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

[Omar]

Good signing for them. Strong, structural coach but he made allotments for Kessel and Seguin and Pasta to freelance, either he fits in or he doesn't. No downside.

Downside is the draft.

 

[MarkyMarkov]

In retrospect, who makes this deal? Not me.

Better 20 years later than never

 

[Treb]

In retrospect, who makes this deal? Not me.

Garon, Markov and Komisarek for Kovalchuk? As much as I like Markov, sign me up.

 

[Lshap]

Signing an over the hill Russian who doesn’t give a flying **** about winning for league minimum in a desperate and pathetic attempt to salvage whatever is left of another write off season for a team who has hardly anything but a star goalie who’s overpaid and who’s best days are behind him. That’s what I find hilarious.

You realize you're laughing at your own imaginary character development.

 

[Junohockeyfan]

Hoping Kovalchuk can re-discover his offense in order to flip him to another team for a pick at TDL. Interesting move by MB. That said, hopefully Dale Weise is returned to the AHL now.

 

[bleedgreen]

That's the problem he was never really fast and is even slower now, I figure he will have trouble keeping up with the play.

I keep seeing takes like this and I’m baffled. Yes.....he was pretty damn fast in his prime. He was never slow? Not even close. That was the whole point of this guy......big/strong/fast with a bomb of a shot. That’s how you go number one overall.

More directly, while maybe it doesn’t say a lot about LA’s speed but he was one of their faster forwards and he’s been hustling more than most people would expect him to be if you’ve watched him. When I watched he was the guy driving the net taking d with him and pressing on the forecheck....completely different role that he used to play and he fully embraced it.

Was never fast......yet there’s years of highlights of him beating people down the rink over and over again.

He’ll have little problem keeping up in Montreal. At least people will watch now and have a more accurate look at him. I doubt it will reflect on anything they say though.

 

[BayStBullies]

I don't get the hate on this move. There is no risk and he can be traded off at the deadline. It's also 2 way.

 

[Kranix]

Funny seeing the Habs players interviewed, they're not exactly breathing a sigh of relief like the cavalry has arrived, they're just like "he's a good guy, he's had a good career"

 

[bleedgreen]

Funny seeing the Habs players interviewed, they're not exactly breathing a sigh of relief like the cavalry has arrived, they're just like "he's a good guy, he's had a good career"

I just don’t get it. Why would they? He hasn’t played in over a month. Once he’s played with him for a bit they’re probably going to warm up to him a bit.

“good career”....lol.

 

[Junohockeyfan]

Why would anyone crap on this move. MB still has to ice a roster. With the injuries, he had to sign someone as our AHL roster is also depleted. There is no downside to this move.

 

[Prairie Habs]

Still you're a -1 in goal differential. Must be because you've got the best goalie in the world making 10.5 mil.

So Kovalchuk is already one of our best forwards because Price is having a bad year? Cool story bro...

 

[razor8]

So Kovalchuk is already one of our best forwards because Price is having a bad year? Cool story bro...

What?

Where did I say that?

 

[Prairie Habs]

What?

Where did I say that?

That's what was being implied by your little non sequitur jab.

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.

Still you're a -1 in goal differential. Must be because you've got the best goalie in the world making 10.5 mil.

 

[razor8]

That's what was being implied by your little non sequitur jab.

It wasn't, but good that you know better than me what i meant.

I was taking a shot at "the best player in the league" Carey Price.

 

[CanadienShark]

Interesting. Kovalchuk was my favourite player growing up. Not sure if there's any point to this signing though, he doesn't really bring much anymore.

 

[ole ole]

Signing an over the hill Russian who doesn’t give a flying **** about winning for league minimum in a desperate and pathetic attempt to salvage whatever is left of another write off season for a team who has hardly anything but a star goalie who’s overpaid and who’s best days are behind him. That’s what I find hilarious.

Did you same the same thing when signing Spezza?
Come back when your great team has accomplished something/anything ...playoff related ...and i don't mean being bounced in the 1st rd....again.

