Confirmed Signing with Link: Ilya Kovalchuk with Avangard Omsk of the KHL

[CharasLazyWrister]

What was his reason for leaving New Jersey in the first place?

Was he just bored with a team not going anywhere?

Should have sought answers to this question years ago when it was more on my mind.

As others have said, "weird career" is a very accurate descriptor.

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

And don't worry everyone. We will be hearing about him again in a couple of months when some Twitter users try to grab followers by saying a mid-season signing in Montreal is imminent.

 

[ManwithNoIdentity]

No, but even if it did they had reason to believe that after watching Jagr

You really think so?

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

You really think so?

Jagr came back around the same age and was great. Kovy was a superstar in his prime it wasn't crazy to believe that if Jagr could do it so could Kovy.

It was wrong but it wasn't crazy to believe that.

 

[Jerzey Devil]

What was his reason for leaving New Jersey in the first place?

Was he just bored with a team not going anywhere?

Should have sought answers to this question years ago when it was more on my mind.

As others have said, "weird career" is a very accurate descriptor.

The Devils were in the Stanley Cup finals with him in 2012. The 2013 was shortened because of a lockout. Then he bounced for Russia. The Devils were not a losing team while he was there.

Part of the reason they’re so bad now is because they got nothing in return for both him and Parise leaving the team. Granted, Parise left as a free agent but losing him for nothing hurt the team. Then Kovy walks away and we’re suddenly out two top line wingers for nothing.

 

[ScottyK]

The Devils were in the Stanley Cup finals with him in 2012. The 2013 was shortened because of a lockout. Then he bounced for Russia. The Devils were not a losing team while he was there.

Part of the reason they’re so bad now is because they got nothing in return for both him and Parise leaving the team. Granted, Parise left as a free agent but losing him for nothing hurt the team. Then Kovy walks away and we’re suddenly out two top line wingers for nothing.

Money was the biggest reason. Kovy was big against escrow he fought for zero escrow its said when he saw what he actually made after escrow and taxes he was offended. His 12m$ seasons were coming up in NJ and between taxes and escrow he was going to lose 40% of it. He took essentially cash offers in the KHL after seeing what it was like when he played there during the lockout. Dont forget he threatened not to come back when the lockout ended...he was late getting back to NJ from the lockout as well

 

[Jerzey Devil]

Money was the biggest reason. Kovy was big against escrow he fought for zero escrow its said when he saw what he actually made after escrow and taxes he was offended. His 12m$ seasons were coming up in NJ and between taxes and escrow he was going to lose 40% of it. He took essentially cash offers in the KHL after seeing what it was like when he played there during the lockout. Dont forget he threatened not to come back when the lockout ended...he was late getting back to NJ from the lockout as well

Seems like that’s something his agent should have let him know before he signed a 15 year deal. I don’t blame him for wanting to go where the money is but playing in Russia really seems like something he should have thought about when he was a free agent. That whole situation was just a mess from that stupid 17 year contract that Lou was warned not to submit but submitted anyway to Kovy deciding to walk away.

Rumor has it Parise was offended that the Devils made such a big deal about Kovy and that was the final nail in the coffin for his decision to leave NJ.

In the end both him and Parise are shadows of their former selves and we would probably still be paying them both a lot of money today had things worked out differently. And we would probably be a very mediocre team instead of a bad one and the unfortunate truth is it’s better to be bad than mediocre in today’s NHL.

 

[Beville]

#MoneyTalks

 

[Aoko]

At least he was able to play out his NHL contract this time around.

 

[philip]

He showed the occasional flash of something during his short time with the Caps. The release is mostly still there and you could see him trying to occupy good positions in the o-zone, but yea, as a NHL player he's done I think.

 

[ijuka]

Gotta assume that this is it.

Shame about his career, had the talent for so much more but never really accomplished anything.

 

[hidek91]

I was crushed when he "retired" to go back to Russia.

In retrospect, it was the best thing that could have happened.

If he hadn't bailed, he would still be under contract with us at over $6 mill for five more seasons. Seven if Gary hadn't tossed the original.

To be fair, due to the fact that we were bad and we didn't really need to spend to the cap, it wouldn't have mattered in years 2013-2020 and I'm not sure about years 2020-2025. And losing him basically made us a basement team.

Him and Brodeur were so crucial to this team that injuries of those two basically made us miss the playoffs in the 2013 season.

 

[Mick Jagr]

Gotta assume that this is it.

Shame about his career, had the talent for so much more but never really accomplished anything.

I woulda thought he had more than one Rocket trophy to his name but apparently I was wrong.

 

[SETHROLLINS]

What was his reason for leaving New Jersey in the first place?

Was he just bored with a team not going anywhere?

Should have sought answers to this question years ago when it was more on my mind.

As others have said, "weird career" is a very accurate descriptor.

Very little information has trickled out over the years about what happened. A lot of it is speculation at this point. Apparently he needed convincing from Lou to come back even during the lockout. There were reports before the shortened season started about him finishing out the KHL season before returning to the NHL. The Devils were just coming off a Stanley Cup Finals appearance so I don't think it was about winning. Money, family and pride of country were probably all involved. Who knows what else the Russians offered him to come back. It was very clear however the Devils with the international league agreements in place could of blocked his return to Russia but ultimately having a star player with 12 years remaining on his deal who didn't want to be there probably wasn't the best thing to have. The Devils were in the middle of an ownership change so for all parties involved it was probably best to part ways. Lou who never leaks out info had said he remained friends with Kovy talking with him often while he was playing in Russia for all those years.

 

[inthe6ix]

riding off into the sunset

best of luck in your future endeavours kovy

 

[ijuka]

I woulda thought he had more than one Rocket trophy to his name but apparently I was wrong.

Hockey is a team game, now you know.

 

[NyQuil]

Hockey is a team game, now you know.

Does Kovy know that?

 

[TheTechNoir]

Can he just decide what league he wants to play in and stay there

To answer your question, yes he can do that. He can also decide what league he wants to play in and move to another league multiple times, which he has done instead.

 

[Mick Jagr]

Hockey is a team game, now you know.

Cool. My favorite part is how that it has nothing to to do with the number of Rocket Richard trophies Kovalchuk won over the course of his career.