he was going to take off back to Russia and get tons of money back there again. What irks you more, a guy that has produced like an elite winger that left and came back to give it another go but the team he chose was the worst possible choice for him and he's supposedly done and not capable of good numbers anymore?

Because he is, he's proving it was never him that was the problem, most people that weren't so busy sitting on their sofa's waiting for the I told you so's about Kovalchuk, knew there was a ton more to Kovalchuk's game. He doesn't look "slow" like people wanted to believe and he's every bit as talented as one would assume at his age and at this point in this career.

I think Bergevin is a tool, but he did good on this one.

Perhaps it was a fit issue, given that I watched him a lot, I will say sometimes the Kings may have not used him properly, but he also just sucked at back checking there were times it was 5 on 4. It was brutal


The Blues won last year because they were a 5 man unit, at both ends of the ice. I think he could help a power play, but I would not trust him on the ice 5 on 5 in the 3rd period.

Not sure what kind of value is there with this kind of player.

 

[Mrfenn92]

5th round or lower.

 

[cc]

I think it will be a similar situation to trading Vanek. It's hard to shake a reputation.

 

[YP44]

And I'm saying if there's any interest from at least one other team, I'm guessing Boston wouldn't be the one to get him, because they likely aren't going to beat another team and another team would win the tie.

could definitely see that. However this thread is Kovalchuk to Boston

 

[tony d]

Kovy probably gets traded and while he hasn't been with Montreal long I doubt he would get traded to Boston.

 

[BostonBruins11]

no...

 

[Mick Riddleton]

I'd refuse if I was Kovalchuk

These top teams were disrespectful to his talent level and skill to not sign him to a minimum contract. Let Boston fail in the playoffs like they usually do to teach them a lesson.

Kovalchuk could have chosen Boston when he came back but snubbed them to go after the money on a team that had no hopes of winning a cup. He is getting some power play points but looks slow out there. Wondering why teams avoided him for a cheap contract, why pay higher on him now. Gotta wonder what the hockey world knew that we were not privy too.

 

[HabsAddict]

Lol if you look at Kovalchuk's first 5 games in LA, he puts up 6pts in 5 games and the Kings purposely reduce his ice time and basically screw the guy over. He produces and the Kings are purposely reducing his ice time more and more until they finally get the result they wanted, hoping he'd leave. That's a pathetic display by a GM like Blake if anything.

He came to the Habs and has earned those minutes, hell he's earned a ton of respect for the contract he took just to stay in the NHL when everyone was joking about the fact that he was going to take off back to Russia and get tons of money back there again. What irks you more, a guy that has produced like an elite winger that left and came back to give it another go but the team he chose was the worst possible choice for him and he's supposedly done and not capable of good numbers anymore?

Because he is, he's proving it was never him that was the problem, most people that weren't so busy sitting on their sofa's waiting for the I told you so's about Kovalchuk, knew there was a ton more to Kovalchuk's game. He doesn't look "slow" like people wanted to believe and he's every bit as talented as one would assume at his age and at this point in this career.

I think Bergevin is a tool, but he did good on this one.

"But...but....we could of had him for nothing so why should we give you a 2nd?"

That's a childish argument.

He carried a high risk that he was indeed a bust. With no proof otherwise, it's a reasonable assumption that he was done. Now it's proven otherwise and the very same people (and probably GMs) want what they didn't want to be gifted to them.

Same thing for Tatar. The self declared "braintrust" had him as a bust despite his history. Now that he's on pace for 70 points, the want him for as low as possible because, well, someone owes it to them.

 

[HuGo Sham]

i'd say a 4th, but if he keeps producing at this clip, i'd keep him for another year. habs have youngest forward group in the NHL - and they lack size. he seems to be enjoying himself here

 

[LeHab]

Habs are going "Pump & Dump" with Kovalchuk. Most used forward without any time on PK.

Still way too early to make an assessment around his value.

 

[HabsAddict]

He is getting some power play points but looks slow out there.

Slow? OK.

If you can imagine him as slow, you should also be able imagine Bbinz and our laughter.

 

[HuGo Sham]

What would Boston be willing to give up for him.

5 Points in 6 games.

I know its a short sample but he has been playing really well and honestly I think he would fit in perfectly with Boston and RW is their only area of weakness. 2nd?3rd?4th?5th? Bergevin would most likely ask for a pick.

I personally would want him to return something like:

Mtl: Kovalchuk, 2020 4th(High 4th) or 2020 5th(High 5th)

Boston: 2020 2nd(Low second)

Idk if I'm out of line

i think the bruins are the very last team bergevin wants to help

 

[TheBeastCoast]

"But...but....we could of had him for nothing so why should we give you a 2nd?"

That's a childish argument.

He carried a high risk that he was indeed a bust. With no proof otherwise, it's a reasonable assumption that he was done. Now it's proven otherwise and the very same people (and probably GMs) want what they didn't want to be gifted to them.

Same thing for Tatar. The self declared "braintrust" had him as a bust despite his history. Now that he's on pace for 70 points, the want him for as low as possible because, well, someone owes it to them.

...It is 5 games.

 

[HabsAddict]

i'd say a 4th, but if he keeps producing at this clip, i'd keep him for another year. habs have youngest forward group in the NHL - and they lack size. he seems to be enjoying himself here

I doubt many fans outside Habland saw the reaction to Kova's goal a few nights ago. The entire bench erupted.

I would trade Kova for a low 2nd, but I would also think about extending him a reasonable 2 year contract. IF....IF he likes the team and wants to play, he can contribute and teach a thing or ten to our young crop.

 

[HuGo Sham]

I doubt many fans outside Habland saw the reaction to Kova's goal a few nights ago. The entire bench erupted.

I would trade Kova for a low 2nd, but I would also think about extending him a reasonable 2 year contract. IF....IF he likes the team and wants to play, he can contribute and teach a thing or ten to our young crop.

agreed

 

[HuGo Sham]

just scored...2nd goal..6 pts in 7 games lol

 

[HabsAddict]

i think the bruins are the very last team bergevin wants to help

Bbinz would and should trade him to anyone that wants him, at the highest price. Boston, Toronto or otherwise.

But, he should and probably will chose anyone but the Leafs and Bruins if someone else's offer is equal. Or maybe even close to equal.

The only thing that he should always accept is ANY offer from ANY team from ANY league that will trade for him. Even for a used puck.