Mark Everson Report: Kovy to Devs for 7 years/60 mill
Mark Everson is not my favorite Devils reporter but he isn't Eklund. He floated this out there today from what one "source" of his has suggested.
Looks like Pierre LeBrun is also getting in on this.
Also a very interesting tweet from Larry Brooks.
If true, Marty seems very happy.
Editor's Note: I'm front paging this for all Kovalchuk related discussion. I'm not saying anything unless it's official.
Editor's Note Pt. 2: Jay Grossman says nothing's happening today. Lesson: Don't always buy into speculation, or at least not from Everson.
almost 2 years ago
Zelepukin
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Yikes!
That is a bit pricey but I do hope it’s true lol. I’m trying not to get too excited until I have concrete evidence that it’s official. I’ll be needing Lou to fax me a copy of the signed deal. I’m sure he’ll get on it fast.
by PariseLikeSundayMornin on Jul 5, 2010 1:53 PM EDT reply actions
At least Brodeur’s on board with the signing, per Pierre LeBrun.
Devils in my heart! Devils in my mind! Devils in my eyes! Devils until I die!
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To quote the Special One: Very nice. (He would also say, “Shut up, Sven.” just because.)
Devils in my heart! Devils in my mind! Devils in my eyes! Devils until I die!
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I would love if we got rid of Langs instead of Zubrus… don’t think that’ll happen though.
by undersuspicion426 on Jul 5, 2010 1:55 PM EDT reply actions
Well
Zuby does make more. I’d hate to see either of them go to be honest. At least then Zach could be the Captain.
by PariseLikeSundayMornin on Jul 5, 2010 1:56 PM EDT reply actions
This better happen before I go to work at 3:30
by undersuspicion426 on Jul 5, 2010 1:57 PM EDT reply actions
I wonder what kind of implications this has for re-signing Parise next year. If Kovy can get ~$8.5MM, I wonder what ZP will be able to ask for.
Parise should ask for way more, he does way more than Kovalchuk other than Shooting%.
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he’s not going to get more and I think everyone knows that. I don’t care how hard Parise works he’s not as naturally talented as Kovalchuk and that factors in a lot in these things.
I really don’t see Parise going anywhere I think this is the 1, 2 punch for the rest of the decade.
If he likes how NJ is...
Johnny Mac as a coach, his teamates, and how well they do this year, I can see ZP being “a real devil” as Martin would say and take a 6-7 million/year contract to stay. He reads at libraries for Jersey kids for heaven’s sake! He’s got to love the state somewhat!
I don’t care how hard Parise works he’s not as naturally talented as Kovalchuk and that factors in a lot in these things.
What? Parise faces some of the stiffest competition in the league, yet he produces roughly the same number of ES pts/60 as Kovalchuk. He also has a higher adjusted +/-, a much lower GAON/60, and is a much better Corsi player than Kovy. Yes he has a better zone start percentage, but he’s a penalty drawing machine and is much better at shot blocking. On top of all of this, he’s got a better adjusted +/- on the pp and also produces more pts/60 than Kovalchuk.
How do you figure Kovy is better than Parise?
Hockey Blogger at Pensburgh.com
You missed the optimal phrase:
I don’t care how hard Parise works he’s not as naturally talented as Kovalchuk and that factors in a lot in these things.
Parise is a beast, but he fights for every inch and every goal. Kovalchuk’s abilities are more natural and intuitive.
To "resign" is to voluntarily leave a position; retire. To "re-sign" is to sign again. When talking about free agents, please use the correct one.
Kovalchuk’s got more natural shooting talent, but Parise one ups him in everything else. There’s no way a guy faces the competition Parise does and comes out positive to his teammates without a boatload of natural talent. The only reason people don’t acknowledge it is that it doesn’t make for good highlight reels.
Hockey Blogger at Pensburgh.com
I am definitely worried about the impact this will have on re-signing Zach. I do believe the Devils will be able to get it done, and I think this is a strong sign to Zach that the team is committed to winning – not just until Marty retires, but beyond as well. The worry, though, is how much of a cap hit Zach will demand. It wouldn’t be unreasonable for him to demand as much as Kovy, but the Devils can’t afford to pay both of them that much. They’re both great players, but they’re also not quite at Crosby and Malkin level, and we can all see how those two contracts make it harder for Pittsburgh to surround those two centers with better wingers.
Arnott’s contract goes to Parise next year. I also dont think Parise will ask for, nor need any more than $7.5MM. I would bet that it is expected that Josefson take Arnott’s role next year. There’s also Langenbrunner’s almost $3MM potentially coming off next year too. I would not worry about Parise re-signing, its the other parts that I would start to think about keeping. Parise is a lifer.
I think we’ll see the start of a youth movement on the club, as it will be cost prohibitive to keep the current team (even less Salvador and Zubrus, should they be the ones who go to get Kovy under the cap) and add veterans around them. I don’t know that we’re talking the top-end kids this year — that depends on Lou and how much cap he can come up with. I could see Zharkov, among others, getting parked at Albany if they’re not going to play regularly, and the roster filled out with $500k types instead (Zharkov’s hit is $800k).
I imagine we’re looking at the possibility of Pelley being the checking center, or someone like McAmmond coming back on the cheap for the same reason. I imagine Lou is pretty much done adding talent at this point, and now the real fun begins. After all, teams aren’t necessarily keen on helping other teams get under the cap unless they think they’re getting a good deal out of it. Atlanta might have been willing to buy high on Chicago’s playoff performers, but I don’t see the same thing happening for the Devils.
None
Zach can get 4 of Arnott’s 4.5M, and give the other .5M to a rookie to replace the spot. Re-signing Parise next year won’t be a problem no matter what this year’s cap looks like.
