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

[raswilliam]

Waiting on Habs fan reactions the first time Kovi gets caught out on the ice on the road after the home team gets the last change.

 

[Spargon]

I get the move for Montreal.

I don’t get why Kovalchuk did this. I thought he wanted to play for a contender??

No contender wants him to play for them.

 

[HockeyDBspecialist]

Hahaha, at least we will be able to see an elite player wear the habs jersey!

on a serious note i think he’ll help us on the PP!

A 2007 elite player

 

[uncleben]

No offense to Montreal, but I think this helps Kovalchuk's image that he's not just in it for money.
This is a "I just want to play hockey" contract.

The fact that it's a two-way is pretty funny

 

[CupsOverCash]

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

 

[Randy Randerson]

If they were similar in any way but nationality, you may have a point I guess?

offensively dynamic, defensively inept due to effort level without the puck?

other than Kovalchuk having a near generational release to Scherbak's good one, they are very stylistically similar players

 

[raswilliam]

I get the move for Montreal.

I don’t get why Kovalchuk did this. I thought he wanted to play for a contender??

This is a clear indication the market for Kovi wasnt there. Took a team depleted by injuries to pull the trigger.

 

[Randy Randerson]

Old man's Nikita Scherbak is an all-time take for Ilya Kovalchuk

it's actually a good get for MTL, I don't think he'll help to contend at all but at least the PP will be fun to watch and it's a story

 

[Coach Parker]

This is the first domino for Montreal that we will look back and Bruins fans will hate. Why?

Montreal is going to flip him after he puts up good numbers to Boston for one of their D prospects who will suddenly thrive in Montreal and haunt the Bruins.

 

[57special]

No risk move. What's the bloody problem?

 

[Torontoborn]

Wow Scandella and Kovalchuck two days apart. Seriously what is thinking behind both moves. Are the Habs contenders or rebuilding? These moves will keep them somewhere in the middle. This were the Leafs before 2016 never good enough to make the playoffs but never bad to get a top pick.

 

[CupInSIX]

offensively dynamic, defensively inept due to effort level without the puck?

other than Kovalchuk having a near generational release to Scherbak's good one, they are very stylistically similar players

Wasn't Kovalchuk pretty well rounded in NJ?

What a weird take, comparing a future HOFer to a bust.

 

[Steeler23]

I like these 2 moves, Bergevin is subtly appealing to the fans who want a rebuild without alarming those who want to win right now (and I'm pretty sure the owner is one of them). IMO, it's making more and more sense that he's not allowed to fully rebuild, but he's doing it anyway.

Scandella was almost free (Reilly + 4th for Scandella + AHL F + 5th) and we needed someone to relieve minutes from the top-4. I think it will help Mete (by playing with Petry, where he was good) and Fleury (with a veteran D) development. And Scandella is a UFA and we got rid of Reilly 1.5M contract next year. Clear win for free, players will be happy to have some help, especially the Top-3 who probably won't have to play 25 minutes a night anymore.

After Gallagher injury, he had no choice to find some help. And he needed help on the top-6 because we're short Armia, Drouin and Byron too. We don't really have a player in Laval who can play top-6 RW, and trading for a top-6 RW won't be cheap, and it's not worth it knowing Gally, Armia, Drouin and Byron will come back. So you sign Kovalchuk, who isn't who he used to be, but will probably want to prove he can still play. He won't be a game changer, but I think it's a mutual understanding that he will have Top-6 minutes (probably with Danault and Tatar) and will be flip at the deadline if we aren't contenders, we will flip him to one, if anyone is interested.

TLDR: Fans wanting a rebuild should be really happy right now. Fans who want to win right now.... be happy, we have PPG Ilya Kovalchuk with us........ !!

 

[Seb]

Wow Scandella and Kovalchuck two days apart. Seriously what is thinking behind both moves. Are the Habs contenders or rebuilding? These moves will keep them somewhere in the middle. This were the Leafs before 2016 never good enough to make the playoffs but never bad to get a top pick.

Leafs fans can never make anything not about themselves it's incredible.

 

[Randy Randerson]

Wasn't Kovalchuk pretty well rounded in NJ?

What a weird take, comparing a future HOFer to a bust.

no, the team was a sticky trap for pucks from the offensive blueline to their own end, Kovalchuck was always leaving early for offensive opportunities and coming back late.

what Kovalchuk was 7+ years ago is the only reason you're saying that, and I agree that if they were getting anything resembling that player then this would be something to get excited about, but other than marketing value this is very like adding a Nikita Scherbak

 

[Rpenny]

interesting

 

[Lebowski]

Who is Kovalov?

A crazy Russian scientist combined the genes of Kovalev and Radulov in his Siberia shack to grant us the ultimate being.

 

[MisterY]

It’s a move to attract Romanov in Montréal....

 

[kingsholygrail]

The Kovalchuk NHL tour continues!

 

[Mickey Marner]

The tank is on.

 

[Gamimenos]

I don't get why this deal has so much negativity attached to it here. If he isn't better then Weise, waive him. What's the problem?

 

[HabsQC]

Who is Kovalov?

Ending ov = ev does that help you ?

 

[sheed36]

A crazy Russian scientist combined the genes of Kovalev and Radulov in his Siberia shack to grant us the ultimate being.

That would be one hell of a good player.

 

[sheed36]

Ending ov = ev does that help you ?

I knew he was talking about Kovalev and if it was anyone but a Leafs fan I wouldn't have replied.

 

[ScoreZeGoals]

Tells you there was basically no market for Kovalchuck