Tuesday July 6th: Devils Links and News
by Matthew Ventolo on Jul 6, 2010 1:03 PM EDT
82 comments
I hope everyone is back to earth after yesterday's hysteria with Ilya Kovalchuk. There were tons of rumors, speculation, and tweets to keep us busy, and today may seem a little quieter. I know this sounds crazy, but there is other news around the Devils and NHL to post not involving the top free agent this off-season. And..well..there's Kovy news too..
Kovy's agent Jay Grossman's Twitter - Grossman used his account to tweet the signings of clients like Johan Hedberg and Anton Volchenkov. I wouldn't believe anything you hear regarding Kovalchuk around the web unless its from Lou or Jay Grossman.
Tom Gulitti has a quick overview of the Kovalchuk Saga - Kovy has narrowed his choices down and is closer to making a decision. Who knows when he will announce his decision. Gulitti also explains the cap situation for the Devils.
Rich Chere has a few quotes from Lou on Kovalchuk - Nothing has changed on the Devils end, despite what was being reported yesterday. He also quotes Islanders GM Garth Snow on Kovalchuk.
Devils RFA Mark Fraser has filed for arbitration - Lou and Mark Fraser can still negotiate up until the hearing in late July/early August. What does this mean for the rest of the off-season moves the Devils make? Check out the ILWT FanShot to discuss; Thanks to C.J.Richey121.
The NHL has released the arbitration list - Thirty-one players have filed. Notables: Antti Niemi, Dan Girardi, Ian White, and Dan Carcillo.
If any news comes about, we will be sure to post something with our initial reaction. Use the comments as today's Free Agency Open Thread. Per past threads (from John):
Talk about what other teams are doing, what the latest reports are from credible people, and what you want the Devils to do going forward. With Ilya Kovalchuk still undecided, there's plenty of intrigue out there. Of course, if something big breaks Devils-wise, then we'll be on it. 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.
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I hope Carcillo goes to arbitration and the ruling comes back that he has to shave his ugly little mustache.
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 6, 2010 1:06 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
how i want Kovy Power to stay
but i feel a Lou crafted contract like his wizardry with the Mogilny deal with have to be made.
I hate Philadelphia so much.
i've been playing some 3 on 3 hockey on my ps3 lately
using kovy exclusively. bringing the karma
I hate Philadelphia so much.
Karma’s like sushi, do it right and it’s fantastic. Get it wrong and someone’s getting very sick.
Man, this Kovy thing has to end soon, it’s killing my productivity at work.
the longer this wait goes on t more i think kovalchuck is going to be on the devils next year
by Imperator_Celtic on Jul 6, 2010 2:52 PM EDT reply actions
It’s taking so long because Lou is trying to figure out which contractual loopholes he’s going to exploit, which sap, I mean kind-hearted organization, is going to take some salary off our hands, and how much money we’re going to have to hide in Albany.
Anyone else have a feeling that when the current CBA expires in a couple years that they are going to “Lou-proof” it? I’m scared. Hold me.
‘Lou-proof’ it, I like it. I say you are correct, other GM’s shake their heads when Lou manages to do what he does.
I wonder how many players will make it to Arbitration, I want to see what Niemi gets based on a Stanley Cup run, Campoli to see if Ottawa will walk away and we have a UFA chance at him, and of course, what happens with Mark Fraser.
I’m with you Weasel they may try to Lou proof it. But i must also say why would they wanna change it? Just because Lou is the smartest gm.
If they want to Lou-proof a new CBA, perhaps they shouldn’t have him help negotiate it. If I recall correctly, he was part of the ownership team that drew up the last one.
Not to mention even if he didn’t help write next one I believe he will always find a way around any potential problem.
by KingHellfire on Jul 6, 2010 10:03 PM EDT up reply actions
Lou was recently extended, per TG, 3rd story down, so I’d suspect that he’ll definitely outlast the current CBA.
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Mark Emerson insinuated today that it’s Lou causing the hold-up so he can work out some trade deals to get some cap relief without having to look desperate. I like your idea that he’s being creative, CBA-wise. My fear is that we go two steps forward, one step back, by losing someone good to get someone (maybe) better.
wouldn’t it be lovely if Lou was trying to get a young offensive style Dman (NHL ready prospect would be fine) was headed this way with some salary corpse to be buried in exchange for some stuff we need to unload?