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Not to mention
that leaves Rolston with 1 year left, plus it won’t be too long before Brodeur and Elias come off the cap. In terms of real money and the salary cap, this would impact us now. In two-three years, we can still go out and get whoever Lamoriello wants.
The cap hit of 7-years/$60M is around 8.5M, although there are reports that suggest Kovy wants a 4-year deal with us so he can try to get Sochi to work out in 2014, but either deal is fine with me if I had a say in it.
Yankees in baseball, Giants in football and Devils in hockey. It's that simple. I have no off-season.
by DownGoesAvery on Jul 5, 2010 2:19 PM EDT up reply actions
wow
pricey indeed but i hope this is true after i had a heating debate with my friend last night ( a rags fan nonetheless) on whether Kovy would re-sign. I hope I get to shove this in his face.
Oh good, so it’s not just me who is having trouble
by undersuspicion426 on Jul 5, 2010 2:01 PM EDT up reply actions
i love this
and i love how you all get the same rush over this haha
Grossman posted all his clients signings on Twitter on July 1st, so I would watch his account closely.
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Hooray!! This is exactly what we didn’t need. When did Lou feel the need to start trying to buy a Cup?
when you're going after one of the most dominant players in the game
by Jacques Strapp on Jul 5, 2010 2:04 PM EDT up reply actions
While I agree with your first post, that doesn’t necessarily mean anything.
by undersuspicion426 on Jul 5, 2010 2:09 PM EDT up reply actions
Well Crosby has won a Stanley Cup, Ovechkin has won several Harts, those two are considered dominant because of that. Kovy is just a goal scorer who hasn’t achieved anything like Dany Heatley or Marian Gaborik.
We’ll just have to agree to disagree
by undersuspicion426 on Jul 5, 2010 2:36 PM EDT up reply actions
correction. when you’re going after one of the most TALENTED players in the sport.
by Jacques Strapp on Jul 5, 2010 2:37 PM EDT up reply actions
and with that one word, the entire outlook changes. Maybe he isnt dominant, but he is easily Top 10 in terms of talent. And a top 5 scorer.
All that talent doesn’t mean anything if he can’t harness it properly.
Hockey Blogger at Pensburgh.com
That is true for any player, no? Even for guys named Crosby. Time, maturity, and good coaching go a long way towards developing a player. To me, Kovy doesnt need to score 50 goals and 100 points, but he does need to play both ends of the rink while putting up 40 goals and 80-85 points, and continue that in the Playoffs.
80-85 points in the playoffs would be sweeeeet!
To "resign" is to voluntarily leave a position; retire. To "re-sign" is to sign again. When talking about free agents, please use the correct one.
Crosby is 22 and already one of the better defensive players in the game. Kovy is 27 and hasn’t ever been confused for even an average defensive player. Yes coaching can help, but if you’re paying $8.4M a year on the hope that your coach will convince a 27 year old prima donna to play some defense, I think that’s a bad contract.
Hockey Blogger at Pensburgh.com
Primadonna, that term gets floated around a lot, and its a frustrating one. What makes a player a primadonna? Is Ovechkin a primadonna, Malkin? Seems those players are the closest to comparables to Kovalchuk.
How was Kovalchuk not a prima donna with the way he treated ATL toward the trade deadline? He should have had the balls to tell them “I don’t want to play here anymore,” and not string them along while letting the fan base think that they could actually work out a deal.
Hockey Blogger at Pensburgh.com
by GoPens! on Jul 5, 2010 5:24 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Then why do you care if he signs with the Devils?? All the better for you right that we take in the “primadonna?”
This thread is supposed to be a comment thread for reactions to the Kovy deal. I didn’t think it was good, and I’m expressing that opinion.
Hockey Blogger at Pensburgh.com
You are expressing that opinion by stating that Kovy is a primadonna, and did so without explaining why you thought that. How did Kovalchuk treat Atlanta badly before the trade deadline? He allowed Don Waddell to save face and look like he did everything he could as to not lose the team’s last remaining star. What information do you have that says Waddell didnt know what Kovalchuk wanted long prior to trading him to New Jersey. Remember, he was traded almost a month before the trade deadline.
He’s got nothing. He’s just looking for an excuse to needlessly drag Crosby into the conversation.
I guess he’s a little jealous that Kovalchuk is getting all the press right now or something. Who knows with these apologists.
To "resign" is to voluntarily leave a position; retire. To "re-sign" is to sign again. When talking about free agents, please use the correct one.
He’s just looking for an excuse to needlessly drag Crosby into the conversation.
I didn’t mention Crosby until Skuba7 did. And what’s there to apologize for about his play? I came here to talk Kovalchuk and it devolved to this without my doing.
Let me also say that I never meant to come off as confrontational. Prima donna was probably too harsh, but I’m not here to troll or create pointless arguments.
Hockey Blogger at Pensburgh.com
Well when you’re column on TSN starts going live, then i’ll try and assign some weight to your opinion. Until then you just sound like a bitter Penguins fan trying to get a rise.
by Zelepukin on Jul 5, 2010 6:11 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Zelepukin,
How many commenters on SBN have a column on TSN? There’s a lot of great work done on these blogs in both posts and comments, and dismissing some of them because they don’t have the mainstream stamp of approval seems a bit foolish.
And it’s tough to understand why any penguins fan right now would be bitter. I came here looking to discuss the possible Kovy deal, and it’s frustrating that it’s devolved to this. Just because I don’t think Kovy was as honest as he should have been this year with Atlanta doesn’t mean I should be demonized on this blog.
Hockey Blogger at Pensburgh.com
You mean like Malkin at $8.7MM?
Criticisms are to be expected, and that’s fine, but be constructive man, not use terms like primadonna
How is Malkin a prima donna? And how are Kovy and Malkin comparable?
