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When one analyses the link between the Thrashers’ on-ice and off-ice difficulties, some may proffer that the club’s inability to sign a contract extension with superstar forward Ilya Kovalchuk, the best player in franchise history, and his subsequent trade on February 4, 2010 kickstarted the process that saw the NHL leave Atlanta again.  It is always hard to prove whether one discrete event is causative but clearly the Kovalchuk deal was not the beginning but the end of a long line of red-letter transactions that hampered the Thrashers.

A snapshot: Patrik Stefan, a mediocre player: the franchise’s first-ever first overall draft pick in 1999 … trading 21-year old defenceman Braydon Coburn to Philadelphia for 34-year old blueliner Alexei Zhitnik, one year away from leaving the NHL, at the 2007 trade deadline…

Strangely, the Pittsburgh Penguins inadvertently found themselves intersecting with Atlanta’s demise over the last four seasons.  At the 2008 trade deadline the Thrashers, destined to finish second-to-last in the Eastern Conference, traded star right wing Marian Hossa and left wing Pascal Dupuis to Pittsburgh for young forwards Erik Christensen and Colby Armstrong, 19-year old junior prospect Angelo Esposito and the Penguins’ first-round pick in the 2008 Entry Draft who turned out to be centre Daultan Leveille.

In the previous season, Hossa became the first Thrasher ever to score 100 points in a season and he would go on to lead the Penguins in playoff goals during their run to the 2008 Stanley Cup Final while Dupuis blossomed into a versatile forward, scoring 49 goals and 115 points in 249 games with Pittsburgh.  In contrast, Christensen and Armstrong combined to produce 48 goals and 103 points in 236 games for Atlanta.  Yes, when Armstrong migrated south, he no longer had Sidney Crosby feeding him the puck while Dupuis often saw top-line “Crosby” minutes in Pittsburgh.  However, the main point is that with one man, Dupuis, the afterthought of the deal, the Pens in the long-term essentially maintained the production of two players they traded away.

Christensen and Armstrong are no longer with the Thrashers and Esposito has languished in the AHL, never having played a game in the NHL after showing flashes of goal-scoring skill during his days in the Quebec major junior ranks.  Leveille finished his third year at Michigan State in 2010-11 and is still a few years away from possibly playing professional hockey.

How about 2004 first round choice Boris Valabik, selected tenth overall by Atlanta?  In a draft where the Thrashers could have chosen Drew Stafford, Travis Zajac or Andrej Meszaros, they tabbed Valabik who has played just 80 NHL games in his career and has since moved on to the Boston Bruins where he played for their AHL affiliate in 2010-11.  Unfortunately, Valabik will best be remembered for being the awkward victim in a truly bizarre post-goal brawl in Philips Arena.  In a game on December 18, 2008, several Pens and Thrashers mixed it up moments after Atlanta scored late in the first period.  While Valabik was occupied with fighting Pittsburgh defenceman Kris Letang, Crosby inexplicably jumped in to take a few shots at Valabik including one or two from behind … and well, um … just watch:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Fast forward to this season.  On December 22, 2010, Atlanta Spirit Group, the consortium of eight owners who owned the Thrashers, finally settled a prolonged internal dispute when disgruntled – some would say disruptive – co-owner Steve Belkin was removed from the group.  Six nights later, the Thrashers arrived in Pittsburgh hoping to avoid a season-high four game losing streak.  They couldn’t.  Crosby scored twice including a highlight-reel, splitting-the-D goal to add to the hat trick he dumped on Atlanta at the beginning of the month.

As the winter progressed, it became apparent that new investors were being sought to help finance and keep the cash-strapped team in Atlanta.  On the verge of a summer of unknowns, guess who visited Philips Arena for the season finale?

The Pittsburgh Penguins, of course.

In a cruel twist of fate, the Thrashers concluded their time in Atlanta with a loss, 5-2 to the visitors and the game’s 2nd star, scoring a goal and an assist, was Pascal Dupuis.  The loss meant that of all 14 Eastern Conference foes, the Thrashers suffered the most at the hands of Pittsburgh, falling to 11-28-0-5 in 44 games.

Add the Penguins to a list of odd and inadvertent factors that doomed NHL hockey in Atlanta.

Los Angeles Kings GM Dean Lombardi was a guest on NHL on The Fly Monday night.

Here are the basic highlights. Note – these are near exact quotes, but partially paraphrased for brevity…

* The up and down year for the Kings is par for the course when you’re dealing with young players. After starting the season 12-3 some guys thought this was going to be easy and they forgot how hard they have to work. We won a lot of early games when we didn’t actually play that well. I hope we’ve learned from it. I think we have.

* Have you learned anything that changes how you approach the trade deadline? No. Many parts of our plan are coming together. Maybe some of our young players took a stumble, but in most cases our projections for where we’d be are pretty much on the mark. We knew then and we know now what we need.

* We haven’t looked back on not completing a deal with Ilya Kovalchuk because that deal never made sense for us. We have a strong nucleus that’s starting to come together. They need time to mature and we want to keep them together. We felt coming into the year we’d be one of the best defensive teams and we are. We’d like to improve the offensive, but not at the expense of doing something extreme.

If you’d like to listen to this interview via Kings Vision, click here.

The Mayor
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Saturday night Ilya Kovalchuk skated onto the Kings’ home ice at Staples Center.

Problem was, it was 11 games later than when most had figured and was the first time he had been anywhere near there since visiting their training facility back on July 13th.

Only this time around, Dustin Brown, Jarret Stoll and Matt Greene didn’t roll out a red carpet like they did during their last get together.  Having spurned the team for a better contract with New Jersey, he was now wearing a Devils sweater and was part of the visiting team.

The entire summer romance – er, courtship – between Kings GM Dean Lombardi, Kovy, his agent Jay Grossman and all the parties involved has been chronicled to death. By now, everybody knows how it all turned out. Similar to the Rob Blake situation, fans appear to be split into two camps – some feel rejected (they’re angry), others are glad he didn’t sign here (they’re happy, or at least neutral).

Looking for a little more of an impartial view, we checked in with three well respected experts from ESPN and Hockey Night in Canada to get their take on the whole Kovy summer drama…

QUESTION:  Any final thoughts on the Kovalchuk situation now that it’s all been wrapped up?

Kelly Hrudey – Hockey Night in Canada

It seems to me like he’s a good fit in New Jersey. We spoke to Lou Lamoriello last year after he was traded there and he raved about how he had fit in and was excited to be there. From that perspective, I think it makes sense. I must say, I’m really happy the NHL jumped in though – in terms of the way the contract was structured. There have been too many cases where teams have front loaded all the deals. They haven’t circumvented the CBA. But, it’s not really in the spirit of the contract either.

Pierre LeBrun – ESPN and Hockey Night in Canada

One disappointment that I have is that the league waited so long to finally, officially interfere. I know they hired outside council to investigate the Luongo, Hossa, Pronger, Savard and some of the other so-called ‘cheat deals.’ But, they didn’t really officially reject a deal until the Kovalchuk one. Certainly, out of all of them, that’s the one that went too far. But, I do think if you’re Lou Lamoriello and you see Vancouver having a $5.3 million cap hit for Roberto Luongo, when you know he’s not going to be playing the last three years of that deal, it is hard to stomach that your franchise was singled out.  But, in the end, I’m happy it happened because I think these ‘cheat deals’ have really questioned the integrity of the system and kind of hurt teams that decided to not go down that path and signed deals that were in good faith and in-line with the actual rules.

QUESTION: Are the Kings better off with Kovy or without him?

John Buccigross – ESPN [taken from his season preview on MayorsManor]

They’d certainly be better with him.  He’s scored the second most goals of any player since he’s been in the league.  He’s a dynamic player, has great power play presence.  To plug somebody like that in would be in a no lose situation.  The Western Conference is still very tough – the Blackhawks are weakened, the Red Wings could come back and make a little bit of a resurgence, although age is a factor and they could get injured again.  But, if the Kings could’ve added someone like that, they would’ve had a couple of lines of scoring depth.

It would have given them a little bit of buzz too, not like Wayne Gretzky buzz – because he isn’t a household name to the casual sport fan.  However, it would have energized the base and then hopefully they would have energized the casual fan themselves in kind of an organic fan base way.  So, it would have been great.  I was rooting for it to happen, just from a national NHL stand point.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Many people waited most of the summer to see a headline similar to ‘Kings sign Kovalchuk.’

