Confirmed Signing with Link: [MTL] Habs sign Kovalchuck (1 year, $700K)

[Fainting Couch]

Who has 16pts and wasn't told he's wasn't going to be playing

Except for the part where he was about to be shown the door before injuries and the coaching change.

The more you know.

 

[jetsforever]

Strange signing

 

[HabsAddict]

I never miss an opportunity to dis Bbinz. NEVER. I simply think he's a fool who got and kept his position purely on the language issue.

But....and there is always a butt that has two sides....

Kovy signing is ok. Very little money/commitment and IF, IF, IF he clicks on the PP, pots in a dozen between now and year end, great.

Reading through the comments, it seems that there are lots of opinions and very few informed or based of actually watching the Habs. Calling up Dale Wiese and putting Cousins/Weal on the power play is reaching the bottom of the barrel. THIS move is no worse and it may, just may be substantially better.

Fault Bbinz for using up oxygen, but not for this.

 

[Loosie]

With the amount of injuries the Habs have and the fact that this is a league minimum contract it's a decent signing. If he doesn't do anything he gets waived and sent down once your guys becomes healthy. If he starts scoring again you got a cheap winger who is scoring.

 

[Ciao]

Kovalchuk and Spezza -- 1-2 in the 2001 draft, noth on league-minimum dealeos. What gives?

 

[HabsAddict]

People crapping on this signing are being silly. I mean, I won’t call it a good a great signing by any means, but it’s so low risk. Even if thecworse happens, what’s the major fallout for the Montreal Canadiens here? Nothing, that’s what. Nothing at all.

Yeah but what are the know-absolutely-nothing going to complain about?

Very low risk that has some potential of reward. Either that or watch Weise try to stay on his feet. Or no-hands Weal/Cousins on the power play.

 

[HabsAddict]

With the amount of injuries the Habs have and the fact that this is a league minimum contract it's a decent signing. If he doesn't do anything he gets waived and sent down once your guys becomes healthy. If he starts scoring again you got a cheap winger who is scoring.

An INFORMED opinion! Thank you.

What people may not know or ignored is that Price has made comments about contending. The last two moves are about Price as much as anything. While they are not game changers, they are dirt cheap moves that have upside. Scandella can and may very well be a top 4 defensman that can buy time until the kids come along.

Kovy is far more dangerous scorer then Weise/Cousins/Weal can ever be.

If neither work out, so what. At this point, we have so many injuries that the season is in jeopardy. To tank, we will never be as bad as the Sens or Devils. so the "we wont get Lafrenier" argument is a waste of air.

 

[Loosie]

Kovalchuk and Spezza -- 1-2 in the 2001 draft, noth on league-minimum dealeos. What gives?

Near the end their careers and not anywhere close to what they were at their peak.

 

[Ciao]

Near the end their careers and not anywhere close to what they were at their peak.

Sure, but why keep on playing?

Spezza -- okay, a homecoming of sorts.

Kovvy playing for chump change? Why?

 

[Steve Shutt]

Kovvy playing for chump change? Why?

Hoping to re-establish himself and earn a decent 2020-? contract. Montreal probably presented his best option for ice time and a solid choice for his wife and 4 kids.

 

[Burke the Legend]

Hoping to re-establish himself and earn a decent 2020-? contract. Montreal probably presented his best option for ice time and a solid choice for his wife and 4 kids.

He'll definitely get a chance to show if he still has a shot, being brought in as a PP specialist if nothing else. Montreal desperate with so many wingers out now.

 

[HabsAddict]

Hoping to re-establish himself and earn a decent 2020-? contract. Montreal probably presented his best option for ice time and a solid choice for his wife and 4 kids.

As much as I don't care about this move and in fact, ultra low risk that may pay off, I will lose it if Kovy pots a dozen and "earns" a longer term contract form Bbinz.

He's cheap filler, nothing more.

 

[inthe6ix]

With the amount of injuries the Habs have and the fact that this is a league minimum contract it's a decent signing. If he doesn't do anything he gets waived and sent down once your guys becomes healthy. If he starts scoring again you got a cheap winger who is scoring.

yah that's not happening

he's going back home to mother russia if he gets demoted to laval

 

[Michel Beauchamp]

Habs GM must have been playing NHL 10 to relive Kovalchuk's glory days

Sad

What's really sad is you getting your jollies out of this.

