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Posts Tagged Ilya Kovalchuk

Ilya Kovalchuk: Oh No You Didnt!

Nov 11

Posted by Eddie in Media | 3 Comments

I’m sure by now you have seen the flubbed shootout attempt by New Jersey Devils $100 million super star Ilya Kovalchuk. But if you haven’t yet, let me give you a quick rundown of what happened last night in front of his hometown fans.

Against the Buffalo Sabres, two of the bottom feeders of the league skated to a 4-4 tie after regulation and overtime. Both skaters in the first round of the shootout failed to score. Buffalo’s second player scored whole New Jersey’s third scored to send it to a fourth round. Buffalo’s fourth skater scored and all that Sabres goalie Jhonas Enroth needed to do was make a save against a player with a $100 million contract on his hands. The rest as they say, was history:

 

 

After the game, Kovalchuk simply said the puck rolled off his stick. It more looked like the beginning of the train wreck season the Devils have had so far. This is something that only happens to bad teams, such as former Detroit Lions quarterback Dan Orlovsky infamously running out of bounds accidentally to avoid a sack against the Minnesota Vikings in their history-making 0-16 season of 2008. By the way EB, do you still want to trade for Kovalchuk?

Should the Devils finish the season in last place, the failed shootout attempt by Illya Kovalchuk will make the rounds on blooper shows like Dan Orlovsky running out of bounds in 2008.

Should the Devils finish the season in last place, the failed shootout attempt by Ilya Kovalchuk will symbolize their bad season and make the rounds on blooper shows like Dan Orlovsky running out of bounds in 2008.

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Will the Zach Parise Injury Help the Devils?

Nov 6

Posted by Matt in Soap Box | 5 Comments

Will Ilya Kovalchuk pick up the scoring in the absence of Zach Parise?

Will Ilya Kovalchuk pick up the scoring in the absence of Zach Parise?

For anyone who didn’t know, Zach Parise got injured. He was forced to have surgery to repair torn meniscus in his right knee. This injury will keep him out of competition for the next three months. As one of the top scorers on a struggling New Jersey Devils squad, how is this going to affect the team?

Well, in the worst case scenario, the Devils continue tumbling over the next three months and basically sit rock bottom in the standings when Parise returns. After playing 15 games already and only gathering nine points, this seems likely. They’re currently second to last in the Eastern Conference as it is. The Devils and their fans will pretty much call it a season, and begin thinking about next year.

But what if this is exactly what the team needs? What if this is exactly what a guy like Ilya Kovalchuk needs to really break loose and start scoring in bunches. Maybe guys like Jason Arnott and Jamie Langenbrunner need this added responsibility to turn up their scoring too.

Kovalchuk was always ‘the guy’ in Atlanta. Coming to an already productive team, it hasn’t been necessary for him to do all of the scoring, and perhaps thats thrown him off. Just the same, his addition to the Devils roster has taken scoring pressure off of the aforementioned Arnott and Langenbrunner. But now as point per game player Zach Parise is out for the next three months, the pressure has returned more than ever.

With solid goaltending in Martin Brodeur, and some potent scorers, perhaps this injury is just what the Devils need to get going. Kovalchuk will regain his scoring touch and dominate on the top power play unit, secondary scorers like Travis Zajac will carry their share of the workload, and overall the people who should be scoring, will be scoring. By the time Parise returns, we could be looking at a hot Devils team that is once again near the top of the Atlantic Devision.

What do you think will happen? Is the Devils season salvageable? Or should they just begin thinking about year two of the Ilya Kovalchuk mega contract?

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Tuesday’s Take: Benching Ilya Kovalchuk

Oct 26

Posted by EB in Soap Box | 6 Comments

Over the weekend a lot of publicity followed the benching of Ilya Kovalchuk of the New Jersey Devils which made me wonder, benching Kovalchuk, good or bad?

The background: none actually. Head coach John Maclean would not disclose any rationale for his decision while Kovalchuk also failed to share any details. You begin to wonder if there really was a reason?