Instead, in the end, it simply read ‘Kings beat Kovalchuck.’  Final score was 3-1 on Saturday, L.A. over New Jersey.

Giving some people two out of the three words they wanted will just have to do.

The Mayor
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All three of the hockey experts above stopped by before the season for exclusive interviews…

Kelly Hrudey - Season preview with a focus on Western Conference goaltending

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John Buccigross – Only JB can smoothly mix the Kings, the Ducks and Run DMC
.

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For their game against the Penguins, the Devils dressed just fifteen skaters – nine forwards and six defencemen – as three players suddenly became unavailable after Saturday’s blowout loss at Washington.  Blueliner Anton Volchenkov suffered a broken nose when he took a slapshot from Nicklas Backstrom off the face.  Right wing Brian Rolston suffered an upper-body injury and enforcer Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond received an automatic one-game suspension for instigating a fight during the last five minutes of the game.  Although New Jersey has three open spots on its 23-man active roster, their hands are tied in terms of making transactions since they have spent right up to the 2010-11 NHL salary cap of $59.4-million.

When rosters were required to be set at 3 p.m. EDT last Wednesday, New Jersey made use of Article 50.10 (d) (iv) in the CBA, “Bona-Fide Long-Term Injury/Illness Exception to the Upper Limit“, to bring the club in compliance with the salary cap by placing defencemen Bryce Salvador and Anssi Salmela on the injured reserve and injured, non-roster lists, respectively.  Even so, the Devils are still in an uncomfortable position with little wiggle room and the worst possible scenario for the Devils is the one which has befallen them presently.

Volchenkov and Rolston are both clearly hurt, but for an unknown period of time.  New Jersey could elect to place them on long-term injured reserve and replace them with players whose aggregate salaries do not exceed the combined salaries of Volchenkov ($4.25-million) and Rolston ($5.062-million), but that would require the injured pair, in accordance with the CBA, to each miss at least ten NHL games and 24 calendar days before being allowed to suit up again for the Devils.  Is New Jersey willing to take that risk?  More relevant however, is the fact that replacements remotely equal in quality to Volchenkov and Rolston simply cannot be acquired through trade nor do such types exist in the AHL, waiting to be called up.

As a stop-gap measure, the Devils made a minor transaction this afternoon, waiving Letourneau-Leblond and signing veteran forward Adam Mair.  Their salaries are essentially the same.  New Jersey GM Lou Lamoriello said, “I feel the team played well with the roster.  There was, in my opinion, a burden on the coach and players, and it’s my responsibility to get this straightened out.”  It will be interesting to see if Lamoriello can somehow engineer a transaction in the coming weeks that will give his club more breathing room under the salary cap framework so that New Jersey can sustain injuries and properly replace the sidelined players.  Will we see drastic trades along the lines of what Chicago did during the summer?  Time will tell.

It was an amusing irony yesterday when new Pens’ defenceman Paul Martin skated in on an empty New Jersey net and scored late in the third period to ice a 3-1 victory over the Devils.  Martin played six seasons in New Jersey but jumped to Pittsburgh as a free agent this past off-season.  He was a player the Devils could not re-sign due to the financial burden of retaining Kovalchuk.  One of the players who came with Kovalchuk at the trade deadline, Salmela, is out with a knee injury and Volchenkov, one of the new blueliners replacing Martin, is now out indefinitely.

Irony can be cruel, but the salary cap is even more harsh.

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Last Friday afternoon, the NHL approved the most recent iteration of a mega-year deal between the Devils and Kovalchuk.  The new contract is not radically different than the original one, totalling an even $100-million spread over 15 years for an annual salary cap hit of $6.667-million, up slightly from the $6-million yearly figure contained in the deal that was revoked by the league and arbitrator Richard Bloch.  The table below shows a comparison of the invalid contract (left columns) and the approved contract (right columns).

Sources: capgeek.com and Offside: A Sports Law Blog (Eric Macramalia)

What is obvious at first glance is that the structure of both the approved and rejected contracts are insignificantly different over the first eight seasons.  Both deals call for $6-million in years 1 and 2.  Both deals also stipulate earnings of between $11-million and $12-million in years 3 to 7 followed by a drop in year 8 to either $10-million or $10.5-million.  After 2017-18, when Kovalchuk will turn 35, he will have earned $79-million or 79% of the contract’s total value.  Under the invalid agreement, he would have earned $80-million or 78% of the total value after the same initial eight seasons.

The point of disagreement was clearly with what Bloch termed the “6-year tail” of the original contract, a period the arbitrator ruled that New Jersey would not actually have “hope that Kovalchuk will be playing, but rather the expectation that he will not”, essentially a time when the Devils could expunge the $6-million salary cap hit by demoting or waiving him or by simply watching Kovalchuk retire.  In the approved deal, instead of six final seasons with annual payouts of $750,000 or less, Kovalchuk will take home (in $-million) annual salaries of: 4,1,1,1,3 and 4.  Thus the 6-year tail has a slight ski-jump at the end to mollify the NHL office, with no single season dropping below $1-million.

With the matter now settled, what about the investigations into the possible cap-circumvention deals signed by Marian Hossa, Roberto Luongo, Chris Pronger and Marc Savard?  Those inquiries will not proceed; all four contracts will be allowed to stand, but they will be the last ones before this particular species of contract becomes extinct due to the supplements agreed upon by the NHL and NHLPA last Friday (see footnotes for specific details).  As I suggested over a month ago when the original contract of Kovalchuk was rejected, it was poor form for the NHL to invoke the Circumventions Article and threaten to use the De-registration Clause in the CBA without specific quantification of what makes a signed deal run afoul of the Agreement.  “Better to let those contracts stand, but use the Bloch decision on Kovalchuk as a beacon of warning for all future situations where a player and club attempt to circumvent the CBA,” this space declared on August 9, hours after the arbitrator’s decision.

And shine a loud beacon of warning they did.  The NHL and NHLPA should receive credit for bringing clarity into the CBA, at least until the next round of negotiations, and for making an effort to close off the most glaring and abused loophole in salary cap regulations.  With specific ages, years and salary figures now written in stone, the league will no longer appear to pick and choose which contracts to approve and which ones to reject; no longer will they have to pinch their nose – as they surely did when finally signing off on Kovalchuk – when a contract comes across their desk clearly attempting to defeat the salary cap.  The still-leaderless NHLPA can get back to the process of finalizing their executive director search and constitution ratification as opposed to preparation of endless grievances.

Lawyers often speak about following the “spirit of the law” not just the “letter of the law” in relation to a given statute.  For several seasons, certain NHL teams thumbed their noses at the salary cap sections of the CBA, making a mockery of the spirit of the law though they followed the vague letters, sentences and paragraphs of the law.  Hopefully, with new letters and numbers in CBA law, the spirit of the law – an attempt at creating competitive balance – will be followed more properly.

_________________________________________________________________________

Supplements to the CBA, effective immediately, per NHL.com:

1. While players and clubs can continue to negotiate long-term contracts (five years or longer) that include contract years in a player’s 40s, for purposes of salary-cap calculation the contract will effectively be cut off in the year of the contract in which the player turns 41.

2. In any long-term contract that averages more than $5.75 million for the three highest-compensation seasons, the cap charge will be a minimum of $1 million for every season in which the player is 36-39 years of age. That $1 million value will then be used to determine the salary cap hit for the entire contract. If the contract takes the player into his 40s, the previous rule goes into effect.

Please refer to the linked article for examples clarifying the new rules.

Day 1 – Dear diary, I have arrived in New Jersey. While the city itself is a tad busier than Atlanta, I still feel like I am at home. My new condo fits me well, and the couple across the street enjoy making the sex with the curtains open. I can’t help but stare at the silky skin glistening in the moonlight. That guy must work his glutes daily. I’m such a little devil for looking. Oh no, his wife sees me. I must move now.

Day 8 – Dear diary, I scored some good points against the Maple Leafs and my agent found me a new condo. I look out my window and see city, but no more people across the street. That is a shame. I am invited to a slumber party on Saturday at Zach Parise’s house. If it’s anything like it was in Atlanta, everyone will have fun until Dany Heatley drives home.

