Dreger: Kovalchuk News

[Gordon Lightfoot]

That bum should stick to his Russian bush league...

Salaries in the KHL are going down and he's only looking to cash in. Player with zero taste and class.

His taste is not refined at all.

 

[LeapOnOver]

Kovalchuk is a washed up star looking to cash in on the NHL one last time.


I hope the Avs stay far, far away from him and that a team I like the least ends up signing him. So hears to Minnesota, Toronto, or Montreal signing him this summer

Seems pretty down to earth to me and his interviews certainly don't echo your theory.

Ilya Kovalchuk: “Thank you for creating the KHL!”

 

[Klaus3154]

I'd be surprised if he's not an Islander on July 1.

He wants to play in New York. Check.
Wants A Chance To Win. Half A Check? Islanders have an upcoming team, and a better shot to win than Rangers or Sabres
Plus the Lou Lam Factor

He wants to play in NYC. Buffalo is no where close to NYC. New Jersey, Philadelphia and even Boston is closer

 

[Revelation]

Seems pretty down to earth to me and his interviews certainly don't echo your theory.

Ilya Kovalchuk: “Thank you for creating the KHL!”

Kovalchuk has always been a boss, the people hating him are the same morons who hated on Radulov before he came over

 

[LeapOnOver]

Kovalchuk has always been a boss, the people hating him are the same morons who hated on Radulov before he came over

Yeah, it annoys me to no end the crap that's spewed about him. All that matters is why he left (for his family) and how he left the organization (with the front office respect for him still intact). Fans are truly just fanatics and sometimes infants.

 

[BfantZ]

Either way that could be a dominant top 6. Add in Faksa and if health allows Hanzal centering the bottom 6 the forward group would be rounding out nicely. Dallas could probably be a playoff team again with those moves now that they've figured out the goalie stuff.

How do you suppose they figured out the goalie stuff ?

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

I'd not mind Kovalchuk in Boston for one or two years.

 

[LarKing]

I hope he goes to the Caps because Russian. Also they could potentially make a new Russian 5 with one more dman ~ Voynov?

 

[KingsHockey24]

I hope he goes to the Caps because Russian. Also they could potentially make a new Russian 5 with one more dman ~ Voynov?

Kings own his rights. He'd have to be traded to Washington.

 

[NJ DevLolz]

I'm probably one of few Devils fans who doesn't mind the guy. If you don't think Lou, Vanderbeek, etc . didn't want to get out of that contract, I have a bridge to sell you. The Devils got out of such an albatross and it's a little too convenient that they got out of it when recapture was so minimal.

Anyway, who knows how much he has left. He's been beating up a second rate league, on a team that is far and away the most stacked.

 

[LarKing]

Kings own his rights. He'd have to be traded to Washington.

Yes please.

 

[KingsHockey24]

Yes please.

He'd be the Caps best defensemen if Carlson decides to leave in the Summer.

 

[Farnham4top6]

I'd be surprised if he's not an Islander on July 1.

He wants to play in New York. Check.
Wants A Chance To Win. Half A Check? Islanders have an upcoming team, and a better shot to win than Rangers or Sabres
Plus the Lou Lam Factor

Yeah having the guy that have already forced him in to retirement is such a plus.

 

[HomeAndHome]

That bum should stick to his Russian bush league...

Salaries in the KHL are going down and he's only looking to cash in. Player with zero taste and class.

Please tell me more...

 

[Meeqs]

Kovi is such a high risk play I can't wait to see which GM makes the mistake. Over 35, long injury list, hasn't been in the NHL for a few years and is asking for a huge deal. Thankfully for him NHL GMs are not very smart. I'd give him 6 on a 1 year deal but if he wants term I'm not going over 3.

 

[Dr Quincy]

That bum should stick to his Russian bush league...

Salaries in the KHL are going down and he's only looking to cash in. Player with zero taste and class.

I agree. All the other players in the NHL play for free.

 

[Dr Quincy]

Kovi is such a high risk play I can't wait to see which GM makes the mistake. Over 35, long injury list, hasn't been in the NHL for a few years and is asking for a huge deal. Thankfully for him NHL GMs are not very smart. I'd give him 6 on a 1 year deal but if he wants term I'm not going over 3.

Most reports are that he only wants 2 or 3.

 

[Zippy316]

Kovalchuk has to be the player with the most ridiculously warped narrative about him.

He has (or had) some issues but some of the hot takes on him are ignorant of context and completely blown out of proportion.

 

[Meeqs]

Most reports are that he only wants 2 or 3.

To make it more clear if he wanted more than a 1 year deal I would not got over 3$m AAV. Guy is a massive risk and imo hasn't proved he's worth that kind of deal.

 

[Dr Quincy]

To make it more clear if he wanted more than a 1 year deal I would not got over 3$m AAV. Guy is a massive risk and imo hasn't proved he's worth that kind of deal.

That is just incredibly wrong. Signing any player is a risk. You know Kovalchuk will score goals. Will it be 25 or 35? That's a good question. But far lesser and far less proven players have gotten better contracts than that. One only has to look at your own team (or any team) to see that.

Saying you wouldn't do more than 1 yr at 3m is the same thing as saying "I don't want this player on my team." Which is fine, but there's zero chance that wouldn't be topped by someone else.

 

[Meeqs]

That is just incredibly wrong. Signing any player is a risk. You know Kovalchuk will score goals. Will it be 25 or 35? That's a good question. But far lesser and far less proven players have gotten better contracts than that. One only has to look at your own team (or any team) to see that.

Saying you wouldn't do more than 1 yr at 3m is the same thing as saying "I don't want this player on my team." Which is fine, but there's zero chance that wouldn't be topped by someone else.

To clarify once again: on a 1 year deal I would have no problem paying him 6 mil, just like Radulov he would be able to prove he deserves it and there is no risk. If he wanted a 2-3 year deal then I would not go over 3mAAV as it is too risky vs reward to commit to over term that you would not be able to get out of. This is a guy who is at an age that few players are able to compete at, is coming off some big injuries the past few years, and a guy we haven't seen play at an NHL level in multiple years. There isn't a lot there to warrant that ask other than a GM willing to take a huge gamble. If you're a rebuilding team like NYR, then the cap might not matter but if you are an actual contending team it could easily end up a disaster.

 

[kmart]

Kings own his rights. He'd have to be traded to Washington.

i am confused by this... why do people in this thread post stuff like 2years/per... while the real question should be what they would have to give up first. also the link in the op/dreger... did not mention that his rights are being owned by la.

 

[KingsHockey24]

i am confused by this... why do people in this thread post stuff like 2years/per... while the real question should be what they would have to give up first. also the link in the op/dreger... did not mention that his rights are being owned by la.

He's Kings property until 2019-20 when his original contract expires.

 

[kmart]

so basically he has to hold out 1 year till he is a free agent or sign with la ?

 

[Revelation]

Yeah, it annoys me to no end the crap that's spewed about him. All that matters is why he left (for his family) and how he left the organization (with the front office respect for him still intact). Fans are truly just fanatics and sometimes infants.

He also singlehandedly kept the Thrashers an NHL franchise as long as he could and walked away from a contract that would have been disastrous for NJ after the NHL pulled the rug out from under him, after carrying them to the finals on a broken back. There's no real reason to hate him from any angle