SKA still pursuing Kovalchuk

[MM213]

Soviet Sport had a conversation with Yuri Nikolaev, Kovalchuk's agent in KHL

YN: Kovalchuk is currently in Russia, taking care of personal matters. He already started training. We learned about arbitrator's decision on Tuesday. We are currently trying to sort out the situation, understand what actually happened.

SS: Have you seen Ilya yet?
YN: No, we only talked over the phone. I'm not in Moscow right now. He is in a good mood, though.

SS: Have you talked to SKA president Medvedev yet?
YN: We got a call from their GM.

SS: What are they offering?
YN: Any contract length from 1 to 8 years, it's up to Kovalchuk. [...] They say they are very flexible.

SS: Any other KHL team contacted you?
YN: No.

SS: Does your situation depend on Ilya contract talks with NHL teams?
YN: Don't know, we haven't discussed it yet.


SKA GM Andrei Tochitsky: Our offer to Kovalchuk is still on the table

SS: Are you offering 1 to 8 years contract?
AT: Yes

SS: Do you still have salary cap space left after signing Afinogenov and Grebeshkov?
AT: If we exceed it, we are ready to pay luxury tax [wow! simple as that!]

SS: Do you think Kovalchuk is interested in KHL contract?
AT: If there was no interest from him, this story would have ended long ago. But it's really a question to Ilya and his agent

 

[dash]

MM213, other reports out of Russia are stating that the Blues first round pick (Vladimir Tarasenko) in this year's draft is about to sign a contract with a KHL team. Any confirmation?

 

[MM213]

dash, not according to Sport-Express
They say he will sign a contract extension with Sibir soon as he returns from France (he is currently with Russian junior team, playing there)

 

[dash]

Pulled this off the wire:

Shareholders of Gazprom, the main sponsor of KHL's SKA, will conduct an investigation into the company's spending on high profile players...

 

[MM213]

It's BS, coming from so-called Union of Gazprom shareholders - informal organization, controlling 0.8% of Gazprom shares. No one takes them seriously.