Day 22 – Dear diary, I just got an e-mail from Don Waddell. I guess he’s still upset with me for wanting to leave. I thought I was very clear when he offered me a 10-year deal and I said “no thank you, I want to play for an NHL team.” He told me he lied about all the times he said I looked gorgeous and that I am not as pretty as I think I am. He’s obviously delusional because I am definitely a sexy piece of ass. Those pictures I took of myself in a skimpy devil suit will never be sent to him now. His loss.

Day 72 – Dear diary, I know I have not wrote you in a while, but today Ilya is sad =( tear drops I cannot draw and that makes me even more sad. I was never good in art class, but that’s not why I write you today. The Devils are kicked out of playoffs. Two times I go to playoffs and two times my team is out in first round. I scored six points in five games, but fans not happy. I don’t know what I’m going to do. I like my condo, but with no happy fans and no sex across street, I am not happy with New Jersey. What should I do?! Are you there?! Can you read this?! Answer me!!!!! Cry face!

Day 125 – Dear diary, I stopped writing you because you ignored me when I was sad. But I have something I need to tell you. Don Waddell is still angry. He got players from Stanley Cup winning team and is making fun of me for having no contract. He says “I have Dustin Buff, uh, Biff, uh, Bif Naked, or Fugly, Big Fugly Inn keeper, whatever his name is, you sucksorz! 3a7 @$$ K0v@1$uCk! 1337z0rz!” I do not speak code! What does this say?!

Day 132 – Dear diary, I am now a free agent. All I hear all day is ringing and agent keeps asking me “will you take this?” I do not want short-term, I hate Waddell, I need very big contract to get back at him for his secret code that has kept me awake at night. What the hell is a sucksorz?! Waddell e-mailed me today a video on youtube that said “Kovalchuk’s most awesome goals”, but some guy starting singing to me! The words are stuck in my head! “NEVER GUNNA GIVE YOU UP!” GAHHHH!

Day 135 – The Los Angeles Kings called me and said they like me, and want to schedule a meeting with me. My phone scares me and someone keeps sending me letters that have more numbers and letters in them. This one says U 1$ Da F@i1! I am so alone!

Day 139 – I had my meeting with the Los Angeles Kings at my condo. They don’t seem to like me anymore. I have built a man-fort in the corner of my living room and pushed my fridge beside it so I never have to leave. Technology scares me, and the only two things I can trust are you and my pencil, and my pencil just broke! I need to bite off parts of the wood to continue writing, brb!

Okay I am back. I used the bite stuff to create a small fire for my pet mouse, his name is Brian Gionta. He eats peanut butter, so we share. The Kings people left my place because they did not like it when I asked Gionta if the deal looked good. I told them I wanted him in my trade clause and they walked out.

Day 142 – Dear diary, Gionta is gone and I’m starting to wonder if he ever existed. I haven’t shaved in weeks and I think there’s something in my beard that’s tickling me. Oh wait! Maybe that’s Gionta!

Day 142 and a half – Dear diary, it was Gionta in my beard, but because I have no food left in my fridge, I had to eat him. I am so sad again, tearie face, but I ate him with peanut butter so he doesn’t get lonely in my stomach.

Day 150 – The Devils came over today and asked me if I still want to play hockey. I told them I did. They asked me for how long, and I told them for 370 Ilykov moons. They stared at me for a few minutes until they finally said “ok” and handed me a contract. I signed it and gave Waddell a little message.

Day 151 – The NHL says my contract isn’t good. They said “this isn’t compliant within the CBA”, and I said “you’re not compliant with the CBA!” And he said “what?” and I said “WHAT?!” Then there was a long pause and I said “you called the wrong number bitch!” Then I hung up. I sure showed him!

Day 171 – The obituaries guy told us my contract is not good and said it doesn’t count. I don’t understand what is going on. I wish Brian Gionta was here right now to tell me what I should do. Maybe I will go back to Russia and find a new Brian Gionta that I can pet and kiss and be with. I miss Brian Gionta. I miss how he would lick me before we went to sleep in my man-fort. Ilya is sad again.

Day 199 – I have a new contract with the Devils, hopefully this time it goes through. Ilya is happy! Also, I learned how to read and write Leet today, and now I know what Waddell wrote to me. Here is my new contract.

Micheal A. Aldred

GARY BETTMAN 10 mins 56 sec NHL commissioner answers media questions following Q and A session.

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Since the NHL was successful earlier this week in its rejection of Ilya Kovalchuk’s 17-year, $102 million contract with the New Jersey Devils internet speculation has arisen once again over the possibility rival teams might attempt to sign Kovlachuk now that he’s an unrestricted free agent again.

It’s been suggested the Los Angeles Kings, New York Islanders and New York Rangers could jump into the bidding as the Devils attempt to work out a new contract with the Kovalchuk camp which they hope this time the league will accept.

Kings GM Dean Lombardi hinted around the time the league announced it would reject Kovalchuk’s initial contract with the Devils he might be willing to make another pitch for the scoring winger. Since then however he’s signed winger Alexei Ponikarovsky and appears to have moved on. To date there’s been no reports out of Los Angeles regarding any potential interest by Kings’ management.

The Islanders interest was never considered serious and it is unlikely to be more serious this time, nor for that matter is Kovalchuk believed having even considered signing with the Isles.

As for the Rangers, that one was an internet creation and never got serious traction in the press, probably because the Blueshirts lack the cap space to sign Kovalchuk, having salary issues of their own to deal with.

The only team we know for certain that has interest in making a competing bid for Kovalchuk isn’t an NHL team, but rather SKA St. Petersburg of Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League, which hinted at a willingness to make several offers worth over $10 million per season.

It’s believed however Kovalchuk wants to remain in the NHL, as his signing with the Devils made clear. GM Lou Lamoriello’s announced talks would resume with the Kovalchuk camp immediately once the league’s rejection of their initial contract was made official via arbitration.

That so far is the only “buzz” on this subject and until it’s reported in either the Los Angeles or New York media that the Kings, Islanders and/or Rangers have expressed interest or open talks with the Kovalchuk camp, don’t believe any rumor blog talk claiming otherwise. The media in those respective cities have been the most accurate on the matter (especially Helene Elliott of the Los Angeles Times and Rich Hammond of LAKingsinsider.com) than anyone else.

Lyle Richardson
SpectorsHockey.net
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The 17-year contract, the longest in NHL history, was structured similar to many mega-year deals signed in recent years by stars where the majority of money would be earned in the early years of the contract followed by a sharp drop in salary for the final years.  This tactic has the effect of lowering a player’s annual salary cap hit as under the current terms of the CBA, the NHL calculates cap hit based on average annual value of the entire contract.

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In the case of Kovalchuk, while his cap hit worked out to $6-million per year, he was slated to earn $80-million in the first 8 years of the deal (a $10-million average) but just $550,000 for each of the last five seasons of the contract, almost the NHL minimum wage.  The NHL rejected the contract two days after it was finalized when the league deemed it was crafted to “circumvent the provisions of the salary cap”.  Five days later, the NHLPA grieved, prompting Bloch to hold hearings last Wednesday and Thursday in Boston.

In today’s ruling, Bloch agreed with the league’s position, noting that, “… the record strongly supports the claim this contract is ‘intended to, or has the effect’ of defeating or circumventing the Salary Cap provisions of the CBA. The overall structure of this SPC (standard player contract) reflects not so much the hope that Mr. Kovalchuk will be playing in those advanced years, but rather the expectation that he will not.”  He went on to explain that while the record 17-year length “poses no contractual problem”, he realistically stated that there is virtually no precedent for any player playing until he is 44 years old, the age Kovalchuk would be if he fulfilled the entire contract.

Bloch also honed in on the “no-movement” and “no-trade” clauses attached to the contract.  While the first eleven years of the contract would have prevented New Jersey from trading, waiving or demoting Kovalchuk, the sole clause for the remaining six years would be a “no-trade” only.  Bloch deduced that “this additional flexibility will allow the Club to, for example, place the Player on waivers or send him to the minors.”  Such actions would take Kovalchuk’s cap hit off New Jersey’s hands.  Bloch also noted that it would be just as likely that a player at that point in his career would simply retire which would equally strike Kovalchuk’s salary from the Devils’ books.