Malkin: $8.7M cap hit, 23 years old, Art Ross, Stanley Cup, Conn Smythe, career 1.23 pts/game
Kovy: $8.4M cap hit, 27 years old, career 1.03 pts/game
Hockey Blogger at Pensburgh.com
seriously your going there? ok so then who is the crosby on atlanta that makes malkin as good as he looks? and where is the defense? and goaltending. get out of here before you make more stupid comments
seriously take crosby away and see if he can be as good as kovy. i am willing to bet my life savings and future baby that he isnt
by Kyle Hamelin on Jul 5, 2010 5:38 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
get out of here before you make more stupid comments
I’m not sure why you’re acting so hostile.
As to your points, I don’t understand where you’re coming from. Malkin plays with Crosby less than 10% of the time at even strength, so it’s tough to draw the conclusion that Malkin is bumped up simply because of Crosby. The last two years, Malkin has played the majority of ES play with marginal top six forwards like Pascal Dupuis, Max Talbot, Ruslan Fedetenko and Miroslav Satan. The QTEAM stats at behind the net also show that Malkin played with less talented teammates than Kovy this past year.
As to defense and goaltending, ATL and PIT both got league average goaltending. PIT defensively was stronger, but that only shows up in adjusted +/-, and I’m not looking at that stat. And, if by some chance, Crosby was off the Penguins, Malkin would get the 1st line teammates that Crosby has, and see an increase in the quality of teammates.
Malkin has accomplished quite a bit in his young career, and it’s tough to see how you can be so hostile to his performance while so forgiving of Kovalchuk’s.
Hockey Blogger at Pensburgh.com
Marc Savard, Marian Hossa, Dany Heatley. He’s had interchangeable parts.
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by Kevin Sellathamby on Jul 5, 2010 5:38 PM EDT up reply actions
Malkin has had constantly rotating wings over his career as well. And his wingers, such as Dupuis, Talbot, Satan, Fedotenko, and Sykora, are not as talented as Hossa, Heatley or Savard. Both players have had interchangeable parts.
Hockey Blogger at Pensburgh.com
Kovalchuk’s gotten those numbers playing next to half the talent Malkin does. If Kovy signs with the Devils, we’ll see how this year compares.
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I’m not sure where you come to that conclusion. The QTEAM and Corsi QoT stats at behind the net indicate that Kovalchuk had better talent around him this year, in both ATL and NJ. Kovy has also gotten to play with Heatley, Savard, and Hossa, where Malkin hasn’t seem comparable talent. For the record, Malkin rarely plays with Crosby at ES.
Hockey Blogger at Pensburgh.com
but if you’re paying $8.4M a year on the hope that your coach will convince a 27 year old prima donna to play some defense, I think that’s a bad contract
Malkin isnt known for his Defensive play either, is he? And his contract Cap Hit is $8.7. So while Kovy may not have yet won these awards, is he not a similarly valued player?
Malkin led the league in takeaways last year. He’s not a great defensive player, but he’s got better Corsi and adjusted +/- stats than Kovalchuk.
And the reason I mentioned those awards was to show that they give Malkin extra value that Kovy doesn’t have.
Hockey Blogger at Pensburgh.com
Don’t feed the troll.
To "resign" is to voluntarily leave a position; retire. To "re-sign" is to sign again. When talking about free agents, please use the correct one.
by elesias on Jul 5, 2010 5:34 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I don’t see how you think I’m trolling. Even if you disagree with me on whether Kovalchuk treated ATL with honesty this year, I’ve used stats to argue my points and haven’t been confrontational. I said Zach Parise was a great player, and that I’d take him over Kovy. I also expressed why I don’t think Kovy is worth $8.4M a year.
Hockey Blogger at Pensburgh.com
I don’t understand why people are flipping out over what you said. You brought up valid points. I don’t get the hype for Kovy either but apparently he is the answer to all of NJ problems and is gonna bring the cup back.
No one seems to see the fact that we have tons of offensive talent on this team already and have no cap room for Kovy. Who cares about logic though. Adding a flashy 40+ goal scorer = Stanley cups obviously. It’s worked for teams like the Rags and Sharks. Oh wait.
I don’t understand why everyone is acting with such nerves.
I think everyone needs to relax. I’m closing this post.
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by John Fischer on Jul 5, 2010 11:29 PM EDT up reply actions
This
will certainly be interesting to see how this works out. I really thin Kovy is gonna be deadly with a full season to work with Elias and Arnott. He was finding his way last year but Lemaire held him back and kept changing his line. Maclean won’t be that thick headed. As long as this doesn’t hurt our chances of signing Captain Zach I’m 100% for it.
by PariseLikeSundayMornin on Jul 5, 2010 2:05 PM EDT reply actions
It won't
Think of it this way: Parise’s cap hit is around $3.5-4M, I’m not exactly sure, but as forementioned, Arnott is a one-year deal (left anyway), then Josefson should be ready to step in, plus we’ll have another winger, Tedenby, ready by then with Henrique following shortly after. This is a deal that Lou should be able to pull off.
Yankees in baseball, Giants in football and Devils in hockey. It's that simple. I have no off-season.
by DownGoesAvery on Jul 5, 2010 2:21 PM EDT up reply actions
$3.125M Cap hit for Zach
Go Jets
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The user comments on that page are hilarious.
To "resign" is to voluntarily leave a position; retire. To "re-sign" is to sign again. When talking about free agents, please use the correct one.
They are. They say they’re hockey fans, but they question who is Marty’s backup when we just signed Hedberg. Stay up to date on the facts before you go criticizing, Canadians!
Us Canucks eat, sleep, breath hockey. Most just don’t know what a good team is.
