Kovalchuk didn't do himself any favours

[dash]

with a poor performance in the playoffs with the Devils. So where does he land next? The KHL talk never seems to go away, but from what I've read, the league isn't exactly on stable financial ground. LA Kings have a boatload of cap room, they could definitely be in the mix.

 

[Jimmy_the_Tongue]

2 play-off goals...that's $8 million well spent....

 

[miamiforlife81]

If I were a GM I'd offer 6-7 million, no more.

He certainly hasn't earned that rumored 10 million / per he was asking for.

 

[Larry N]

Knowing Lou, that bastich probably already has a deal lined up with the Kings to trade the right to negotiate with Kovy for Brown and Kopitar.

 

[dash]

If I were a GM I'd offer 6-7 million, no more.

He certainly hasn't earned that rumored 10 million / per he was asking for.

Doesn't he have the most goals scored in the NHL since 2001? My bet is he signs for an amount just under Crosby/Malkin money (8.5 million)

 

[The Soggy one]

Knowing Lou, that bastich probably already has a deal lined up with the Kings to trade the right to negotiate with Kovy for Brown and Kopitar.

lets hope not

 

[miamiforlife81]

He does score a good amount of goals (nearly 40 or more every year) but he's still yet to score 100 points in a season and has only been a + player once in his career, which was this season.

I know he was in a somewhat bad situation in Atlanta but I just don't think he's quite the caliber of Crosby, Malkin, OV.

I'd say he's more along the lines of Datsyuk, Kane, Heatley. Great players but not elite.

 

[Larry N]

I know he was in a somewhat bad situation in Atlanta but I just don't think he's quite the caliber of Crosby, Malkin, OV.

I'd say he's more along the lines of Datsyuk, Kane, Heatley. Great players but not elite.

I think that's a fair assessment. Unless he was the last piece to put a team over the top (in which case that team probably doesn't have the cap room anyway), I don't see any reason to throw Crosby money at Kovy.

 

[Darkstone42]

He's a huge offensive force, and might have the best shot in the game, but between the Olympics and his time with the Devils, I don't know that he has the heart to play up to his talent, or to ever perform in the playoffs. He's got enough talent to be mentioned with Malkin, Crosby, and Ovechkin, but one must wonder if he has the heart and drive to be.

That said, his production merits about $7.5-8 million per year.

 

[miamiforlife81]

I don't know that he has the heart to play up to his talent, or to ever perform in the playoffs. He's got enough talent to be mentioned with Malkin, Crosby, and Ovechkin, but one must wonder if he has the heart and drive to be.

Agreed. He seems to be invisible in big games.

 

[quoipourquoi]

I don't see any reason to throw Crosby money at Kovy.

But someone will. There aren't enough Kovalchuks in the league to not do everything possible with the cap space to get one (at least as far as the shit teams go).

 

[postmaster]

I would slate him in the $5.5 to $7.5M a year cap hit depending on the length of the contract. He is still an elite winger. Don't forget, the system in New Jersey might not have beent he best for him and he certainly didn't have a lot of time to adjust his game to fit it going there right before the deadline instead of playing it all year. I would not be surprised if he gets a little more but I think he won't.

 

[OUVan59]

But someone will. There aren't enough Kovalchuks in the league to not do everything possible with the cap space to get one (at least as far as the shit teams go).

Agreed. Besides if Crosby/Ovechkin/Malkin were on the open market they would get more than current Crosby/Ovechkin/Malkin money. A 30 year old Hossa got $8M. Kovalchuk should do no worse than that.

 

[flyersfan4706]

He's a scary guy
Unless the Flyers sign him for $40 a year I hope he plays in the KHL

 

[OUVan59]

with a poor performance in the playoffs with the Devils.

Kovalchuk wasn't the reason the Devils lost though. He was in on 6 of their 9 total goals in the series. You have to look more at guys like Jamie Langenbrunner and Dainus Zubrus who were nowhere to be seen for most of this series.

 

[MM213]

KHL will do their best to get Kovalchuk. It's in good financial shape (except for couple teams that lost sponsors) and can offer plenty of incentives besides rich contract. But it's still 2nd best league and gap in quality of game between NHL and KHL didn't get any smaller.

It's Kovalchuk's decision, which he prefers: money or playing with the best.

It could be argued that playing close to home would be another big point in his decision. However, I don't think Kovalchuk still thinks of Russia as his home. He lives in USA for many years, married American, has 3 kids born here. I'd say, home is where family is.

 

[Larry N]

But someone will. There aren't enough Kovalchuks in the league to not do everything possible with the cap space to get one (at least as far as the shit teams go).

Between the validity of your point and the fact that my train of thought keeps getting derailed by your avatar, I can't argue that. All I can say is that I wouldn't pay Kovy the kind of money that Crosby, Malkin, ir OV would command.

 

[UTVolCountry]

Trade him here to Nashville.

I would love to have a player like him on the team. Preds don't really have any household names.

 

[elocomotive]

Trade him here to Nashville.[

He can't be traded, he's a UFA, no? All they have to do is Ponikarovsky up the cash.

 

[puckhead]

He can't be traded, he's a UFA, no? All they have to do is Ponikarovsky up the cash.

technically you could trade for his (or any pending UFA) negotiating rights, but K'chuk seemed fairly set on testing the market.