New Jersey GM Lou Lamoriello accepted Bloch’s ruling and held out hope of restarting negotiations with Kovalchuk on a contract that will pass muster with the NHL.  Importantly, while there was the potential in a worst-case scenario for multi-million dollar fines and draft-pick penalties to be imposed on the club and player, Lamoriello’s comments “that nothing in [Bloch's] opinion should be read as suggesting that either the club or Kovalchuk operated in bad faith“ imply that none will be forthcoming.  Meanwhile, the NHLPA released a statement expressing their disappointment, stating they are “currently reviewing the decision, and will have no further comment at this time.”

As I asked previously on July 20, the night the news first broke that the NHL would reject the contract, why did the league not include more precise, quantifiable language in the CBA to establish firm and clear parameters on what constitutes a valid or invalid contract?  Maximum term lengths and maximum percentage drops in salaries from year to year could have prevented not only the events surrounding Kovalchuk’s signing, but also the drawn-out, front-ended deals signed by Hossa, Luongo, Pronger, Henrik Zetterberg, Vincent Lecavalier and more recently, Marc Savard.

Instead, the NHL suddenly has entered an era of subjective “pick and choose” decisions on contracts.  James Mirtle of the Globe and Mail reported that as promised, the now-victorious NHL will likely use the Bloch ruling on Kovalchuk as a precedent to re-open investigation into similar deals that sought to circumvent the salary cap.  Under Article 11.6 (b) iii of the CBA, “Subsequent Challenge and/or De-Registration of SPCs“, the NHL has the right to take such retroactive measures.

“An approved and registered SPC may be subject to subsequent challenge and/or de-registration by the League: (i) in the case of a Circumvention relating to either the Club Upper Limit … within 60 days from the date upon which the facts of the Circumvention became known or reasonably should have been known to the NHL.”

Doubtlessly, the emboldened NHL will now move to build on today’s success by using the system arbitration process to close off the CBA loophole that allowed teams to sign franchise players to unrealistically long, cap-friendly contracts that would be jettisoned toward the final seasons of the deals.  Yet the NHL is treading on dangerous, shaky ground.  Clubs have carefully and meticulously planned the composition of their rosters around the salary cap not only for each season but often far into the future.  When clubs like Vancouver, Chicago, Detroit and Philadelphia filed contracts for their respective players, they certainly and plainly followed the same template for salary cap circumvention, but the league registered all those contracts at the time as fully valid (even after an investigation into the deals for Hossa and Pronger) according to the language of the CBA.

While the De-Registration clause exists, the NHL should think hard before invoking it for it would severely disrupt the business of several member clubs on short notice if they follow through with their stated intention of revisiting the validity of previously signed deals.  The potential sudden nullification of several contracts and the sudden freeing of several star players into the free agency market with less than one month to go before the opening of training camps would create an unprecedented state of chaos in the NHL.  Whole rosters could potentially be thrown off kilter if a star is arbitrarily removed from the constellation of peripheral players assembled around him.  Even if that star hurriedly renegotiated a new deal on terms acceptable to the league, the salary cap hit for the star would likely be significantly higher resulting in mandatory changes to the rest of the roster including waiving or trades of integral parts.  Better to let those contracts stand, but use the Bloch decision on Kovalchuk as a beacon of warning for all future situations where a player and club attempt to circumvent the CBA.

Lou, Devs prez Jeff Vanderbeek, Kovy and John McLean enjoy the PuckCast.

Thanks to our good friends Fork and CT at HockeeNight! in Chicago (hockeenight.com), we’re pleased to bring you this two hour podcast recorded Tuesday, July 22.

Featuring NHL on XM Radio’s Hawks correspondent and HockeyIndependent.com columnist Al Cimaglia; Dave Morris, also a feature columnist at Hockey Independent; and hosts ForkLift and CT, it’s a lively, and often provocative, ’hot stove’.

Among the topics:

>the Kovalchuk Conundrum, and why the NHL may be between a rock and a hard place;

>why mainstream hockey journos are struggling as the blogosphere takes the lead;

>the inside story on the Antti Niemi deal

>debating the perception that the “Blackhawks are screwed”;

>and much, much, more. Even Brian Burke gets mentioned.

Hoping you find it informative, and enjoy its informal irreverence.

Click the player below to hear the podcast

Ilya Kovalchuk’s recent contract saga has certainly added an interesting twist to what had been a dull summer in the free agent market.

It remains to be seen how this situation will shake out. Will he and the Devils restructure the contract and resubmit it to the league? Will the NHLPA file a grievance on his behalf? Could he decide to revisit contract talks with the LA Kings? Inquiring minds wanna know but it could take some time to get the answers.

In the meantime it’s created a vacuum for free agent and trade news, so into the breach steps Hockeybuzz’s Eklund with a Kovalchuk rumor:

“Another rumor that just broke is the Rangers are considering trading Marian Gaborik to the LA Kings and signing Kovalchuk. Very interesting rumor indeed. We all remember Gaborik had wanted to play in LA going into last summer’s UFA period prior to signing in NY.”

It is interesting…but it also makes no sense.

Gaborik’s currently has four years remaining on a five-year contract with the Rangers paying him $7.5 million per season, which isn’t front-loaded. He’s never expressed any desire since joining the Rangers last summer of playing anywhere else and in fact had a career-season with the Blueshirts in 2009-10. Gaborik also has a “no-trade” clause.

The Kings might have had interest in Gaborik before he joined the Rangers, and who knows, perhaps they’d have interest in him if GM Glen Sather came calling even with Gabby’s current salary.

Problem is, they’d have to part with assets to make this deal work. You see, the Kings are also thinking long-term here, as they’ve got Drew Doughty, Jack Johnson and Wayne Simmonds to re-sign by next summer, when they become restricted free agents. 

Adding Gaborik’s $7.5 million would take a huge bite out of their remaining cap space for next season making it tougher to retain those key players. That was the deciding factor in why they ultimately couldn’t match the Devils’ hefty offer for Kovalchuk.

So, the Kings would have to part with some assets to clear up some cap space. Unfortunately the Rangers are in no position to accept too much salary back.  They have just over $4 million in cap space and even by demoting Wade Redden next season to the minors to free up his $6.5 million they still couldn’t afford to take back salary from the Kings, sign Kovalchuk and fill out the remainder of their roster.

Not only that, but why would the Rangers want to trade away Gaborik, a first-line right winger whom they’re very happy with, for Ilya Kovalchuk, a first line left wing?  Because he’s a “better player”? Marginally so, but that doesn’t justify trying such a move, and for that matter, we don’t even know if Kovalchuk would want to sign with the Rangers. Yes, yes, I know, large Russian community in New York, but he’s made his commitment to the Devils and I believe he’s going to stick with them, not bail out and try to shop his services around again.

The Rangers most obvious need up front is finding a first line center, not shuffling their first line wingers.

This rumor simply doesn’t make sense.

Lyle Richardson
SpectorsHockey.net
twitter.com/spectorshockey

The relevant parts of Article 26.3 state that “No Club may enter into any SPC (standard player contract) if [it] is intended to or has the effect of defeating or Circumventing the provisions of this Agreement, including provisions with repsect to Team Payroll Range and/or Free Agency.”

Clearly, the NHL took umbrage with the structure of Kovalchuk’s new contract, the latest in a growing line of mega-year deals signed by stars with the intent of maximizing the actual dollars earned by a player in the early years of the contract while minimizing the yearly salary cap hit, (calculated as the average annual value), to the player’s club.  Kovalchuk was to earn $6-million in each of the first 2 years of the deal then $11.5-million for the next 5 seasons.  Then in 2017-18 his salary would start to decline, to $10.5-million and continue going down until 2022-23 when his stipend would be just $550,000 for the last five seasons of the deal, the NHL minimum wage.  Yet the yearly cap hit for New Jersey would have been just $6-million based on the average annual value despite Kovalchuk standing to receive $80-million over the first 8 years of the contract.

twitter.com/PenguinsMarchHockey Independent on Facebook

Of course by the expiration of the deal in 2027, Kovalchuk would be 44 years old.  Considering that only 4 non-goalies in NHL history have skated in a league game past their 44th birthday, it is not surprising that the league finally drew a line in the sand and called out this contract for what it really is: 1) the most open, obvious and egregious mockery of the salary cap to date and 2) exhibit “A” to add to the next agenda of CBA negotiations as a reminder of what needs to be stamped out of the NHL to truly preserve the equitable spirit and intent of the salary cap.