Joshd12
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by joshd12 on Jul 5, 2010 2:35 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I wonder what the age of those posters are. I read TSN every day, and comment often trying to point out the nonsense that spews from them. Way too many are Leaf fans, which would account for being so delusional. But its funny to read, every day.
The problem is
a lot of Leaf fans get a bad rap because of this… those TSN posters make us all look like drooling idiots.
Tick Tock, Tomas. Tick Tock.
A drinking team with a hockey problem.
Ah, an intelligent Maple Leafs fan. What is your take on the contracts for Kulemin, and what will happen with Kaberle, and if Bozak is truly a Number 1 Center, and OF COURSE, how badly were the Leafs fleeced on the Kessel deal.
This isn't really the proper forum
but I suggest you read over at Pensionplanpuppets.com, the Leafs counterpart to In Lou We Trust.
Kulemin – decent contract, I thought he’d get similar to Clarkson
Kaberle – who the hell knows
Bozak – not a legit #1, but c’mon he’s played 37 games. Too early to tell. Plus, this!
Kessel – Dear God don’t get me started. Hindsight is 20/20… but man, Kessel is going to be good. So at least we didn’t get a bust.
Tick Tock, Tomas. Tick Tock.
A drinking team with a hockey problem.
I would take Bozak but where dd you get this from? I know the site but what article?
Piece by piece we are slowly turning into the 2000 Devils team, anyone up for the A-Line: The Sequel?
by RolliePollieKovy on Jul 5, 2010 7:08 PM EDT up reply actions
Definitely a new direction for the team...
So, with Arnott and Langs contract coming off the books next year, along with Greene’s and a few others, hopefully (and i have little doubt that it will happen) ZP will be able to stay. I think Lou’s betting on the Cap rising like it has since the lockout (by almost 20 million!).
Our core then (hopefully) for the next 4 years at minimum will be Kovy, Parise, Volchenkov, Zajac, Clarkson, Tallinder, and rookies like Josefson and Tedenby. I don’t know about you, but I’m kinda excited for this season to start.
*When i say I have little doubt of it happening...
I mean ZP leaving. Especially if this experiment this year works out. Hell, he’d probably be captain should he stay.
In other news, Dewey defeated Truman!
To "resign" is to voluntarily leave a position; retire. To "re-sign" is to sign again. When talking about free agents, please use the correct one.
Everson walking this back
Thanks to Mirtle for pointing this out.
In a word to Everson: BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
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The copy and still is the same. I’m sure Everson’s editor at the Post is just watching his back just in case.
Still, I wouldn’t start planning the party (or writing the hate-filled rant) just yet.
Devils in my heart! Devils in my mind! Devils in my eyes! Devils until I die!
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Not official, but likely
Darren Dreger, Kevin Allen and Pierre LeBrun would all be surprised if NJ wasn’t the destination for Kovy. Unless the Isles can convince him quickly, he’s our’s, nobody else really put in an official offer, I don’t think the Islanders did either. I would think within the hour we’ll pretty much know for sure, that’s what happens when a report like this comes out.
Yankees in baseball, Giants in football and Devils in hockey. It's that simple. I have no off-season.
Cap
That would be awesome if the cap increased significantly next year. We’ll have 4.5 mil for sure when Arnott comes off. Maybe they let Langs go, thats 2.8, Greene will need a raise though, as well as Parise. Hopefully he can make it work. If getting Kovy means we’re gonna lose Zach then this is the worst move in Devils history. I’m not kidding about that.
by PariseLikeSundayMornin on Jul 5, 2010 2:15 PM EDT reply actions
I wouldn't worry right now about next off-season...
If Kovy is signed, a lot has to be down to make the cap. Next years picture will be completely different than what is now. Also, who’s to say Lou won’t do the same things to get Parise that he will have to do if Kovy is signed.
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by Matthew Ventolo on Jul 5, 2010 2:21 PM EDT up reply actions
Just Arnott’s contract coming off the books is enough to give Parise all the money he deserves. That would be roughly $7.6M/yr. Only way Parise leaves is if the Islanders swoop in again and make some ridiculous $10M/yr offer.
Comparison of the two Post stories
Wyshynski has a picture here on his Twitter.
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Yeah…with three, star left wings.
In Lou We Trust: SBN Blog of the New Jersey Devils
"Hockey is the only job I know where you get paid to have a nap on the day of the game." - Chico Resch
by Matthew Ventolo on Jul 5, 2010 2:27 PM EDT up reply actions
How about waiting for a contract to actually be signed?
Devils in my heart! Devils in my mind! Devils in my eyes! Devils until I die!
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haha, nothing like stirring the pot.
Realistically, we have to believe Salvador and Zubrus are gone.
Yes.
To "resign" is to voluntarily leave a position; retire. To "re-sign" is to sign again. When talking about free agents, please use the correct one.
Anyone left who doesn’t have a no trade clause. Unfortunately, all the players the Devils SHOULD get rid of have these awful things. Lou hands out way too many of these things.
Why do I have a feeling that
Kovalchuk’s contract will include that should he indeed sign here?
Yankees in baseball, Giants in football and Devils in hockey. It's that simple. I have no off-season.
by DownGoesAvery on Jul 5, 2010 2:40 PM EDT up reply actions
They didn't
They have NTCs. Quite a difference. With an NMC, the contract can’t get buried in the minors.
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A no-trade clause requires a player’s consent before a trade involving that player is made. If a player has a no-movement clause, the player cannot be traded, waived, or sent down to the minors without that player’s approval. In both cases, however, a player is not protected from being bought out by the player’s current team.
That’s good to know. Lou always has that option to try and free up SOME of a player’s cap space by buying them out. How much cap hit is there if someone is bought out? A certain % of their yearly salary? Is it just for one year or is it for every year until that contract would have ended?