Of course there is a reason, what that is specifically is not known, but with a record of 2-6-1 in 9 games, last place in the Eastern Conference, perhaps it was to spark the team.

Put on the breaks though coach Maclean. Your team has only won 2 games in 9 played and you bench Kovalchuk who has a team leading 6 points? Kovalchuk has 3 goals and 3 assists, one of which was a game winner. Could it be because of Kovalchuk’s -3 rating? With 7 other players with a worse rating, I would hope not, otherwise half the team is going to be benched. Sure Kovalchuk may not be the best back checker, but the guy puts pucks in the net, which your team needs. Why not bench goaltender Martin Brodeur for his 2-5-1 record? Probably because Brodeur is a major role in the success of your team, which like it or not, Kovalchuk is now as well.

Ending notes, I think the benching of Kovalchuk over the weekend was a bad idea. The team is off to a slow start which happens, but they can turn it around. Benching your star player, or shall I say your new franchise player, is a horrible call. What might have been an effort to rally the troops has now turned into another distraction, much like the whole signing of Kovalchuk in the off-season, much of which the team does not need anymore; distractions.

Let the boys play Maclean and let them find their chemistry. Once they do, they will be pushing for the top seed in the Atlantic Division. If you choose not to let them though, mark my words, your coaching job will be gone before you even unpacked your bags and got settled.

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Hockey World Blog Season Previews 2010: New Jersey Devils

Sep 1

Posted by EB in Season Previews | 6 Comments

Key Offseason Losses: Ilya Kovalchuk (?), Jacque Lemaire, Rob Niedermayer, First round draft pick 2010

Key Offseason Additions: Jason Arnott, Johan Hedberg, Ilya Kovalchuk (?), Henrik Tallinder, Anton Volchenkov

Last Season Ranking: 2nd in the East

Offense: The New Jersey Devils have always been a defensive minded team but with the retirement of head coach Jacque Lemaire, the team is trying to spark some play in the opponents zone. With forwards such as Zach Parise and Travis Zajac it should be relatively easy to do. Include the possibility of a free agent signing of superstar Ilya Kovalchuk and  gritty forward Jason Arnott and the team has two solid lines of offensive threat.

The problem though lies in the third and fourth lines. With the new NHL being as fast paced as it is, all four lines need to produce. With the loss of gritty forward Rob Niedermayer, unfortunately veteran Brian Rolston is really incapable of carrying the load. Expect a top heavy team of only two NHL lines.

Goaltender Martin Brodeur is still the face of the franchise, yet with the lack of depth this season, don't expect the team to go far in the playoffs.

Goaltender Martin Brodeur is still the face of the franchise, yet with the lack of depth this season, don't expect the team to go far in the playoffs.

Defense: head coach Jacque Lemaire has retired and the defense that the Devils have been known for will go out the window. Well, perhaps not, as the team has picked up some quality defenders in Anton Volchenkov and Henrik Tallinder.

Much like the woes of the offense being only two lines, New Jersey will only have 1 defensive pairing worth while. Sure Andy Greene had a breakout year last season with 31 assists and 37 total points, but don’t expect that to happen again this year.

Goaltending: Is there really much to say besides the fact that goaltender Martin Brodeur is still unbelievably good at his age of 38? No, that just about sums it up really. The man is a beast, starting 76 games last season. Yet as some critics may say, all those games played during the regular season uses up just about everything come playoff time.

The Devils though may have come to their senses with the signing of Johan Hedberg. Hedberg comes in with a 2.93 goals against average and a .900 save percentage from a much lesser defensive minded team the Atlanta Thrashers.

Season Outlook: The New Jersey Devils are always a good team, as they need to be in one of the closest and toughest divisions within the East. The team though lacks the depth needed to really have a Stanley Cup run, especially if superstar Ilya Kovalchuk does not sign with the team. This late towards the start of the season, the Devils have put all their eggs in one basket and that is never a good thing. The major off season acquisitions are completed leaving a diluted free agency pool to fill the shoes of Kovalchuk, as if that is even possible.