Plain and simple, the structure of Kovalchuk’s contract was meant to front-load earnings to the player and to stretch out the term of the deal to an impossibly long duration to minimize New Jersey’s salary cap hit.  If Kovalchuk retires or is no longer on New Jersey’s roster before the end of the deal, then under the current CBA, his salary would come off the Devils’ books.

It will be interesting to see how the Devils and the NHLPA react.  Will the players’ union cry foul and scream “Why now?“  After seeing cap-friendly contracts similarly structured being signed by stars such as Roberto Luongo, Duncan Keith, Marian Hossa and Henrik Zetterberg, the NHLPA assuredly must be asking why the league decided to put its foot down now.  The aforementioned four players signed contracts that progressively peter out to yearly salaries much less than the cap hit – Hossa’s deal ($63.3-million over 12 years; cap hit of $5.275-million) calls for $1-million per year over its last four seasons.  However, Kovalchuk’s contract structure was probably too obvious to ignore.  Minimum wage for the last five seasons?

As for the Devils, GM Lou Lamoriello surprisingly voiced his displeasure at these types of deals, alluding that the ultimate decision was an ownership decision according to Tom Gulitti in Fire & Ice blog.  At a press conference re-introducing Kovalchuk hours before the NHL bombshell, Lamoriello said, “This is within the rules.  This is in the CBA.  There are precedents that have been set but I would agree we shouldn’t have these.  But I’m also saying that because it’s legal and this is something that ownership felt comfortable doing … As far as what the financial commitment is and that aspect of it, that was out of my hands.”

If a grievance is filed and arbitration is used to determine the contract’s validity, hockey loses regardless of whether an arbiter finds for the NHL or for the NHLPA.  If the league’s decision is overturned and Kovalchuk’s new contract is allowed to stand, then hockey’s larger market teams will continue to generally use this type of contract tactic, until the next CBA possibly outlaws it, to subtly outbid smaller market clubs for star free agents.  Financially stable franchises that spend up to the cap ceiling tend to have the resources to offer deals heavily weighted with up-front dollars and will likely snatch up players looking to cash in quickly rather than financially-strapped teams that spend closer to the salary floor and cannot commit as much money in the initial seasons of a contract.

Even in the wee hours of Wednesday morning, the Devils' official website still featured this message and picture on its front page despite the NHL rejecting Kovalchuk's 17-year, $102-million contract on the grounds that the deal's structure was not in keeping with the spirit of the salary cap's intent.

However, if an arbiter finds for the NHL, then the integrity of the current CBA can be called into question.  The NHL will have to answer many questions.  By what stipulation in the language of the Circumventions clause did it decide to reject Kovalchuk’s contract but not Hossa’s or Keith’s or Luongo’s?  Did the league circulate any internal memoranda to its 30 clubs outlining player contract parameters that could put them in violation of the Circumventions clause?  Why was the current CBA drafted without specfic quantifiable restrictions on term-length of multi-year contracts to avoid cap-evading deals?  (After all, there is a percentage restriction on the maximum salary a player can earn relative to the salary cap ceiling).  Will the next CBA incorporate less subjective, vague, open-to-interpretation “Circumvention” clauses and more objective, numerical-based clauses to better quantify contract rules?  (Specific clauses such as Article 50.7, the “100 percent rule” explicitly state the maximum pay-raise and pay-cut amounts year-to-year on multi-year contracts).

Potentially most damagingly, Commissioner Gary Bettman will have to answer whether he is “acting in the best interests of hockey” by the NHL intervening to nullify the contract.  Sports fans of a certain age who recognize such “best interests” jargon will surely remember 1976 when Major League Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn overturned the sale of three Oakland Athletics players in the middle of the season by maverick owner Charles O. Finley.  The cash-starved, small market Oakland club had fallen on hard times after the era of free agency took hold in baseball and it was only a matter of time before the stars of the Athletics, three-time World Series winners in the early 1970s, would leave the team.  When Finley tried to sell Joe Rudi and Rollie Fingers to Boston for $2-million and Vida Blue to the Yankees for $1.5-million, Kuhn stepped in and said the transactions were “inconsistent with the best interests of baseball [and] the integrity of the game.”

Finley turned around and slapped Kuhn with a lawsuit, alleging that Kuhn “acted beyond the scope of his authority … arbitrarily, discriminatorily and unreasonably.”  In the spring of 1978, a U.S. Court of Appeals concluded that the Commissioner “acted in good faith, after investigation, consultation and deliberation, in a manner which he determined to be in the best interests of baseball … and in any event the broad authority given to the Commissioner by the Major League Agreement placed any party to it on notice that such authority could be used.”

While the court sided with Kuhn, one can’t help but think the commissioner overstepped his bounds by interfering in a perfectly legal, though crass, transaction made between three clubs.  The NHL head office likely considered this historical precedent before announcing its decision yesterday.  Yet the league may be treading in dangerous waters too.  New Jersey and Kovalchuk acted within the framework of the CBA just like other clubs and players who came to terms on mega-year deals.  Did they follow the spirit of the CBA?  Absolutely not.  Most people in the hockey world find contracts like the Kovalchuk deal eminently distasteful, but singling it out for rejection on a subjective interpretation of the Circumventions clause while ignoring other similar contracts smacks of unnecessary interference in the daily affairs of a club and its players.  Negotiating for the implementation of clearer language into the next CBA would be the proper thing to do.

In a recent article NY Post hockey columnist Larry Brooks suggested the NY Rangers “need” Ilya Kovalchuk, making the case for GM Glen Sather to pursue the talented Russian winger:

Brooks cites the lack of a talented center or stud defenseman in the UFA market or in the Rangers system, and scoffed at comparing a signing of a healthy superstar in his prime like Kovalchuk to previous Rangers free agent blunders like Eric Lindros and Theo Fleury.

It’s understandable why Brooks is making the case for Kovalchuk in a Rangers uniform. Apart from Marian Gaborik they lack scoring depth, without which they’ll likely again struggle to make the playoffs next season.

But there are significant reasons why the Rangers shouldn’t (and likely won’t) consider such a move, the most notable being their limited cap space.

Currently the Rangers have just over $4 million in available space and will likely free up another $6.5 million when they as expected demote fading veteran defenseman Wade Redden to the minors.

Still, if they were to sign Kovalchuk to his rumored asking price of $10 million per season that would all but wipe out that available space, leaving management no room to fill out the rest of the roster and leave a cap cushion for next season.

It’s not just next season where a Kovalchuk contract would adversely impact the Rangers.

In July 2011 Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan Callahan will be restricted free agents and possible offer sheet targets. The Blueshirts without Kovalchuk currently have over $45 million committed to 13 players for 2011-12, including Redden.

Adding Kovalchuk would push that committed payroll to $55 million for 14 players, so even subtracting Redden’s $6.5 million would still leave them with $49.5 million already committed for ’11-’12, leaving them no room to retain Dubinsky and Callahan and still fill out the remainder of the lineup.

Not even Glen Sather can justify taking on that much salary for one player and burying/dumping others to free up the cap space for him. He just can’t.

Lyle Richardson
SpectorsHockey.net
twitter.com/spectorshockey

The Ilya Kovalchuk sweepstakes certainly got interesting this past weekend, with the NY Islanders jumping into the bidding and the Los Angeles Kings deciding to drop out.

It also led some busybodies in the Russian paper Life Sports suggesting the reason the Philadelphia Flyers were trying to trade winger Simon Gagne and his $5.25 million salary for next season was to clear up room for a pitch of their own to Kovalchuk.

That rumor was tied to Kovalchuk’s Russian agent Yury Nikolaev,who told Northjersey.com’s Tom Gulitti there was no truth to the story, adding he doesn’t get involved in negotiating contracts for his client with NHL teams.

Regardless, the premise for this rumor was absurd.

As has been widely reported the Flyers are believed trying to move Gagne in order to free up cap space both to re-sign restricted free agents Dan Carcillo and Darroll Powe plus to land an experienced starting goaltender via free agency.

The last thing, the very last thing, the Flyers – a team loaded with offensive punch – wants or needs is another scoring winger, especially one who’ll command over $8 million per season on a long-term contract.