The team has to pay the player 2/3 of the remaining money left on their deal. That amount of money is spread out over twice the number of remaining years of the deal when it comes to cap hit. Put another way, the cap hit is 1/3 of the player’s current cap hit for twice the number of years remaining on the deal. For example, if the Devils wanted to buy out Zubrus’ contract of 3.4 million/yr for the next 3 yrs, the cap hit would be 1.13 million for the next 6 yrs.
That’s true: White and Rolston have NTCs
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Rumor: Atlanta making one last push?
I saw rumors on a few different sites that the Thrashers are still in contact with Jay Grossman regarding Kovalchuk, but that is not official. The report also stated that the Islanders are out.
Yankees in baseball, Giants in football and Devils in hockey. It's that simple. I have no off-season.
Link?
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by Matthew Ventolo on Jul 5, 2010 2:51 PM EDT up reply actions
Looking for it
I will post anything I see from a “reliable” source. I also follow Dreger, MacKenzie, Kevin Allen, Scott Cullen, LeBrun and of course, Jay Grossman. We’ll see…Grossman made it sound like this will be over very soon.
Yankees in baseball, Giants in football and Devils in hockey. It's that simple. I have no off-season.
by DownGoesAvery on Jul 5, 2010 2:53 PM EDT up reply actions
Greg Wyshynski just tweeted
that Atlanta isn’t quite out yet, not that Kovy would want to go back there, just Wadell keeping himself in it until it’s over. He also said that Everson has been wrong before, as we have heard, so take this with a grain of salt.
Yankees in baseball, Giants in football and Devils in hockey. It's that simple. I have no off-season.
by DownGoesAvery on Jul 5, 2010 2:56 PM EDT up reply actions
Per Gulitti regarding Atlanta
http://twitter.com/TGfireandice/status/17809560061
then he posted this…
Yeah, I would put very little faith in such a deal. It would make next to no sense for Kovalchuk to go back to Atlanta.
Devils in my heart! Devils in my mind! Devils in my eyes! Devils until I die!
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I don’t see how Kovy would go back to Atlanta after turning down all that money before he got traded. Maybe he sees the team as being better, since they have made some changes since he left? I just don’t see it happening.
Follow-up
Larry Brooks stated that the Islanders are out, if they were ever in. Expect some kind of announcement closer to 5 PM E.T.
Yankees in baseball, Giants in football and Devils in hockey. It's that simple. I have no off-season.
by DownGoesAvery on Jul 5, 2010 3:24 PM EDT up reply actions
Players with NTCs fair game too?
I know we typically mentally rule out players with NTCs as possible trade targets, but the reality of the situation is that moving both Zubrus and Salvador will not cut it if the numbers reported by Everson (who I don’t consider all that much more credible than Eklund).
Per CapGeek, the Devils’ cap space stands at about 4.75 million. Taking Zubrus and Salvador out gives the Devils about 11 million in space. 8.5 million for Kovy leaves just 2.5 million in space with 10 F, 6 D, 2 G signed. 2.5 million is not enough for 3 forwards and 1 extra Dman, especially when I’m sure the Devils would like to bring up some promising prospects on entry-level deals who will have cap hits between 800K – 1M.
That means the Devils may have to dump a third contract, and the only players left are those with NTCs since I’m sure we all agree Parise and Zajac and the players we recently signed are not going anywhere – Langenbrunner and White are possible.
I think we have to consider these guys to be in play because, as a last resort, the Devils can always threaten to bury the guy in the minors. Lou will ask them to give them a list of teams they would accept a trade to, and they would be obliged to give such a list. It would be a classless move and very un-Lou-like, but if the Devils are prepared to give Kovy 8.5 million a year, they’re prepared to do anything to make it work under the cap.
for some reason capgeek doesnt include Pelleys new contract. I read something about an issue registering it with the NHL… But thats 11 forwards
On Pelley and his contract..
From Chere (at the bottom):
“All the details, such as the term of the contract and money, haven’t been worked out yet,” Pelley told me. “I was listed as an unrestricted free agent because I did not get a qualifying offer from the Devils. But I agreed to a contract on the side. It was pre-arranged.”
In Lou We Trust: SBN Blog of the New Jersey Devils
"Hockey is the only job I know where you get paid to have a nap on the day of the game." - Chico Resch
by Matthew Ventolo on Jul 5, 2010 3:20 PM EDT up reply actions
Thanks Matt. There is also Tim Sestito signed, right? And we cannot rule out Dean McAmmond who would likely sign for about $600K.
Capgeek says we have 10 players signed now, plus Pelley, plus possibly Sestito right? And then Kovalchuk minus Zubrus still equals 12, only need two more, yes?
Correct
He was signed to a 1-year, two-way contract. Per Capgeek, his NHL salary is the minimum at $500k.
In Lou We Trust: SBN Blog of the New Jersey Devils
"Hockey is the only job I know where you get paid to have a nap on the day of the game." - Chico Resch
by Matthew Ventolo on Jul 5, 2010 3:33 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah I don’t understand what’s taking so long. And I’m confused about what actually happened with Pelley, because TG says here that Pelley did get a qualifying offer.
Nonetheless, if Pelley is on a one-year contract, I think the cap hit will be 600K (around what the qualifying offer was worth). If it’s a two-year contract, I think it’s for the league minimum of 500K. That leaves less than 2 million for 2 forwards and 1 D. Josefson costs 900K, Tedenby costs 875K, Corrente costs 822K, and we still don’t know how much Eckford and Fraser will be paid, since they’re currently RFAs.