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Fantasy Hockey Draft Preparation 2010 – Left Wings

Aug 28

Posted by Chris in Fantasy | No Comments

With NHL training camps set to begin about four weeks from now, it’s time for fantasy hockey managers to start reengaging their brains and begin planning for their upcoming Fantasy Hockey Draft. Most drafts will take place in the latter-half of September, but it’s never too early to start looking for that gem of a late-round pick, the underrated talent who is set for a breakout season or the veteran presence who is due for a rebound year.

Today’s Position: Left Wing

Left Wing has some very talented players, but be diligent in your drafting because these players go very quickly and very high in the draft – and you definitely do not want to lose out on some of these names.

If You Have a Top 3 Pick – Take Ovechkin. Don’t ask why, just do it.

If You Can’t Take Ovechkin – Then definitely consider Ilya Kovalchuk. Again, this is a no-brainer as Kovalchuk netted 40 or more goals in each of his past five NHL seasons and will probably continue that pace this year.

Phoenix+Coyotes+v+New+Jersey+Devils+rLtNBLrL2yZlThe Secret Is Out On – Zach Parise (pictured). Despite a breakout season in 2008-09 where Parise posted 94 points, he was still somewhat of a wild card. Well, his 84-point season last year showed that he isn’t a fluke and you can expect him to tally 30+ goals and 80 or more points this season as well.

Still Under the Radar Is – Simon Gagne. With potential to top the 70 point plateau, Gagne suffers from inconsistency and is somewhat injury-prone, which keeps him off the radar for many fantasy owners. With 40 points in 58 games last season, if Gagne can stay healthy he might shoot back up near 70 points if he plays on one of Tampa Bay’s top two lines centered by either Lecavalier or Stamkos.

Look for a Rebound Season From – Alex Tanguay. After a disappointing outing with Tampa Bay last season, Tanguay will return to Calgary where he did quite a bit of damage offensively in 2006-07 with 81 points. The Flames are hoping that Tanguay can recover that scoring touch and help boost the team’s struggling offense and will probably be given every opportunity to succeed.

Look for a Breakout Season From – Ville Leino. After being traded to the Flyers at the trade deadline, Leino came alive when the pressure was on in the playoffs and tallied seven goals and 14 assists in 19 playoff games. Look for Leino to benefit from playing on a team that is deep and very talented offensively. Fifty points could be within reach if Leino works hard for it.

Keep An Eye On – Taylor Hall. As the number one overall selection in the 2010 Entry Draft, Hall will be given every opportunity to succeed in Edmonton. Chances are he will immediately land a spot on one of the top two lines and Hall is expected to score a lot of goals in an Oilers uniform. Keep an eye on him to see if those goals start coming as early as this season.

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Kovalchuk saga to end in 48-hours or less

Aug 26

Posted by Chris in News | No Comments

The summer-long Ilya Kovalchuk saga will be decided in 48-hours or less according to recent reports that state that Ilya Kovalchuk’s agent, Yuri Nikolaev, has given the NHL 48 hours to come up with a solution for his client or Kovalchuk will play elsewhere next season.

Kovalchuk initially signed a monster 17-year deal worth $102 million with the New Jersey Devils earlier this summer, but the deal was not approved by league officials due to the length of the contract, which would take Kovalchuk well into his 40′s, and for the blatent circumvention of the NHL salary cap. Framework for a new deal was presented to the NHL by Kovalchuk and the Devils earlier this week, but the new deal was also turned down. Speculations around the internet put the length of the new deal around 15 years, which would take Kovalchuk to 42 years of age. After the league rejected the framework for the second contract, it was reported that the two sides met late into the night in order to hammer out a new deal that was fair and worked in accordance to the rules of the salary cap.No new deal was made, however.

