Comments on: 5 Major Reasons Kovalchuk Should Be an Islander http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/justin-m/19258/ NHL hockey blogosphere of your favorite team rumors, trades, opinion, recaps, previews and news Wed, 08 Feb 2012 04:37:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Justin Marques http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/justin-m/19258/comment-page-1/#comment-10251 Justin Marques Tue, 06 Jul 2010 02:08:15 +0000 http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/?p=19258#comment-10251 First off, thank you for all the reads and comments. It is always nice to see a great turnout. Unfortunately, Katie Strang has broken the news tonight that the Islanders are out of the Kovalchuk sweepstakes. Actually, unfortunately, we were never really in on it in the first place. Twitter and several "trusted' media outlets really took the story and ran with it, exciting bloggers and published authors alike. It was great to see the turnout, and now we must regroup and move on to other free agents. Remember, we still have plenty of cap space to fill up. First off, thank you for all the reads and comments. It is always nice to see a great turnout. Unfortunately, Katie Strang has broken the news tonight that the Islanders are out of the Kovalchuk sweepstakes. Actually, unfortunately, we were never really in on it in the first place. Twitter and several “trusted’ media outlets really took the story and ran with it, exciting bloggers and published authors alike. It was great to see the turnout, and now we must regroup and move on to other free agents. Remember, we still have plenty of cap space to fill up.

]]> By: Tony http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/justin-m/19258/comment-page-1/#comment-10246 Tony Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:53:02 +0000 http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/?p=19258#comment-10246 8 years and I would be thrilled... 10 years, I'd still be thrilled, though when he's 37, probably not as much. I don't even care if they pay him 10 mil, heck even 11 mil per. This deal in all likelihood will never go down, but if it did, I think it would make up for at least the last 9 years or so. This is premier talent, and that would be an outstanding job done by Snow. 8 years and I would be thrilled… 10 years, I’d still be thrilled, though when he’s 37, probably not as much. I don’t even care if they pay him 10 mil, heck even 11 mil per. This deal in all likelihood will never go down, but if it did, I think it would make up for at least the last 9 years or so. This is premier talent, and that would be an outstanding job done by Snow.

]]> By: Dominik http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/justin-m/19258/comment-page-1/#comment-10219 Dominik Mon, 05 Jul 2010 17:01:23 +0000 http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/?p=19258#comment-10219 It really isn't a small margin, though -- not for a guy a team wants (and pays) as a cornerstone of the franchise. I don't doubt Kovy's skills (and that shot, my god that shot!) but to pay him like Crosby for a decade...well just look at Crosby's stats even when the Penguins were piss poor: Crosby's only career minus was -1 during his rookie year (on a 58-point team), when a full 25 teammates had much worse figures. Kovy's +/- relative to his teammates has been atrocious year after year. He's outstanding, but IMO he's just not worth what he's asking from LA ($100M), which is surely what he'd demand from the Isles. It really isn’t a small margin, though — not for a guy a team wants (and pays) as a cornerstone of the franchise. I don’t doubt Kovy’s skills (and that shot, my god that shot!) but to pay him like Crosby for a decade…well just look at Crosby’s stats even when the Penguins were piss poor: Crosby’s only career minus was -1 during his rookie year (on a 58-point team), when a full 25 teammates had much worse figures. Kovy’s +/- relative to his teammates has been atrocious year after year.

He’s outstanding, but IMO he’s just not worth what he’s asking from LA ($100M), which is surely what he’d demand from the Isles.

]]> By: Fred Poulin http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/justin-m/19258/comment-page-1/#comment-10215 Fred Poulin Mon, 05 Jul 2010 16:14:46 +0000 http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/?p=19258#comment-10215 Jay Grossman, Kovalchuk's agent just Twitted that the Russian sniper will make his decision today! Stay tuned folks! Jay Grossman, Kovalchuk’s agent just Twitted that the Russian sniper will make his decision today! Stay tuned folks!