Those who run “Life Sports” should stick to covering Russian hockey rather than engaging in wild, ridiculous and absurd speculations about Russian NHL free agents.

.

Lyle Richardson
SpectorsHockey.net
twitter.com/spectorshockey

Heading into the July 4^th long weekend the rumor mill came alive with reports the Philadelphia Flyers were shopping Simon Gagne and the NY Islanders had jumped into the bidding for UFA superstar Ilya Kovalchuk.

I was admittedly gobsmacked by both reports but I’ll leave the Islanders bid for Kovalchuk in the good hands of B.D. Gallof and focus today instead upon the Gagne rumor.

Thanks to the Flyers seemingly constant bumping against the league’s cap ceiling the past couple of years Gagne’s name has frequently popped up in the rumor mill, but his “no-trade” clause always squashed such speculation…until now.

This time, it’s for real. The Flyers approached Gagne about waiving his clause and he agreed to do so.

It’s not as though GM Paul Holmgren really wanted to do this. Gagne bleeds Flyer orange and is a fan favorite but Holmgren needs to free up cap space to re-sign restricted free agents Dan Carcillo and Darroll Powe plus – most importantly – land an experienced starting goalie , with Marty Turco or Evengi Nabokov considered the likely candidates.

Besides, Gagne is in the final season of his current contract, will turn 31 next January and in recent years has been hampered by injury. I think Holmgren might’ve gently raised those points with Gagne when he asked the latter to waive his clause.

In other words, they probably won’t re-sign Gagne after next season and if Holmgren can find another possible Cup contender interested in the veteran winger, Gagne might be willing to accept a trade.

The Los Angeles Kings are rumored as a possible destination for Gagne as the Kings have made no secret of their desire to land a veteran scoring forward.  With the Kings possibly out of the running for Kovalchuk they might find Gagne an affordable short-term option.

For now we’ll just have to wait and see as there probably won’t be anything going on during the current holiday weekend, but whether Gagne goes to the Kings or not it appears he has played his final game with the Flyers.

Lyle Richardson
SpectorsHockey.net
twitter.com/spectorshockey

Wait, don’t get me wrong, I do think Snow’s interest, talk and the chasing is legit. I just don’t buy it. I don’t buy it as a solution, option or a good move. But let’s start at the beginning….

Let’s take a moment to climb inside the structure of Long Island’s rebuild. It has been a slow process that happened when Garth took over the organization and all sense of the ill-notion Committee faded away. It was when Ted Nolan was tossed for not going along with the plan, and Garth ran the show. It was 2 years ago, and we are about to go into our third season since. Since then, the farm was completely overhauled, the AHL and NHL teams play the same Scott Gordon system, and now of this past draft, the prospect pool is the best it’s been in years. Years.

 The behavior has been careful, meticulous, secretive, silent, guarded and systematic. It was never leaked to press. Nor was it texted to Pierre LeBrun. It was never telegraphed all over the press, blogosphere and twittersphere,

So now you tell me that the NY Islanders are chasing Ilya Kovalchuk with their panties waving in the wind?

Sorry. Don’t buy it. Bullshit. If it is Charles Wang pushing, he better shut up and sit down before he buries this organization under his hodgepodge of compulsive and destructive moves.

 No player will suddenly make the Town of Hempstead and Nassau County look up and say: “Oh yeah, we better listen now”. Both have been waiting for Charles and the Lighthouse Project to say a word since November.

 No player will suddenly heal all the Isles fans wounds and make it sunshine and lollipops forever more. Well, none available. But if the Caps want to deal Ovie, I’m all ears.

 Everyone wants a star, and when they don’t have one, they are willing to take one with flaws. Let me be very clear…Kovalchuk is no Crosby, Malkin, Ovechkin or anyone of that top dynamics. He is a flawed offensive star.

 And, let me add this one for you…he’s not coming here. No way. No how. If he does at the insane 10 year fortune that is reported, then you might as well kick this rebuild right into the toilet.

 This team’s payroll is paying for past mistakes. So, what, it’s time to add another one?

 Talk about insanity. Insanity: doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different result. And here we are, with a grand crowd of apologists following the rabble over the cliff, like lemmings. Sorry, not buying it. Not one bit.

Ilya is 27 years old, and despite some morons attempt to tie him to Yashin, he isn’t. That I will give him. Hell, he’s a dynamic forward to boot and he’ll do fine on an established team that doesn’t need to play that 2 way game.At a reasonable cost, he’d be not a bad fit, offsetting the scoring pressures of the kids. I mean, seriously, our rookie John Tavares led the team.

He needs support in the worst way.But, so could Frolov. So could any other modest scorer.

What the Isles are pushing to do here is add a top guy for all the wrong reasons. Ilya does not make the Isles relevant. It does not make them a playoff contender. He does not help them get a new venue. He might put a few more butt in the seats, until the bottom falls out. And when you try skipping steps, most assuredly, the bottom WILL fall out.

What Kovalchuk does is destroy the pay structures. It skews expectations. It will backfire like every other dunderheaded move pushed by the owner. His best move was to let Garth do his thing.

Scott Gordon, in his third year as coach, has not shown his team can play consistent defense. Despite some slight alteration and upgrades to the defense, they are not any better where we can say this is a playoff team.

I get how Isles fans want all things solved. They want a new venue. They want to respect and love this team again. Well, I get it, but you need to stop buying the snake oil. This is nothing but snake oil, which will pollute the process and the futures like a BP deep sea pipe.

I can only hope that this all is some public feint for them to pull off a signing or trade that is more economical, realistic and fits their schema. But if you ask me, this whole thing is just plain rotten and the smell is foul. Lots of people are sucking down the sugar pop and not realizing that it came from Milbury’s closet 10 years ago.

Wise up.

ESPN was the first to report the receipt of a text message from Garth Snow stating his interest in Ilya Kovalchuk to be truthful. Shortly thereafter, TSN began reporting in Canada that their sources were hearing numbers in the 10-year, $90-$100 million dollar range. From that point on, tweets by respected hockey sources ranging from Darren Dregger to Lyle Richardson, and to the not-so-respected and infamous Eklund have been running rampant and leading to more and more speculation about Kovalchuk’s final destination point.

Although the Los Angeles Kings have long been considered the front-runner for the services of Ilya Kovalchuk, it has been nearly two full days since the opening of free agency, and still no deal has been struck between Dean Lombardi and Kovalchuk’s agent, Jay Grossman, indicating a difference in either term or value of the contract.  The longer the delay in reaching an agreement, the more obvious it was that other teams were going to get involved, however, few would expect the New York Islanders to be that team.

The New York Islanders, even after today’s signings of Mark Eaton, Milan Jurcina, Zenon Konopka, and P.A Parenteau, still fall around $6-$8 million dollars short of the salary floor, meaning that Garth Snow would need to acquire contracts over the coming months adding up to that value just in order for the team to be eligible to play. With that being the case, the thought of Kovalchuk being signed by the Islanders doesn’t seem too farfetched, now does it?

Obviously we hear about the financial issues, the problems with the once-optimistic Lighthouse Project, and the “circus” that the organization was under Mike Milbury, however, under a more stern and level-headed general manager in Garth Snow, the Islanders have not only brought back a decent amount of credibility off the ice, they have also stacked the prospect cupboards for the on-ice product, boasting future stars in John Tavares, Kyle Okposo, Nino Niederreiter, and an assortment of others. With the addition of Ilya Kovalchuk to a line-up that improved tremendously last year, the Islanders could find themselves in the playoffs at the end of the 2010-2011 NHL regular season.

Most importantly, according to many of the tweets from respected sources on Twitter, Charles Wang wants to see Kovalchuk in an Islander jersey. With the release of Kate Murray’s scaled-down Lighthouse Project set to release sometime in the coming week, what a way for Wang to make a statement about the future of the Islanders in terms of on-ice product.

Will it get done? Its very early to say, but the fact that the Islanders have the cap room to do it, coupled with the fact that the ever-stubborn Charles Wang wants it to get done, things could become very interesting on Long Island this Fourth of July. If TSN and ESPN’s sources are held to be true, Kovalchuk could become the most expensive Fourth of July firework show on Long Island at 10 years, $100 million dollars.