(runs away skipping, "Oh look! Unicorns in the sky!)
That’s possible, in that Lou usually avoids putting himself in a bad spot when able. On the other hand, this is insinuation from Everson, so I can’t quite trust it.
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
by John Fischer on Jul 6, 2010 3:50 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Isn’t Lou’s spot already blown up though? I mean no team is taking on one of our toxic assets unless they get something quality back. There is always the waiver wire as well, as some of our players with NTC can be waived. While they wouldn’t get anything for them, it gets them off the books if they are claimed and I am sure some of them would be.
Not really. There are teams that need to get to the cap floor and some of the players involved are still of use to some level. If Lou makes the deal now, he can easily justify it as “we’re getting whatever value we can now” and not necessarily just to free up space for Kovalchuk.
If he has to do this after signing Kovalchuk, then he’s in a real bad spot because the league will know he’ll have to dump assets and will have him over a barrel for them.
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
Vancouver
as a possible trade target. Im sure they wouldnt mind having Zubrus as their 3C behind Sedin and Kesler being that they just signed Shane O’Brien. They now have 9 NHL contracts on defense, 8 of which make more than $1MM. How do we feel about Andrew Alberts ($1.05MM, 1 year remaining) in our Top 6, in exchange for Zubie?
They don’t have the cap room for Zubrus’ contract, and wouldn’t voluntarily put themselves in bad position to help another team out.
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"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 6, 2010 3:47 PM EDT up reply actions
Just read the same, and realized that they still have to re-sign Mason Raymond and Jannik Hansen, not to mention make room for Hodgson and Shirokov. Looks like Ryan Johnson moves on as a UFA, something we keep our eye out on if we cannot find a Checking line center?
I think our best option to dump cap would be the Islanders, they have close to a full roster and still need about $7 million to get to the cap floor
"Don't worry about my cap" -Lou Lamoriello
by C.J.Richey121 on Jul 6, 2010 3:58 PM EDT up reply actions
I may agree, but I dont see the Islanders, or say Colorado taking on someone of Zubie’s age to meet the Cap Floor.
Wonder who we can dump our players to?
I’m sure that is what Lou is trying to figure out.
"Don't worry about my cap" -Lou Lamoriello
by C.J.Richey121 on Jul 6, 2010 4:10 PM EDT up reply actions
Well if Colorado and the Isles are serious about contending they need more veteran leadership. Both teams also need a guy who can protect the puck in the offensive zone. I don’t think Colorado wants there goalie to face another 40 shots a game this year. Lets also face it alot of the Isles lineup is weak as well.
I think the Isles’ lineup actually looks pretty promising but they’re sorely lacking in experience outside of Doug Weight, Mark Eaton, and Mark Streit.
I think Zubie would look pretty natural on Tavares’ right side, helping clear t he way for Tavares and Moulson.
And same thing on the back end. With Andy Sutton gone, they don’t have much of a physical presence, so Salvador could be a good fit there too.
Meyer is a free agent…UFA I believe.
I think it more likely that the Devils would get Hillen or Bruno Gervais for Zubrus and Salvador.
The Isles would get to the cap floor, get two veterans who could bring some leadership, and physical presence, and wouldn’t have to give up too much of their future.
The Devils would get a young, talented defenseman making under $1MM against the cap, would clear around $5.5 million from the cap, and would have some insurance if Andy Greene’s contract demands prove too much next summer.
HOSSA
Lets hope he is working out a HOSSA like deal. That would be pure genius, even if the term had to be longer.
In order for Kovy’s deal to be structured like Hossa’s, it would have to be a 15-year deal. I don’t think Lou would do that, and I for one would certainly not want any 15-year contract on the books.
Something like that.
So say in 7 years we trade him, or void the last couple years and renogotiate. I have to read up on the current CBA as to the possibilities, but I’m just thinking out loud as to what LOU could be scheming.