]]> By: billy http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/justin-m/19258/comment-page-1/#comment-10213 billy Mon, 05 Jul 2010 15:41:22 +0000 http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/?p=19258#comment-10213 the fact that the kings say they are out only is fueling this kovy fire hahah Put OV or Crosby by themselves on the thrashers (with no green, backstrom,semin,malkin,gonchar)and i think we'd see them not win games, have their points go below a point a game, and not be the center of attention in the league. Its kinda like the gretzky vs lemieux debate (look at the friggin team gretzky had around him and lemieux had to take over a terrible pitt squad) Kovy is only a cog, thats for sure and if u watch him he doesnt skate much past his own blueline, but he is a dynamic force; he's 6-2 230 with blazing speed and arguably the most dangerous shooter in the league (how many times have u seen him pick the corner from the blueline)!!!!!!!!! Signing Shcremp and moulson will cost little to nothing. Schremp needs to play a full year and get over 40 points and moulson of course has to prove his magical 30 goals wasnt just because people werent aware of him...they are now. If u look at neilsens deal,macdonalds deal, and hunters deal he only hands out what is fair for players that are proving themselves. I'd say both contracts will be for about 1.5 mil max, Snow has all the leverage here. Kovy wont hurt us financially, he will only make us better and snow has tons more room to operate with. Heck, if okposo wants 3-5 per on an extension shouldnt he be putting up 20-30 goals a year? Snow will pay what is fair for the contribution the player is making, streit is worth every penny we sre paying him The best part of ur article which is great is this justin... My season tickets will cost the same amount of money next year, it’s just the addition of entertainment value that my season tickets have lacked for the last 10 seasons. i'm from winnipeg so i just watch the games on center ice, but from a fans perspective i think that just says things perfectly the fact that the kings say they are out only is fueling this kovy fire hahah

Put OV or Crosby by themselves on the thrashers (with no green, backstrom,semin,malkin,gonchar)and i think we’d see them not win games, have their points go below a point a game, and not be the center of attention in the league.
Its kinda like the gretzky vs lemieux debate (look at the friggin team gretzky had around him and lemieux had to take over a terrible pitt squad)

Kovy is only a cog, thats for sure and if u watch him he doesnt skate much past his own blueline, but he is a dynamic force; he’s 6-2 230 with blazing speed and arguably the most dangerous shooter in the league (how many times have u seen him pick the corner from the blueline)!!!!!!!!!

Signing Shcremp and moulson will cost little to nothing. Schremp needs to play a full year and get over 40 points and moulson of course has to prove his magical 30 goals wasnt just because people werent aware of him…they are now. If u look at neilsens deal,macdonalds deal, and hunters deal he only hands out what is fair for players that are proving themselves.
I’d say both contracts will be for about 1.5 mil max, Snow has all the leverage here.

Kovy wont hurt us financially, he will only make us better and snow has tons more room to operate with. Heck, if okposo wants 3-5 per on an extension shouldnt he be putting up 20-30 goals a year? Snow will pay what is fair for the contribution the player is making, streit is worth every penny we sre paying him

The best part of ur article which is great is this justin… My season tickets will cost the same amount of money next year, it’s just the addition of entertainment value that my season tickets have lacked for the last 10 seasons.
i’m from winnipeg so i just watch the games on center ice, but from a fans perspective i think that just says things perfectly

]]> By: Making Babies With Other Hockey Blogs : Blades Of Funny http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/justin-m/19258/comment-page-1/#comment-10212 Making Babies With Other Hockey Blogs : Blades Of Funny Mon, 05 Jul 2010 15:08:17 +0000 http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/?p=19258#comment-10212 [...] Hockey Independent -  Justin M. makes a pro-Kovalchuk case with regards to the Isles. I don’t agree with some of what’s said, but it’s a well-written and thought-out piece which gives the other side of my stance on this issue. [...] [...] Hockey Independent -  Justin M. makes a pro-Kovalchuk case with regards to the Isles. I don’t agree with some of what’s said, but it’s a well-written and thought-out piece which gives the other side of my stance on this issue. [...]