 

[Runner77]

i dont know whether im more surprised that MTL went after Kovalchuk or that Kovalchuk agreed to go to MTL

Kovalchuk apparently chose Montreal cause they are willing to play him right away whereas the same type of situation wasn't open to him elsewhere.

 

[Runner77]

Interesting. Kovalchuk was my favourite player growing up. Not sure if there's any point to this signing though, he doesn't really bring much anymore.

Ironically, his last game before he parted ways with LAK, was in Montreal on Nov. 9th where he was blanked.

Out of the 17 games he played this season, he was held pointless in 11 of them.

 

[Runner77]

Montreal and Russia always had a good relationship.

There was just that one year where we didn't re-sign Markov, Radulov got divorced and bailed because it was too painful to be in the city anymore (his words), we didn't protect Emelin and he got scooped, waived our only Russian prospect (Sherbak), and we traded our fake Russian (Galchenyuk).

And then the years since where we haven't had a Russian player.

Sorry, but I don't buy the Radulov story as you present it -- I followed the ongoing negotiations for both players closely at the time. It is my opinion that Bergevin bungled his negotiations with both Radulov and Markov that summer. Both players did have a liking for Montreal.

Markov became a Canadian citizen and had lived in the city some 16 years before Bergevin's negotiations with the player went sour. Radulov was prepared to sign long term but Bergevin gave him an ultimatum on an offer he made to him while he was a UFA. Bergevin then withdrew the offer and during that time, Dallas swooped in and made the better offer, which Radulov accepted.

 

[Runner77]

Your GM is doing what he can to keep his job. Good....

It looks like a bread and circuses move. He's but the shadow of his former self but he has name recognition. Habs are playing the likes of Cousins and Weal on their PP due to the high number of injuries hitting all at once. They're not likely to make the playoffs given their recent skids but Kovalchuck can't possibly be worse than Cousins and Weal.

Or can he?

 

[Moose Head]

Sorry, but I don't buy the Radulov story as you present it -- I followed the ongoing negotiations for both players closely at the time. It is my opinion that Bergevin bungled his negotiations with both Radulov and Markov that summer. Both players did have a liking for Montreal.

Markov became a Canadian citizen and had lived in the city some 16 years before Bergevin's negotiations with the player went sour. Radulov was prepared to sign long term but Bergevin gave him an ultimatum on an offer he made to him while he was a UFA. Bergevin then withdrew the offer and during that time, Dallas swooped in and made the better offer, which Radulov accepted.

The habs offered Radulov the same money he got from Dallas. He wanted more to stay in Montreal, probably due to the tax difference.

 

[AmeriHab]

Hoping Kovalchuk can re-discover his offense in order to flip him to another team for a pick at TDL. Interesting move by MB. That said, hopefully Dale Weise is returned to the AHL now.

I hope he stays up. He was buzzing last game and added some excitement and his success just makes the game fun, doesn’t hurt or help our draft position unless we can deal him again like a few years ago

 

[Kraken Jokes]

Bergevin was already making excuses and covering his ass at the presser. " he knows its his last chance" What a pathetic bastard. 10 years to late. I remember when Habs had Saku they would have traded anyone for kovalchuk in his stud years. I think Gainey said he would literally trade the entire team for him. Now we get him on his last legs when hes not even good enough for the hollywood slacker teams.. This is gonna suck. Talk about doing the absolute bare minimum to keep his job. His expression and demeanor at the press conference was that of a man who knows he has no chance in hell with his current roster and is just there to save money for Molsen. The Habs are literally just a tax write off for a rich buffoon at this point. It is awful. Embarrassing. If I was Mayor of Montreal , I would throw Bergevin and Molsen in Bordeaux prison for treason against the city! Yeah its that bad.. Tabarnac!

We need to find a billionaire owner who is a hockey fan! If you guys know anyone please tell em to save the Habs ASAP!

Is that you Tony?!

 

[a mangy Meowth]

What lol

 

[Edgy]

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.

You think Kovalchuk and Scandella make us contenders?!!