Also- We will have a new CBA by that time anyway, so the rules may be different. Not saying I condone it, but I am expecting something creative.
salary cap issue/kovalchuk
i think that the only way this can be made to work is to find a team that can actually use a player such as salavador or zubrus and then include in the deal to the other team either a young prospect that actually has some real value…such as corrente?…and/or maybe a draft choice of some real value…second or third round?…in exchange for taking on the salary… while zubrus, at least IMHO has more “value” as player, he has a 3 year contract at 3.4 million per year, salvador has 2 years @ 2.9 million per year i think it is…no one is going to help the devils unless it benefits their club at least as much, that’s for sure…the only other way to do it is to waive a player (rolston cannot be waived, at least for purposes of the salary cap caue he is in the 35+ multiyear contract group) and after the player clears waivers he can be assigned to albany, he still has to be paid bur at least he won’t count against the salary cap…if necessary, even though he has a no trade clause langenbrunner could be waived and the threat of that could make him prefer to be a trade and induce him to waive his NTC…as you can see, this isn’t going to be easy and likely this is at least part of the reason there has not been any announcement yet
by don in central jersey on Jul 6, 2010 4:37 PM EDT reply actions
If the Devils had to include some sweetner into the deal, I would expect it to be Tyler Eckford, Mark Fraser, or a draft pick. That said, I’m not convinced it’s entirely necessary, because a team like the Islanders needs to add salary to even reach the cap floor, and players like Zubrus and/or Salvador can help them there and contribute positively on the ice.
salary cap issue/kovalchuk
i hope that you are right and i am wrong, i don’t want to give up anything unnecesarily, i’m just sayin’…
by don in central jersey on Jul 6, 2010 6:16 PM EDT up reply actions
This is getting brutal
I feel like a junkie waiting for his next fix. No real news at all today.
Just decide!
by Devilssection21fan on Jul 6, 2010 4:42 PM EDT reply actions
Undervalued players
I think we are undervaluing our own players here. As an organization, and especially us as fans, the Devils are held to a higher standard when it comes to how players not only play, but act and hold themselves. Often times, when a former Devils player moves on to another team, they talk about how ‘they know how to play’ defensive sound hockey because they were Devils.
To wit, I believe that if either of Zubrus or Salvador were available for no assets (ie waivers), there would be suitors. While I agree that because the Devils are in a pinch, most GM’s are not willing to ‘help out’ the Devils, I think the players we are discussing are worth more than ‘a bag of peanuts.’
undervalued playes
i hope that you are right and i am wrong, i’m just saying…
by don in central jersey on Jul 6, 2010 6:17 PM EDT up reply actions
- silent heat -
I think I might have refreshed my tabs about 200 times yesterday, hoping for good news on Kovy!
Here I go again!
Lots of players signed
as per Capgeek, although they are mostly marginal players, but some interesting ones like Janssen and Kostitsyn. Maybe that will help, I know for me its what’s keeping me going as I wait for news.
better link – straight to the signed Free Agents.
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You know what I'm kind of thinking now
That if the Islander offer to Kovy wasn’t real, and if the Kings are indeed out, then that just leaves the Devils in. If the Devils offer is somewhere in the 7-7.5M per year average range, less than what Kovy wants, he might just holding out a dwindling hope that someone else will offer more. As more time goes by, I think the odds of the Devils getting him at a more reasonable price will continue to go up. If Lou is only competing against time, it may not be as bad as we’re all thinking (salary-wise).
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I think Lou and Kovy have already agreed on a deal. It’s just a matter of Lou making cap space without appearing to be in such a desperate situation.
You know, I think you make a great point. The longer this hold out lasts, I think the lower Kovy’s value will be within the market. The only thing that we need to keep in mind though is that potential suitors might take a look at Kovy when they originally were not interested because his value has decreased from sitting on the shelf.
"We aim above the mark to hit the mark." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
What About Russia?
George Malik tweeted that the SKA St. Petersburg is still talking with Kovy. Maybe he wants to return to Russia? Here’s the tweet:
SKA St. Petersburg claims that they’re still talking to Nabokov and Kovalchuk, per Sovetsky Sport: http://bit.ly/cq8miR
This could be a hard decision to make because it involves a personal element. I would have no reason by which to judge the veracity of this claim and just how much Kovy would be interested in it but I do believe it could easily hold things up.
Does anyone else remember...
… When Kovalchuk said that the whole process would go quickly?
Ugh.
New Jersey Devils and New York Yankees: Thrivin' on the Hate Game since 1982 and 1903, respectively.
No. When did he say that?