]]> By: Justin Marques http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/justin-m/19258/comment-page-1/#comment-10211 Justin Marques Mon, 05 Jul 2010 14:43:01 +0000 http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/?p=19258#comment-10211 Joe Conte: In response to the resigning of our RFA's: we would still have about $15 million in cap space at that point, which is something that still 90% of teams in the league can't brag about. When Yashin's contract falls to $2 million next year, we then have $17 million, tack on another $1-$2 million for the cap increasing each year, and we are almost at $20 million of cap space with all of our key players signed. When Okposo is due for an extension, he will likely garner a six-year contract at no more than $5 million per season, which is only a $3.5 million raise from what he has now. If being worried about resigning Tavares, Bailey, Moulson, and company is the issue, do not fear. We have PLENTY of cap space for the core of this Islanders team, considering that Snow has been rather frugal over the years. Dominik: The margin of him being outscored 5-on-5 each season is very, very small in comparison to the length of his career. Did you know that Andy Sutton and Alexei Zhitnik were two of the top defensemen that Kovalchuk played with throughout his career in Atlanta? If you take that into account, it's pretty understandable why he was on the ice for so many goals...so were the rest of his lackluster teammates. Also, I sincerely do not believe he will get $10 million per season, but rather, Snow will throw in other incentives and a no-trade clause in order to get him to sign. Plus, even at $10 million per season, the cap is over $59 million this season, making him about 1/6 of the total hit we'd have. Everybody, thanks for reading. I really do appreciate it! Joe Conte: In response to the resigning of our RFA’s: we would still have about $15 million in cap space at that point, which is something that still 90% of teams in the league can’t brag about. When Yashin’s contract falls to $2 million next year, we then have $17 million, tack on another $1-$2 million for the cap increasing each year, and we are almost at $20 million of cap space with all of our key players signed. When Okposo is due for an extension, he will likely garner a six-year contract at no more than $5 million per season, which is only a $3.5 million raise from what he has now. If being worried about resigning Tavares, Bailey, Moulson, and company is the issue, do not fear. We have PLENTY of cap space for the core of this Islanders team, considering that Snow has been rather frugal over the years.

Dominik: The margin of him being outscored 5-on-5 each season is very, very small in comparison to the length of his career. Did you know that Andy Sutton and Alexei Zhitnik were two of the top defensemen that Kovalchuk played with throughout his career in Atlanta? If you take that into account, it’s pretty understandable why he was on the ice for so many goals…so were the rest of his lackluster teammates. Also, I sincerely do not believe he will get $10 million per season, but rather, Snow will throw in other incentives and a no-trade clause in order to get him to sign. Plus, even at $10 million per season, the cap is over $59 million this season, making him about 1/6 of the total hit we’d have.

Everybody, thanks for reading. I really do appreciate it!

]]> By: Isles27 http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/justin-m/19258/comment-page-1/#comment-10210 Isles27 Mon, 05 Jul 2010 14:17:51 +0000 http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/?p=19258#comment-10210 I'm sure Wang has people he asks for hockey advice and if I was one of them I would tell him to take a step back and think real hard before you give out a 10 year contract to anyone and remind him of his last 2 and only 2 long contracts he has given out 1 which is already a disaster and the other which hasn't worked out so well so far. Can't blame an owner for wanting to bring some excitement to his team and put them on the map again in an area where they get no attention from the media or fans right now. Don't forget down the road if Kovalchuk isn't playing well and he is the highest payed player in the locker room that can cause problems. Also Kovalchuk spent a lot of time in Atlanta what exactly did Atlanta accomplish when he was there? This isn't the NBA be very careful when you hitch your wagon to one player especially for 10 years. Bottom line if they can bring him here for a contract somewhere between 3 and at the most 5 years I would be in favor but for 10 years no thanks. I’m sure Wang has people he asks for hockey advice and if I was one of them I would tell him to take a step back and think real hard before you give out a 10 year contract to anyone and remind him of his last 2 and only 2 long contracts he has given out 1 which is already a disaster and the other which hasn’t worked out so well so far. Can’t blame an owner for wanting to bring some excitement to his team and put them on the map again in an area where they get no attention from the media or fans right now. Don’t forget down the road if Kovalchuk isn’t playing well and he is the highest payed player in the locker room that can cause problems. Also Kovalchuk spent a lot of time in Atlanta what exactly did Atlanta accomplish when he was there? This isn’t the NBA be very careful when you hitch your wagon to one player especially for 10 years. Bottom line if they can bring him here for a contract somewhere between 3 and at the most 5 years I would be in favor but for 10 years no thanks.