It is believed that if the deal isn’t completed within the 48-hour time span given by Kovalchuk’s agent that Kovachuk will instead sign with the KHL in Russia. It was reported earlier this summer that SKA St. Petersburgh of the KHL offered Kovalchuk a three-year deal worth $42 million. Kovalchuk has stated several times that he wishes to remain with the NHL, but with the KHL season set to begin on Sept. 8, Kovalchuk will need to make a decision sooner rather than later.

This very well may simply be a strategy by Kovalchuk’s agent to encourage the NHL to move things along and get a deal worked out with the Devils. However, if Kovalchuk does in fact leave the NHL for the KHL, he will by far be the biggest player defection to leave the NHL to play in the Russian league. It would also be a huge blow to the NHL as Kovalchuk is probably one of the top-10 players in the NHL right now and considered by many to even be the best pure goal scorer in the game today.

The Devils are set to open training camp on Sept. 17.

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KHL Entices Kovalchuk

Jul 30

Posted by EB in News | 1 Comment

With the outlandish offer by the New Jersey Devils to All Star forward Ilya Kovalchuk still being decided upon to be fair and right, the Kontinetal Hockey League of Russia offered their own package to Kovalchuk. What is it you wonder? Not a penny more, not a penny less, but the exact contract that New Jersey offered; 17-year, $102 million. Oh, and an added bonus of picking whatever team he wants to play for.

The KHL is trying very hard to build their organization and to some extent have succeded. News headlines of more and more players leaving the NHL to play over in Russia is on the rise. Be it for a 1 year stint to get back into shape to return to the NHL or to finsih out their careers oversees.

The KHL still lacks the enormity of skilled players from all over the world that the NHL has. However, for some, the fact that it is a homeland, or having the ability to play lesser talent at near the same earnings in the NHL does offer an incentive to play in Russia.

If the initial New Jersey offer is declined, it will be interesting to see what Kovalchuk decides. Be it all about the money, the difficulty of the NHL, or other factors that may come into the mix.

Another interesting thing to ponder, with this offer from the KHL, does the NHL have a change of heart and allow the Devil’s offer in an attempt to keep a dominate figure Kovalchuk in the NHL instead of traveling oversees, or decline the Devil’s offer and allow Kovalchuk to be enticed by the KHL?

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We Should See Contract Limits Added to CBA

Jul 21

Posted by Eddie in Soap Box | No Comments

I am actually glad to see that the NHL stepped up and put the breaks on the 17-year, $102 million contract that New Jersey signed superstar forward Ilya Kovalchuk to. This was starting to get out of hand with the amount of long term-front loaded contracts we have seen signed since the 2005 CBA was created.

I first remember when goalie Rick DiPietro signed a 15-year, $67.5 million contract with New York in 2006. I thought this was a joke, because of several factors including A) Not many players last in the league for 15 years, B) What happens if DiPietro completely stinks in years 5-6 of the contract and the Islanders cannot trade him for a pizza? Looks like I have been right as in the last two seasons, DiPietro has been hampered by knee injuries and have played a grand total of 13 games with a 3-8 record. Contrary to popular belief, this was not a Mike Milbury signing as Milbury resigned as Islanders GM three months prior to the contract signing. But he’s not out of the water as he tried to sign DiPietro for 15 years in 2005 but the league discouraged it. Leave it up to owner Charles Wang to make the signing just after he hired Garth Snow as GM and Snow made moves to clear cap space to add more talent.

Other long-term/front loaded contracts that the league approved were when the Red Wings signed Henrik Zetterberg and Johan Franzen, but those didn’t raise as many eyebrows as when Chicago signed Marian Hossa to a 12-year deal.

According to Chris’ post that can be read here, a player’s “cap hit” is the average of the contract over the number of years. Sounds good and fair doesn’t it? Not really when you see the front loaded deals such as Kovi’s would been a $6 million cap hit in early years despite him making $11 million for said season.

A way the league can solve this developing issue is to create a “contract limit” that could be created to have a maximum number of years a team can sign a player to. This could be adjusted to a players age/number of seasons in the league.  You can have one set of regulations for players under 30 and one for 30 and over. The players age at the time he signs the contract will dictate which set of rules he will fall into.