Sounds right
I’m sure Lou will pursue all of his options, but I would guess Langenbrunner goes before White, only because of this: Colin White’s best years in my opinion were under Larry Robinson. Now Larry is back as an assistant, so maybe, just maybe, White will have a better 2010-11? I wouldn’t mind Clarkson moving up to the Parise-Zajac line.
Yankees in baseball, Giants in football and Devils in hockey. It's that simple. I have no off-season.
by DownGoesAvery on Jul 5, 2010 3:18 PM EDT up reply actions
I don’t really believe that Clarkson belongs in a top-six role but he’ll probably get a chance to show what he can do on the top two lines if Langenbrunner goes.
I wouldn’t expect much from White. He hasn’t been the same since his eye injury, and frankly he’s more expendable than Langenbrunner is because the Devils have picked up defensive Dmen in free agency, while also having Fraser and Corrente ready to play.
I agree with dr(d)evil, White has got to go. NjDeViLs33, White’s “best years” were when we still had Hall of Fame defenders like Stevens and Niedermayer around, and they made him look better than he was even then. Add the eye injury to things and he’s pulling the team down. Fraser and Corrente definitely deserve the chance to play, and they’ll do it for considerably less than White.
I do hope Lou handles this with care, though. He made a big commitment to Whitey and gave him both term and a NTC, and Whitey deserves better than to just get dumped in the minors. Whether any team wants him, I’m not sure. It’s hard to predict what other teams think of him because he never gets talked about.
Then your options are...
Let’s assume Zubrus and Salvador go, and Lou trades Jamie as well, then who are your choices for the ZZ line? You could move Elias up, but then who plays with Arnott and why would you move him in the first place? You could move Rolston up, but that combination has had trials before and never worked. You could try a guy like Zharkov or Tedenby, but then why wouldn’t you just go with Clarkson? Let’s face it, Clarkson will probably score 20 at some point, and with those two on his line, it just makes him better. He was projected for 20 last year barring injuries. I think it’s safe to say that most people would be happy with a Kovy-Arnott-Elias line.
But Lou knows all of this and he will likely dump White first, I’m just trying to be optimistic. If White goes, I won’t be crying, let’s leave it at that.
The next 2-3 hours are critical, I believe. Lou and Grossman are likely still in discussion as we speak…every report I have seen says the Islanders will not pursue Kovy for $100M or even at all.
Yankees in baseball, Giants in football and Devils in hockey. It's that simple. I have no off-season.
by DownGoesAvery on Jul 5, 2010 3:33 PM EDT up reply actions
I hope that the Devils are able to keep Langenbrunner, but as you say, all the options are dicey if he has to go.
The thing about Clarkson is that yes, he could score 20 or even 25 in a year, but I feel that he can score that much whether he’s on the third line or the first line. I don’t think that putting him with Zach and Zajac makes him a 30-35 goal scorer. He’s just not a very good passer and doesn’t see the ice as well as a top-six forward should. He has a toe drag and a wraparound, but that speaks to his inability to see his passing options. At a top-six level, chemistry is important. Clarkson is a guy who has such impressive physical tools that he can make it happen all on his own on a third line, but he lacks a cerebral component to his game.
Rolston is possible, but I hope not. He’s had a lot of chances and hasn’t shown he can keep up with the real stars of our team. I do think Tedenby and Zharkov would be better options than Clarkson. Tedenby is part of the team’s future, and he needs to be surrounded by skilled players in order for him to have a chance to succeed. Even if he brings the line down a little bit, it may be worth the investment in the future to keep him in the top-six. Zharkov is a safer choice – he already plays pretty solid defense, is good with puck possession, and has some playmaking ability. Frankly, I think it was sheer bad luck that prevented him from potting a goal last season, but he will always be more of a playmaker and passer than a goal-scorer. I don’t think he would go on a line with Zach, but I could see him with Elias and Arnott.
I really wonder about Parise
I mean, it looks like there is only one way to go: Arnott is here for one year, that’s 4.5M off the books next year, so you could throw an offer at Parise for 7.5M or so, then Rolston comes off the year after and soon enough, Marty and Elias will be gone, that’s about $15M of our cap right there, and that’s when Tedenby and Josefson, Zharkov and Henrique would likely need new deals. It could work out but what about defense in that time? Tallinder comes off in four years, but can we keep everyone?
Yankees in baseball, Giants in football and Devils in hockey. It's that simple. I have no off-season.
by DownGoesAvery on Jul 5, 2010 3:45 PM EDT up reply actions
Agreed Doctor, Clarkson does not belong with those two players (Zach and Zajac).
I really think a line of Kovy-Arnott-Elias is the way to go. I think Elias is the player on our team that plays with Kovy the best. And we know Elias and Arnott really want to play with each other, so it makes sense.
To me, whoever is not traded of Zubrus and Langenbrunner is the player best suited to play with ZZ.
Leave Rolston and Clarkson on the 3rd line.
Announcement 5:00PM?
Did anyone else see that posted? If you believe what you want to, then check in around 5. No link yet, but expected soon…that’s all I have.
Yankees in baseball, Giants in football and Devils in hockey. It's that simple. I have no off-season.
RFA poaching
Technically, the Devils would be prone to offer sheets if this Kovy signing is really going down. Granted, we’re only talking about Eckford and Fraser here, but those two guys are in the running to make the team this year.
I can see Fraser making the team (or being expected to) this coming season as he only made League minimum last year
I know nothing is official yet, but if these terms turn out to be accurate, 7 years for 60 million is major money. 8.6 million per year kind of major money. For the highest scoring forward in the NHL since the 2001-2002 season, when he first joined the league (Iginla is actually second by a decent margin in the same time frame). For 8.6 million a year, we will be getting arguably the most gifted forward in the league as he enters the prime of his career. I suppose the price fits the bill, but this will seal our future for many years to come.