]]> By: JoeConte http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/justin-m/19258/comment-page-1/#comment-10209 JoeConte Mon, 05 Jul 2010 12:54:59 +0000 http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/?p=19258#comment-10209 Justin while I disagree with the need for kovy The points you make do carry some rationale. The only thing I contest is the isles current salary cap situation. Using nhlnumbers.com it appears they will only sit 3-4 mil under the floor once all rfas are signed. I think that drastically changes the need to sign kovy to a monster contract. I am interested to hear your response knowing that kovy would actually put the isles well over the cap floor Justin while I disagree with the need for kovy The points you make do carry some rationale. The only thing I contest is the isles current salary cap situation. Using nhlnumbers.com it appears they will only sit 3-4 mil under the floor once all rfas are signed. I think that drastically changes the need to sign kovy to a monster contract. I am interested to hear your response knowing that kovy would actually put the isles well over the cap floor

]]> By: Dominik http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/justin-m/19258/comment-page-1/#comment-10205 Dominik Mon, 05 Jul 2010 07:37:06 +0000 http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/?p=19258#comment-10205 Nice post. This is an exciting topic, that's for sure. A point about the 5-on-5 concern (one I have): No one doubts he can score at 5-on-5; the concern is he routinely gets outscored at 5-on-5, despite his ample offense, despite facing weaker competition and despite constantly being presented with ideal opportunities (a huge proportion of offensive zone faceoffs to begin his shifts). So he ends up with ideal scoring opportunities, compiles some flashy numbers...and still loses. Granted, teammates matter, but other stars (who do not command 1/5th of their team's payroll) routinely face the opposition's best and still come out on top. Ilya does not. Reference Behind the Net: http://www.behindthenethockey.com/2010/6/28/1541891/do-you-really-think-ilya-kovalchuk To me that's enough to worry about offering him the farm for a decade, which is what he is said to be demanding from the Kings. Nice post. This is an exciting topic, that’s for sure.

A point about the 5-on-5 concern (one I have): No one doubts he can score at 5-on-5; the concern is he routinely gets outscored at 5-on-5, despite his ample offense, despite facing weaker competition and despite constantly being presented with ideal opportunities (a huge proportion of offensive zone faceoffs to begin his shifts). So he ends up with ideal scoring opportunities, compiles some flashy numbers…and still loses.

Granted, teammates matter, but other stars (who do not command 1/5th of their team’s payroll) routinely face the opposition’s best and still come out on top. Ilya does not. Reference Behind the Net: http://www.behindthenethockey.com/2010/6/28/1541891/do-you-really-think-ilya-kovalchuk

To me that’s enough to worry about offering him the farm for a decade, which is what he is said to be demanding from the Kings.

]]> By: Tweets that mention 5 Major Reasons Kovalchuk Should Be an Islander | Hockey Independent -- Topsy.com http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/justin-m/19258/comment-page-1/#comment-10204 Tweets that mention 5 Major Reasons Kovalchuk Should Be an Islander | Hockey Independent -- Topsy.com Mon, 05 Jul 2010 06:39:23 +0000 http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/?p=19258#comment-10204 [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Justin Marques. Justin Marques said: "5 Reasons Kovalchuk Should Be an Islander" http://bit.ly/cYnJ7B . A detailed description of why the NYI could use Kovalchuk badly! [...] [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Justin Marques. Justin Marques said: "5 Reasons Kovalchuk Should Be an Islander" http://bit.ly/cYnJ7B . A detailed description of why the NYI could use Kovalchuk badly! [...]

]]> By: Section 320 rocks http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/justin-m/19258/comment-page-1/#comment-10202 Section 320 rocks Mon, 05 Jul 2010 06:18:17 +0000 http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/?p=19258#comment-10202 Nice job!!! I was surprised when I saw BD's take on the matter...I tend to agree with him alot but on this I think hes dead wrong (no offense BD)and I agree with you 110%. Nice job!!!

I was surprised when I saw BD’s take on the matter…I tend to agree with him alot but on this I think hes dead wrong (no offense BD)and I agree with you 110%.

]]> By: Tweets that mention 5 Major Reasons Kovalchuk Should Be an Islander | Hockey Independent -- Topsy.com http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/justin-m/19258/comment-page-1/#comment-10201 Tweets that mention 5 Major Reasons Kovalchuk Should Be an Islander | Hockey Independent -- Topsy.com Mon, 05 Jul 2010 05:50:32 +0000 http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/?p=19258#comment-10201 [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Yehudah Block, RedWings Blog & News. RedWings Blog & News said: #RedWings 5 Major Reasons Kovalchuk Should Be an Islander: With all due respect to the detractors,... http://19FTW.in/2JqwJ via @HockeyIndie [...] [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Yehudah Block, RedWings Blog & News. RedWings Blog & News said: #RedWings 5 Major Reasons Kovalchuk Should Be an Islander: With all due respect to the detractors,… http://19FTW.in/2JqwJ via @HockeyIndie [...]

]]>