For example, if you have a young player like Patrick Kane who will come off his current contract in 2015, he will be 26 years old. The U30 max contract could be 13 years, meaning that Chicago can keep Kane until he is 39. The Over-30 Max contract could be 10 years, putting players like Hossa under contract until he is 40 because he signed the Chicago deal last year when he was 30. If this was the rule for Ilya Kovalchuk, he would be under contract until he is 40. This would be a way to prevent contracts similar to the DiPietro signing. Also it would be a fair age for players who are in the twilight of their playing careers to either leave to win a Stanley Cup somewhere else or re-sign with their current team for less money when they are much older.

Most players, especially ones who have been in the league for anywhere between 17-20 years, retire between the ages of 38-40. Top players who retired in the last two seasons and their ages at retirement are Rob Blake (40), Rod Brind’Amour (39), Keith Tkachuk (38), Joe Sakic (40), and Jeremy Roenick (39).

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Kovalchuk Re-Signs with Devils

Jul 20

Posted by EB in News | No Comments

All Star forward Ilya Kovalchuk has re-signed with the New Jersey Devils. The drama is finally over where the winger was to sign in free agency, a much appreciated finally.

Kovalchuk and New Jersey have agreed to a 17-year, $102 million dollar deal. Kovalchuk is currently 27, putting him in the black and red until he is 44 years old. The deals get more creative every year that is for certain.

Kovalchuk posted 27 points with the team last year in 27 games after his trade from the Atlanta Thrashers. With the two clubs combined he totaled 41 goals and 44 assists.

The acquisition for the Devils will be a good one, as Kovalchuk is an elite scorer within the league. Still though, a lengthy contract is always difficult. Kovalchuk will definitely put points up on the board for the Devils, but the Devils are known for their solid defense and two way play, something Kovalchuk lacks and showed last season.

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Free Agency: Day 2 Recap

Jul 3

Posted by Eddie in News | No Comments

The NBA has the LeBron-Wade-Bosh sweepstakes. Where if any team signs any of the three named players will hit the lottery and will have a franchise player for years to come. Over at the Coolest Game Played on Ice, we have the Kovy sweepstakes. The biggest free agent in the NHL this summer is New Jersey forward Ilya Kovalchuk. Just like his roundball counterparts, Kovy wants to be able to win the Stanley Cup while getting paid the big bucks. Today was a standstill in the race to sign Kovalchuk, but in past days it has been known that the New York Islanders are joining the discussions for his services. Islanders GM Garth Snow is only reporting that “I’ve had a conversation with his agent and I’ll leave it at that” when he spoke with Newsday beat writer Katie Strang. The main contenders for his services appear to be along with the Islanders is New Jersey and Los Angeles. All three teams have potential to make themselves better with Kovy on their roster. LA and NJ are the more “championship” ready teams while the Islanders could be in a couple years with the potential of a Tavares-Kovalchuk duo.

In other news, no big names found new homes today. There was some key re-signings since Matt’s update yesterday. Colorado kept defenseman Daniel Winnik and forward Kyle Quincy. Both young guns were RFA’s entering this off season, and both signed two-year contracts. Anaheim potentially got one of the “steals” of the early signing period as they got Islanders minor league prospect Trevor Smith. Smith spent last season with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the Islanders’ AHL affiliate. Smith, a center, appeared in 77 games, scored 21 goals and recorded 26 assists for 47 points. He was in the top-three in all three statistical categories for his team last season.

The Dallas Stars also quietly added two key depth players in Andrew Raycroft and Adam Burish. As the Stars are moving past Marty Turco, they signed Raycroft from Vancouver to compete with minor league backstop Brent Krahn to backup Kari Lehtonen. Raycroft has the leg up on Krahn, as he has been in the league for 10 years and also has seen time as a starter in recent years with Toronto, Boston. Raycroft also won the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year in 2003-04.

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