But I'm not surprised.

PS: Was that a presidential "sad " ?

 

[Neuf]

Still sad Jets didn't get him on this deal and have him reclaim the lead in franchise points again

 

[Ciao]

Hoping to re-establish himself and earn a decent 2020-? contract. Montreal probably presented his best option for ice time and a solid choice for his wife and 4 kids.

Montreal is very nice. Good place for a paid vacation.

I think the horse is out of the barn on the career thing, though.

 

[Intangir]

It's a smart move by Kovalchuk to sign in Montreal because he will be handed every opportunity to shine. Since we're so starved for offensive wingers because of injuries, Kovalchuk will likely get good icetime and favorable deployment and will probably score more than he did in LA as a result. If he performs well, it is possible for Kovy to up his value in the eyes of GMs around the league for next offseason, where he might then get some offers from teams looking to add some offense. There's also the fact that we're probably the only team that's desperate enough to sign him that actually still has a sliver of a chance at making the playoffs (unlikely I know, but still), which will appeal to Kovy a bit. There's also the fact that Montreal is a pretty nice city to live in with a strong nightlife and a bit of a european feel to it that players from eastern Europe seem to like.

It is basically a no-risk move by our GM from our team's perspective as if it works and we make it into the playoffs thanks to it, great, and if not it's not like it cost us anything. This is a desperation move by a GM trying to save his job and find ways to replenish a forwards corps that's depleted with injuries to wingers right now.

As Montreal Canadiens fans, we must be happy that MB at least has the self-restraint necessary not to squander our prospect depth or draft pick ressources to go all-in on making it to the post-season this year and instead makes some low-risk moves that will not hamper our future.

 

[ViD]

The way I look at current Habs offensive lineup, Kovy might just be one of their best already

 

[Karl Eriksson]

Kovalchuk and Spezza -- 1-2 in the 2001 draft, noth on league-minimum dealeos. What gives?

That was 19 years ago

 

[Tender Rip]

Really like what Bergevin is doing here. The team is probably not good enough to get where they want, but they pick up cheap low risk/high reward assets to give it a shot, and if it doesn't work there is time to turn those assets around.

Scandella for a 4th seemed to me very cheap (he's a fine D-man, capable middle pairing, IMO), and if he had been a RD I'd have wanted that deal for the Pens big time. Kovy is a pure joker, but at 700k, there is at least at chance that he can greatly outperform it if there is a click with the PP. And if it doesn´t work out he can be cut with no loss at all. Something I would also have been completely on for as a low-risk gamble.

 

[Hansman]

HAHA "Contender Kovalchuk"

I am going to go out on a limb here and guess that the Habs will still trend to miss the playoffs and at the deadline Habs fans will want a 1st + blue chop prospect for him

No,just a "B" prospect

 

[Omar]

Yes, this is a low risk move for the Habs but to me this is just another indication that we have no idea where we are as an organization. This isn’t a playoff built team that is just crippled with injuries and we’re trying to get in, buying time for injured guys to come back, so we can make a run for the Cup.

We’re a middling team that hasn’t made the playoffs for 3 out of the last 4 years, have tonnes of missing pieces in our lineup and would get demolished in the post season. We’re a small team with no size.

What’s the point of making the playoffs with this team? We should be recognizing that we’re in the bottom 8 of the league, have a lot of holes and should be trading our vets now to prepare for the draft to accelerate this rebuild and get better pieces to complement our future core.

The longer we try to make the playoffs with this team the longer it’s going to actually take to stay there. I don’t understand fans who are still pushing for playoffs, like have you not been following the last 20 years!?

What’s the point of all this?! Isn’t it the Cup? I feel like I’m in the twilight zone.

 

[Dirty Dan]

Sure, but why keep on playing?

Spezza -- okay, a homecoming of sorts.

Kovvy playing for chump change? Why?

Because he's 36 and doesn't have his elite power and speed. Now for the first time he is not the most naturally gifted player and he can't adjust his game.

its cause he went to the khl where he could just carry the puck and just force his game,

 

[Prairie Habs]

The way I look at current Habs offensive lineup, Kovy might just be one of their best already

Habs are 14th in the league in goals, perfectly respectable. I know you're just shamelessly pumping tires for russian players, but it's not like we're the 28th place jackets or anything.

 

[Pens x]

I guess he doesn’t care about winning. At least his season will be over in early April.