Justin’s Note: It’s still a far way off, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed. The Islanders not only need this elite talent to make the team better, but they need this to increase fan interest. At 10 years, $90 million dollars, Snow should take it and run. Even with substantial increases in contractual values for Tavares, Okposo, Bailey, Niederreiter, and all the prospects over the next few years, the Islanders will still be able to safely stay under the cap. Snow has proven to be a very smart and patient general manager over the past few seasons, and I put my faith behind him in this one. If he finds the right price, Islander fans and I will be jumping for joy.

Although the Toronto Maple Leafs didn’t move defenseman Tomas Kaberle during the entry draft weekend speculation remains strong the Leafs will peddle him within the next two weeks.

It’s also given rise to some weird rumors linking Kaberle to the NHL’s three California-based teams.

The San Jose Sharks were considered a possibility following the retirement of Rob Blake but with their recent re-signings of forwards Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski to expensive new contracts plus their rumored search for an experience starting goaltender has pretty much squelched that conjecture.

Anaheim Ducks forward Bobby Ryan was considered a possibility if for nothing else based on the fact Leafs GM Brian Burke drafted Ryan when he was GM of the Ducks back in 2005. Current Ducks GM Bob Murray however poured water on that one insisting he has no intention of trading Ryan.

So it was only a matter of time I guess before someone linked the Los Angeles Kings with Kaberle.

Not sure where this one came from but apparently the latest kicking around the internet has Kaberle headed to the Kings in exchange for winger Wayne Simmonds, which prompted the following response from agent Allan Walsh via Twitter:

“hahahahahaha (holding my sides to prevent splitting a gut) “.

This isn’t the first time Simmonds have been linked to another team in trade rumors as there was recently one suggesting the Philadelphia Flyers should swap Jeff Carter for Simmonds

I realize I’ve said this once before but I think it bears repeating again: if the Kings weren’t willing to part with Wayne Simmonds as part of a return for a superstar like Ilya Kovalchuk, why would they do so for a lesser player?

Add in the fact the Kings are widely believed seeking a “name” scoring forward and not another puck-moving defenseman (since they already have two fine young ones in Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson), and the notion of Simmonds being swapped for Kaberle just doesn’t make sense.

Lyle Richardson
SpectorsHockey.net
twitter.com/spectorshockey

In the aftermath of the Nashville Predators trading away Dan Hamhuis and Jason Arnott there’s been some talk Predators GM David Poile made those moves to perhaps clear space to pursue a big name free agent star.

Over the weekend The Bleacher Report suggested Poile might target New Jersey Devils winger Ilya Kovalchuk, slated to be the star in this summer’s UFA market.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/408625-are-the-nashville-predators-looking-to-sign-ilya-kovalchuk

The report suggests the Predators might not be amongst Kovalchuk’s preferred destinations but claimed they have the cap space to afford his anticipated salary demands of $7.5-$9 million per season plus have an up-and-coming roster.

Other options might include San Jose’s Patrick Marleau, Montreal’s Tomas Plekanec or Phoenix’s Matthew Lombardi.

What the author of this bit overlooks is the Predators, for their vaunted “cap space” are under a self-imposed cap for next season believed to be between $45-$47 million, meaning the $38.8 million they’ve currently got committed to 17 players for next season leaves them less than $10 million in cap space, not the $20 million they might have if they could afford to spend up to next season’s anticipated cap ceiling.

Furthermore, as noted by The Tennessean, the Predators are more likely to commit their available cap space toward re-signing promising young players like Patric Hornqvist, Cody Fransen and Dustin Boyd.

Having dealt away Hamhuis they’ll likely try to re-sign defenseman Denis Grebeshkov, a restricted free agent they acquired at the trade deadline from the Edmonton Oilers, as well as Ryan Parent, whom they received from the Philadelphia Flyers in the Hamhuis deal.

While I’ll admit anything’s possible I would expect the Predators to stay well under the salary cap, use their available space to retain their young talent, and shun the big names in this summer’s UFA market.

Lyle Richardson
SpectorsHockey.net
twitter.com/spectorshockey

So on Monday we saw a few deals that some idle hands and clearly not-so-idle tongues of GMs created over the break. The cost of dmen went up as Grebeshkov and Leopold cost a 2nd rounder a-piece.

So, thanks to Monday, the market has been set and the cost is a bit high as dmen like Hamhuis, Sutton and others now cost quite a bit. Per Chris Botta, the 2nd rounder he figured for Sutton has gotten higher. This would correspond to my take cited on twitter where the Isles are asking for a 1st rounder. They would like a Campoli-like return for the hulking dman with a meanstreak and who can play high tempo and block shots like Sutton. They would like to be able to laser-in on the 1st round of the next draft which they have been doing their due diligence on all season long as another step for their rebuild. Especially when the goalie situation gets touchy as DiPietro has a swollen knee again.

Where I completely, yet kindly, disagree with Botta is his citing of the cost of Hal Gill 2 years ago, which was a 2nd and a 5th rounder. That market means nothing to this one. Apples to oranges. One year value does not equate to the next. Each season’s market depends on availability and demand. Values have been set, and if the Isles only get a 2nd rounder for Andy Sutton, then they have given up on getting the new rate for that type of dman when playoff bound teams will consider him a step-up to the two dealt yesterday. How much of one is the question.

Now things slow down, as teams now balk at the costs set. Someone will blink eventually as a price is met by someone OR a team set price comes down some. Then you will see a few deals snap into place..either later today or pressed against that March 3rd deadline.

It is a sellers market thus far, and one must wonder if Atlanta should have waited a bit on dealing Kovalchuk or Calgary held out on Phaneuf for maximum return…

Ahh, 20/20 hindsight. NY Islanders once trade Zhitnik to Philly early in season, and then Holmgren turned it around and fleeced Atlanta getting Coburn. This caused Isles fans no shortage of wonder and agita. However, he was removed for “being a negative element in the lockerroom” we’ve come to find out. Well, the Isles responded with a downward spiral in the standings until they finally got themselves together, made the playoffs and lost to Buffalo.

20/20 hindsight also tells two tales. You have to add team value in removing distractions and detrimental elements always to the pre-deadline deals.

Meanwhile, besides NJ, nobody has made the boffo playoff tooling deal. This is surprising because this year looks very wide open. Expect playoff bound cup pressure to cause prices to be met for the win now mantra.

Once that series of moves get made, could be tomorrow, it will get interesting.

Join us tomorrow on Hockey Independent as we join together with XM NHL Home Ice, Lyle Richardson, and many more to provide a chat “live” show where you can hang out and get news and information as it breaks. Live show begins at 9am here on Hockey Independent.

Devils acquire Kovalchuk and Salmela in exchange for Bergfors, Cormier, Oduya and a 1st round pick.

I also just got word that now that the Kovalchuk trade is complete, teams are frantically running around in the domino effect to get their offers in for Exelby.

Just kidding…

Micheal A. Aldred

"Ultimately, we offered Kovy more than $101 million over 12 years, which would have been the highest contract signed by an impending unrestricted free agent in the history of the league.  If accepted, this contract would have been the second highest offer ever to any NHL player.  We also met his desire to be the highest paid player based on average annual salary with a separate offer of 7 years at $10M per year ($70M).  This offer is $0.5M higher per year than any other player.

"If we went beyond these offers, we would not be able to retain the young players on our roster when it came time to sign them, or invest in other top tier players needed to assemble a truly competitive team.  Therefore, we are aggressively exploring all of our options as we move forward."

Kovalchuk's days are certainly numbered, but he must truly dislike the organization and the city to turn out a contract like that. Keep in mind that the Phoenix Coyotes were sold for $140M.

Micheal A. Aldred

www.checkingfrombehind.com

TheFourthPeriod also states that the Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators and Calgary Flames have all balked at the asking price for the Russian sniper.

Micheal A. Aldred

www.checkingfrombehind.com
twitter.com/michealaldred

As much as Brian Burke would love to add Kovalchuk to the Leafs roster, the asking price would have basically been what Kessel was acquired for. Now that the Leafs do not have those picks, Atlanta would surely demand Kessel and maybe even Kadri in a deal to acquire the Russian phenom.

But that isn’t the goal.