"We aim above the mark to hit the mark." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
I am all for signing Kovy, but this is too expensive for my taste. Problem is that 8.6 is in rarefied territory – Ovechkin, Crosby, and Malkin territory. Kovalchuk has all the talent of those players, but doesn’t quite have their ability to make their teammates better. You put a 20-goal guy on Crosby or Malkin’s wing and the guy goes and pots 35. You put a guy with Kovalchuk and his assists go up, but he doesn’t necessarily score more goals.
I hope the report is inaccurate and that the Devils are actually signing him for less money.
A lot of people suggested moving Langs to make room for Kovy. Well lets look at something, Langs averaged .75 pts a game last year. His cap hit is 2.8 million. Kovy averaged 1.12 pts a game. With this supposed deal his cap hit would be around 8.6 million. So is .37 pts a game worth 5.8 million?
I agree, Langenbrunner is the least of our worries. Zubrus, Salvador are the most likely to go. Out of all the NTC guys to go, i’d expect Rolston to be on the top of the list. Maybe with all the Russians we are signing we can ask Mr. Prokhorov (the new Nets owner) to “persuade” Rolston to ask for a trade.
There is nothing quite as satisfying as out running security after you've punched out a Flyers fan!
I don’t disagree with you that Langs provides much better value than Kovy. In fact, I’d guess that Langenbrunner provides one of the best values in the league for a veteran player. I hope they don’t have to move Langenbrunner, but the fact of the matter is that Langs is a desirable asset and easier to move than White.
You’ve got to keep in mind several variables between the two players. Kovy is entering the prime of his career (27), where as Langs is probably somewhere near the top heading down (35). Kovy also spent 2/3’s of the season with a team that didn’t make the playoffs. Langenbrunner played consistently with two of the best forwards on the team, and Parise is one of the best forwards in the league. I’m sure he’s had many, many better looks throughout the season and chances to score in comparison to Kovy. I believe Kovy also put up a point a game for the majority of games he played last year, as opposed to Langs. For the type of talent Kovy has been surrounded with since joining the league in 2001, the fact that he’s led all forwards in scoring since that year is simply remarkable.
"We aim above the mark to hit the mark." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
At some point, it’s not as simple as assembling the players who provide the most points for the least money. You have to pay up for top-quality talent. By your logic, we should re-sign a bunch of Dean Mcammonds – he of the 17 pts in 62 games who made almost 1/6th of what Langenbrunner made.
I think 8 million is an OK value for Kovalchuk and 8.6 million is a bad value. But you need some stars in order to have a successful team, and unfortunately Zach can’t carry the team all by himself. I think Kovy will put up terrific numbers as a Devil, but we’ll see Zach’s numbers go up as he gets better matchups against lesser Dmen.
My point was merely that Langs and Kovy are on two opposite ends of their hockey careers at this point, and an eight year difference in the NHL is substantial. I agree that stars are necessary for a team to be successful, and most importantly….there needs to be several of them. You can’t win a cup with one star, not now and I don’t believe anytime within recent memory. I would pit that Kovy is worth the price tag, but certainly nothing more than that. What I’m more concerned is the fact that our fate is locked in for the next seven years. And by the way, I loved Dean Mccammond. Played with passion, he did.
"We aim above the mark to hit the mark." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
I was responding to CJRichey’s comment about the logic of paying 5.8 million for an extra .37 PPG. I agree with what you’re saying, Tim. And I do like Mcammond, I wasn’t saying that to put him down, only to basically note that on a PPG basis, cheap players provide much more value than more expensive players, but you need the expensive players to succeed.
Fire at the Rock today?
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/06/newark_prudential_center_jumbo.html
Anyone see or hear about this? The jumbo screen outside the PruCenter had a fire, literally, this morning…
Yankees in baseball, Giants in football and Devils in hockey. It's that simple. I have no off-season.
Read the comments. Ha ha people are flipping out over nothing. ha ha
Piece by piece we are slowly turning into the 2000 Devils team, anyone up for the A-Line: The Sequel?
by RolliePollieKovy on Jul 5, 2010 7:44 PM EDT up reply actions
According to the new york post its 6 years for 60 million. http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=533377. Its the second post down.
delete the (.) at the end of the link
In Lou We Trust: SBN Blog of the New Jersey Devils
"Hockey is the only job I know where you get paid to have a nap on the day of the game." - Chico Resch
by Matthew Ventolo on Jul 5, 2010 4:01 PM EDT up reply actions
I hope Lou sees it that way too
After all, if Lou inks Kovy for $10M per, then Kovy becomes the franchise player? Lou realizes that Parise is the face of the franchise, he couldn’t possibly afford to lose Parise, I hope…
Yankees in baseball, Giants in football and Devils in hockey. It's that simple. I have no off-season.
by DownGoesAvery on Jul 5, 2010 3:57 PM EDT up reply actions
It’s not going to happen if it’s $10 mil.
In Lou We Trust: Now More productive than a New Jersey Devils Powerplay
"Pfft, Wii’s where it’s at. *Swings toy plastic racquet, separates shoulder"- RudyKelly
by Kevin Sellathamby on Jul 5, 2010 3:56 PM EDT up reply actions
I had actually been reading before today that Kovalchuk would be taking around $7.5MM for a longer term on our team. That would help tremendously in signing other players.
Any link to that?
There is nothing quite as satisfying as out running security after you've punched out a Flyers fan!
Just a quick heads up for everyone since this is turning into the Free Agency Open Thread for today:
Please follow the rules and guidelines.