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
He seemed to have said it in numerous interviews…
I believe he said it verbatim during a phone call with Dmitry Chesnokov, a writer at Puck Daddy when talking about what he thought of the end of the season and free agency…
It was posted on Puck Daddy, but I can’t find the article.
New Jersey Devils and New York Yankees: Thrivin' on the Hate Game since 1982 and 1903, respectively.
by pacmanghostx on Jul 13, 2010 8:59 PM EDT up reply actions
Quick question
Without looking into the numbers much is there any chance of trading Rolston for Souray? I know they are both signed for big contracts that nobody wants but last i heard Edm and Souray were not exactley seeing eye to eye and if it came down to an even swap you would have to like our team better with Souray than with Rolston… right?
I would like our team better with Souray than Rolston, but I don’t think the Oilers would go for that. I think they would rather dump Souray in the minors than take on a contract like Rolston’s. But a little part of me holds out hope that OIlers management will try to out-stupid their rivals in Calgary.
Out-Stupid a Sutter? IMPOSSIBLE!!!
There is nothing quite as satisfying as out running security after you've punched out a Flyers fan!
If any team could it would be Edmonton.
by KingHellfire on Jul 6, 2010 10:11 PM EDT up reply actions
Rolston has a NTC so he would have to approve the deal. I think our best bet to get rid of Rolston is to find a team that he would like to go to and make the trade for a player(s) that have decent salary that they want to get rid of. Then we can bury those contracts in the minors if they aren’t 35+ contracts and free up 5mill in cap space.
There is nothing quite as satisfying as out running security after you've punched out a Flyers fan!
I have 2 guesses for the delay in the Kovy deal.
1. there is a secret team trying to get into Kovy sweepstakes. Colorado? I seriously doubt the Islanders are interested and I’m doubt even more that Kovy is interested in the Islanders. Plus in my opinion, it would be easy for Lou to discourage Kovy from the Islanders.
2. Lou is actively trying to move players around. Whether that be trying to get certain players to waive NTCs and/or to move players to another team to shed salary. This isn’t always successful so deals like this take time. Plus we all know that some players salaries will be tough to trade. I have been scouring the internet for any clues and I can’t find a thing, leading me to believe that there are plenty of secret talks going on now with Lou and other GMs about who can move who and for what.
That’s all I got.
The fact that Grossman is quiet today may be due to Lou advising him to keep quiet about any imminent decisions. It will simply be easier for Lou to deal players if the rest of the league knows he’s not in a desperate situation to make room under the cap.
I suffer from selective short term amnesia and have chosen to forget about the 2010 post season.
Still a guessing game
I’m inclined to agree with point 2 but it all hinges on whether the Devs have sealed the deal and are just waiting. So, its still a guessing game as to what’s going on. Nobody expected the Devs to go after Kovy during the season but now everybody knows they are after him. The other owners understand what Lou might be up to, so its really up to Lou to sell a trade to another team regardless of his apparent need.
I can’t see Kovy going back to Russia as he’s said numerous times that he wants to win a Stanley Cup. Obviously there are many other factors in his decision, but my guess (like many of you) is that Lou is figuring out a way to make this work. I wonder if Kovy got pissed at Grossman about tweeting that he’d make a decision on the 5th lol.
"You're next" - Scott Stevens
5 mins ago (9:30am EST) as per Gulitti
Kovalchuk is close to signing with a Russian team as posted on Fire&Ice
sorry for just dropping the link in there instead of creating a shorter 1 or 2 word link. I am not sure how to do that and while at work can’t try to figure out.
I suffer from selective short term amnesia and have chosen to forget about the 2010 post season.
If true, let’s go after Guerrin before the Rags snag him.
I suffer from selective short term amnesia and have chosen to forget about the 2010 post season.
by Devil_Hard_Core on Jul 7, 2010 9:40 AM EDT up reply actions
Guerin would be a nice pickup and probably for cheap since it seems nobody wants him. Hell why not? Arnott, Rolston, maybe Souray, why not Guerin? 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 7, 2010 11:43 AM EDT up reply actions
Turning 40 in November might be a reasonable reason why not.
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These news stories are getting ridiculous. Russia’s out, then they’re back. No Kings, now they’re in again. He did decide, he didn’t decide. I think everyone’s making up all this crap now just to write something. I set an alert for Jay Grossman’s twitter, and I’m not believing anything until he says something himself. Enough speculation already!
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