Atlanta wants him signed up immediately long-term. If a deal cannot be reached, due to Kovalchuk having little to no interest in remaining a Thrasher for years to come, Atlanta would be forced to deal him off as a rental. Unfortunately for Kovalchuk, that’s not what he wants either. He feels he can bring the Thrashers to the playoffs this season and is fond of his teammates, but not fond of the city.

That’s where the whole “Kovalchuk to Toronto” factors in, when really it could factor into any large market city. Kovalchuk wants the money and the show. He is the face of the Thrashers franchise, but there’s not too many fans in Atlanta pouring in to witness his talent. Kovalchuk wants stardom and knows he can achieve it in a high hockey market city like Toronto, or even any of the New York based teams, and even Los Angeles where he would be treated like a rock star. Anze Kopitar already knows what the rock star treatment can be like.

Toronto does not have (and simply cannot provide) the package Atlanta would demand for Kovalchuk as a rental. It’s likely any team he is traded to is the team he will sign with, so the Thrashers will demand top dollar for him. Knowing how much better of a player he is in comparison to Marion Hossa, you could imagine just how much of a return Ilya would collect for Atlanta. It’s a package not worth shedding from the Leafs organization.

Many would suggest trading Kessel for a proven elite goal scorer like Kovalchuk is a no brainer, but Brian Burke is far more intelligent than to give up the farm for one player (despite the obvious one-sided deal it took to land Kessel in the first place). That is why free agency day will be exciting for Leaf fans.

Should Kovalchuk be dealt to a team he has no interested in signing with, or even remain a Thrasher to attempt the playoff push, free agency day would see the Leafs at nearly 75% the obvious choice for his placement for years to come. With certain contracts expiring and a willingness to shake up the core of the franchise, making room for Ilya would be simple, and Eklund is right, the endorsements he would receive in Toronto are immensely beneficial when attracting stars to the market.

But unless he finds his way to free agency, the Leafs would be taking a step back in offering up the likes of Kessel, Kadri, even Bozak, D’Amigo, Blacker, Stalberg and other potential high profile prospects within the organization. Brian Burke came to the team seeking out a way to build their farm, and this trade would erase all that he has done.

The only side note to consider on the Leafs behalf is knowing that Burke could have just offered the Bruins a 1st, 2nd and 3rd in a tendered offer sheet for Kessel. Instead, he threw out the 3rd and attached a second first in the deal because he wanted to get the deal done sooner and also knew the Bruins would have matched the offer. Should Burke feel Kovalchuk is his next big blockbuster acquisition and wants him sooner than free agency day, the offerings of a ridiculous package could very well be on the horizon.

It’s all a matter of the true “direction” and “plan” of the organization, though many would argue that throwing away two firsts, a second and all their high profile prospects is a little less than a plan and a little more than insanity.

It should also be noted that there are rumblings that Burke is interested in landing Colby Armstrong sometime this season as well (who is slated to become a free agent this summer). Burke tried hard to land Armstrong in a deal last season when the Leafs dealt Kubina to Atlanta, but after each team pulled away more pieces of the deal to what it became, Armstrong too fell off that list.

Other Articles:
Leafs/Panthers and Burke Talks Trades
Georges Laraque can GTFO!
Mike Peca Retires

Micheal A. Aldred

michealaldred@hotmail.com

Checking From Behind.com

The most important three games sequence of the season starts tonight at the United Center. The Hawks will play the Columbus Blue Jackets in the next two games and then will face the Red Wings in Detroit on Sunday. 

The Hawks face a difficult task. 

For the first time in six weeks Chicago has lost dropped two straight games. They are also about to embark on a grueling eight game multi-time zone road adventure. 

In some ways the trip starts this evening because a home finale loss will further test the mettle of this group. The Blackhawks have not faced much adversity and by continuing a tail spin before their longest road trip could make the journey much more difficult. 

If the Hawks can win two of the next three or possibly sweep, they will be on their way toward capturing the Central division crown.  That would probably be the case if they can capture at least 10 of 16 available points on their grueling 15 day journey. The Hawks have a chance to expand their division lead while dealing with their toughest scheduling challenge of the season. 

That is why it is extremely important Cristobal Huet is sharp tonight and the rest of the crew is prepared for a complete effort. It is only January but the Blue Jackets and Red Wings realize they can’t afford to squander opportunities. They are desperate opponents and the Hawks will have to be determined. 

If not this could be the time all of the doubters have been waiting for, a long string of games without many victories. 

The only Central division battles left on the schedule for January are the next three contests. With a good showing versus the Jackets and Wings plus a successful road trip the Blackhawks can focus on another goal for the next two months. 

If Chicago can stay healthy they would have a great chance to finish with the best record in the Western Conference.  

There was another key contract extension in Chicago, but this time it didn’t  involve a Blackhawk player. 

Rocky Wirtz rewarded team President John McDonough with a six year contract extension. McDonough will steer the Hawks front office until 2016. 

It was reported in the Chicago Tribune Rocky Wirtz is looking at the long haul. 

Wirtz said, ‘We’re looking at this long term. We said we don’t want to be a flash in the pan.’ 

Wirtz commented he lays out the plan and McDonough has worked hard to make sure it is carried out. To have continued success it is usually necessary to have solid management in place and now Wirtz has his main man under contract for the future. 

Although this year’s team won’t be the same as the one that takes the ice next October Wirtz feels they will be a Stanley Cup contender for years to come. If one were to believe the rhetoric the chances of any earth shaking trades happening before the March deadline are slim. 

Blackhawk management isn’t content but they are secure in the belief they have enough talent this season to compete for the Stanley Cup. If that goal isn’t fulfilled they sense next year could be their time to capture the ultimate prize. 

Who knows when, but the franchise feels they are in a great position to continue to compete. Many feel next season’s squad will face more challenges but I don’t sense any panic to make a blockbuster acquisition before early March. 

It seems to be a time of stability for the Blackhawks, but it could be the calm before the summer storm. 

The Hawks general manager is on solid footing as our other members of the front office. The coaching staff has done a fine job and no one should be concerned about job security. 

Although probably not every Blackhawk player is feeling as secure. 

There will be some changes coming because Dave Bolland could be back in action in early February.  Adam Burish will return this season also, but most likely not until March. 

Recently injured Marian Hossa will be healthy enough to play on Thursday versus the Blue Jackets. It is still not known when Cam Barker will return from an upper body injury but he has been skating. 

When all are healthy general manager Stan Bowman will be faced with some difficult decisions. 

Bowman could trade a forward or two, as Bryan Bickell or other Rockford Ice Hogs could be used in case of a rash of injuries. It appears the Hawks will have to make some adjustments and I suspect a priority will be to add more depth to the defense. 

There isn’t a juggernaut team in the NHL this season. In fact some feel last year’s conference winners will struggle to make the playoffs. When the Blackhawks are at the top of their game they could be the best….time will tell. 

Right now Bowman will continue as if he has the strongest hand at the table. 

One thing for certain, the Hawks rookie general manger will not significantly mess with this group unless there is a big form reversal before mid February. 

Al’s Shots 

There has been much discussion as to who the Hawks should try to acquire before the trade dead line. 

It would probably be wise for Hawks fans to forget about Ilya Kovalchuk and focus on role players. 

The Ottawa Senators could be an interesting trade partner and might have a player which would fill a need for the Hawks. 

No….Not Anton Volchenkov, who would lose a 200 foot race with either Brent Sopel or Cam Barker. Also the veteran Ottawa defenseman would only be a rental as the Hawks couldn’t afford his cap hit next season. 

If the Hawks are going to bolster their blue line….Why not acquire someone who is big and tough? ……Senator defenseman, Matt Carkner is both and can fit in next year as well. 

At 6’4”, 230lbs. big Matt would be a fine addition. 

In my opinion one of the main areas the Hawks will shed salary for next season will be in their third pairing defensemen. 

Carkner could plug into the number six slot for next year at an affordable $700,000.

Bowman probably has enough trade bait to get Bryan Murray to part with Carkner. 

The Hawks could get bigger and tougher and Carkner wouldn’t have to be only a rental player. 

Last but not least, tonight the Blackhawks will honor Troy Murray in a pregame ceremony. 

Besides turning into a fine radio analyst, Murray was one of the best two way centers to ever play for the Blackhawks.  

Congratulations Troy! 

blackhawkswin@comcast.net