Also, per past free agency open thread rules:
Please follow the rules at all times, and please, please, please do not report rumors as news or fake news. Link to sources (actually link to them, don’t just dump the URL in the text box and hit post – this includes Tweets); give credit to sources; and actually listen to good, reliable people (e.g. Gulitti, Chere, anyone at TSN or CBC, CapGeek, Not Hockeybuzz). This gives respect to the sources and let’s everyone who’s reading this know what’s really up.
In Lou We Trust: SBN Blog of the New Jersey Devils
"Hockey is the only job I know where you get paid to have a nap on the day of the game." - Chico Resch
That is what it's becomming, isn't it?
Oh well…I think everyone’s just posting the first thing they see, which is fine for now, this should be over within a few hours, hopefully.
Yankees in baseball, Giants in football and Devils in hockey. It's that simple. I have no off-season.
by DownGoesAvery on Jul 5, 2010 4:11 PM EDT up reply actions
I hesitate to hold my breath for this to be over. It seems that the combination of Grossman’s tweet and Everson’s article has set off a firestorm, but all this could be misinformation in an effort to give Ilya negotiating leverage.
I’m trying to convince myself that it will be, though. I heard from a verbal source that won’t specify where he saw it that Grossman will announce something at 5 PM. I’m trying not to start too many rumors, but we’ll see…
Yankees in baseball, Giants in football and Devils in hockey. It's that simple. I have no off-season.
by DownGoesAvery on Jul 5, 2010 4:15 PM EDT up reply actions
What’s going on at 5 pm?
Piece by piece we are slowly turning into the 2000 Devils team, anyone up for the A-Line: The Sequel?
by RolliePollieKovy on Jul 5, 2010 4:40 PM EDT up reply actions
I’ll be getting ready to walk the dog in this heat. Needless to say, a fur coat doesn’t mix with these temperatures.
So take it off.
To "resign" is to voluntarily leave a position; retire. To "re-sign" is to sign again. When talking about free agents, please use the correct one.
Tell me about it. That doesn’t stop my truculent little terriers from wanting to hang out on the deck with us.
My dogs are black so they’re inside today.
Piece by piece we are slowly turning into the 2000 Devils team, anyone up for the A-Line: The Sequel?
by RolliePollieKovy on Jul 5, 2010 4:46 PM EDT up reply actions
Dammit
Man what the hell?!?! I went to the gym this whole time thinkin by the time I got home it would be wrapped up and still nothing final? Cmon Kovy make up your damn mind lol.
by PariseLikeSundayMornin on Jul 5, 2010 5:09 PM EDT reply actions
He’s gonna pull a Mats Sundin: Delay a signing for six months and make a deal with Pokerstars.
In Lou We Trust: Now More productive than a New Jersey Devils Powerplay
"Pfft, Wii’s where it’s at. *Swings toy plastic racquet, separates shoulder"- RudyKelly
by Kevin Sellathamby on Jul 5, 2010 5:11 PM EDT up reply actions
Ilya Favrechuk.
To "resign" is to voluntarily leave a position; retire. To "re-sign" is to sign again. When talking about free agents, please use the correct one.
by elesias on Jul 5, 2010 5:13 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
Rec’d
In Lou We Trust: SBN Blog of the New Jersey Devils
"Hockey is the only job I know where you get paid to have a nap on the day of the game." - Chico Resch
by Matthew Ventolo on Jul 5, 2010 5:21 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah and it looks like with the Devils once Lou makes that trade and Bettman gets off the Kings leg and lets it go through. I think we’ll have a deal done tonight or early tomorrow morning before Everson wakes up.
Piece by piece we are slowly turning into the 2000 Devils team, anyone up for the A-Line: The Sequel?
by RolliePollieKovy on Jul 5, 2010 5:31 PM EDT up reply actions
3 hrs ago by Gulitti
and to make the wait on a decision by Kovy even more agonizing, I saw guilittie posted,
“Starting to wonder if tweetng that the decision would be made today wasn’t a way of trying to force the hand of any team dragging its feet.”
http://twitter.com/TGfireandice/status/17811143888
Think I better get back to enjoying the last few hours of the holiday weekend. Who am I kidding. I’ll be hitting the refresh button on all my hockey pages a few hundred more times by night’s end.
I suffer from selective short term amnesia and have chosen to forget about the 2010 post season.
by Devil_Hard_Core on Jul 5, 2010 5:58 PM EDT up reply actions
There may be some truth to that
Grossman may have been playing everyone, who knows? Has Kovy even been contacted at all today?
Yankees in baseball, Giants in football and Devils in hockey. It's that simple. I have no off-season.
by DownGoesAvery on Jul 5, 2010 6:00 PM EDT up reply actions
so is he going to pick the place to play at 11:59pm, his agent said he would choose, which was around 1pm or so
PS3: J-CAMPS
Its certainly looking that way, but I wouldnt be surprised if he doesnt choose today and all this was just try and get teams to send offers hoping to beat the clock.
by Jacob Shepherd on Jul 5, 2010 7:41 PM EDT up reply actions
Updated the FanShot with it. Thanks. Lesson: There’s a reason why he’s called Mark Neverson.
Devils in my heart! Devils in my mind! Devils in my eyes! Devils until I die!
In Lou We Trust - The New Jersey Devils SBN Blog
Atleast we know it WILL happen tomorrow.
I hope….
Piece by piece we are slowly turning into the 2000 Devils team, anyone up for the A-Line: The Sequel?
by RolliePollieKovy on Jul 5, 2010 9:32 PM EDT up reply actions
It may not happen. Who knows?
Devils in my heart! Devils in my mind! Devils in my eyes! Devils until I die!
In Lou We Trust - The New Jersey Devils SBN Blog
the only thing we know WILL happen tomorrow
is that the earth will turn far enough for the sun to be seen on the east coast of the US unless there are too many clouds.
Go Jets
Go Devils
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