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[Pochacco]

Poor Devils.
Last year, Parise went home (Minny) and now Kovalchuk is also going home.

I don't think they Devils are FUCKED (cap penalty is negligible and the cash-strapped owner is probably kinda happy about this), but the team just lost their best player and there's really no way to replace him this year.

You could say that the Devils forfeited that 1st round pick (which might be VERY good... another reason why they should've forfeited last year's lolololol), but that wasn't really Kovalchuk's fault. That was Lou (and the NHL's) fault.

At the end of the day, the NHL lost one of it's best players in his prime... and that kinda sucks.

 

[Red_Man]

Assuming most people renewed their ticket plans we'll be fine next season.

The one after that I'm not so sure.

They announced today that 90% of season tick holders had renewed, probably waited to hear that before announcing this :lol

 

[Cagey]

I joked after Parise that the Devils need to draft and sign only orphans.

Fucking awful.

 

[Red_Man]

Per a source within KHL, Kovalchuk made upwards of $15M while playing there during the lockout. IF he goes there, that's his likely salary.

Yea, he's not walking away from money, he just doesn't give a fuck about the cup and probably realizes they won't be close again for a while.

 

[Socreges]

Why didn't the Devils forfeit their 2012 pick? #29 FFS. I'll never understand. Now they're forced to give up what could be a top ten pick.

 

[Osorio]

They announced today that 90% of season tick holders had renewed, probably waited to hear that before announcing this :lol

If they knew about this 2 weeks ago, no doubt this was the plan

 

[KingHenrik30]

Why didn't the Devils forfeit their 2012 pick? #29 FFS. I'll never understand. Now they're forced to give up what could be a top ten pick.

HAD to have Stefan Mattaeu...

 

[Samyy]

We'll give you Clarkson for the 2015 1st Devils!!!

 

[BigJonsson]

Why didn't the Devils forfeit their 2012 pick? #29 FFS. I'll never understand. Now they're forced to give up what could be a top ten pick.

They should trade Schneider now lol

 

[yyzjohn]

We'll give you Clarkson for the 2015 1st Devils!!!

No way Lou is trading that pick away.

 

[lamaroo]

Why didn't the Devils forfeit their 2012 pick? #29 FFS. I'll never understand. Now they're forced to give up what could be a top ten pick.

Lou's probably hoping the NHL feels sorry for them and reinstates their pick.

 

[fallout]

Fucking crazy holy shit. I literally didn't believe the first couple of tweets i read lol.

All I can say is: Phew. Glad that wasn't us.

 

[Samyy]

No way Lou is trading that pick away.

A kid can dream

 

[Conceptor]

oh my kovy

 

[Marvie_3]

Wow that fucking sucks for the Devils.

 

[KingHenrik30]

Will Lou even be around in 2 years? I thought he was kind of gearing up for retirement.

 

[Osorio]

If Kovy's still in Hoboken I may have to stroll through.

Serenade him.

 

[Spl1nter]

NHL should give the devils the 1st overall pick back.

 

[KingHenrik30]

NHL should give the devils the 1st overall pick back.

nah

 

[brucewaynegretzky]

NHL should give the devils the 1st overall pick back.

No. They shouldn't. The Devils shouldn't have been stupid and let Kovy go to LA. Would have saved the Flyers' franchise too....

 

[Crazymoogle]

Bobby Bonilla has company I guess?

Bobby gets paid though, this is just the Devils taking a cap hit. The Bonilla situation is most like DiPietro

 

[Red_Man]

NHL should give the devils the 1st overall pick back.

They made the decision to sign him to that contract, to they have to deal with the consequences.

 

[Acid08]

Really sucks for the Devils. But also fuck them for that contract in the first place.

 

[Merguson]

They made the decision to sign him to that contract, to they have to deal with the consequences.

They just gave compliance buyouts to teams to avoid consequences, I'm sure Uncle Gary will give back the 1st round pick.

 

[Cake Boss]

NHL should give the devils the 1st overall pick back.

 

[Red_Man]

They just gave compliance buyouts to teams to avoid consequences, I'm sure Uncle Gary will give back the 1st round pick.

I'm pretty sure Bettman's enjoying this as much as we are.

 

[BigJonsson]

Kypreos calls this the ultimate cap circumvention

 

[Coldnoodle]

Kypreos calls this the ultimate cap circumvention

:lol yep, that contract would've fucked the Devils in the long term.

Devils fans are getting fucked in the short term though

 

[Osorio]

My manager just let me have an extra break and he's a Rangers fan

Fuck me.

 

[KernelPanic]

:lol yep, that contract would've fucked the Devils in the long term.

Devils fans are getting fucked in the short term though

Short term? How long will it take them to find a replacement player of Kovalchuk's calibre?

Quite a long time.

 

[Red_Man]

Short term? How long will it take them to find a replacement player of Kovalchuk's calibre?

Quite a long time.

Especially since they have to forfeit their first rounder this season which could very well be a top 10+ pick with Kovy's absence.

 

[Var]

I'm pretty sure Bettman's enjoying this as much as we are.

I completely agree. You know he is laughing it up somewhere right now.

 

[JABEE]

All I can say is Holy Shit

 

[KingHenrik30]

If a team "circumventing the salary cap" means they lose their best player I think that's a fair trade off.

 

[Socreges]

I completely agree. You know he is laughing it up somewhere right now.

The NHL just lost Ilya Kovalchuk. And the KHL just scored Ilya Kovalchuk. This is also another bad precedent for Russian players in the NHL.

So I don't think Bettman is pleased about this.

 

[Coldnoodle]

Short term? How long will it take them to find a replacement player of Kovalchuk's calibre?

Quite a long time.

2015? TANK FOR MACDAVID

 

[T.M. MacReady]

Haven't checked NHL-gaf in a while. Lets go see whats up

KOVY2013

That sucks.

 

[Coldnoodle]

James Mirtle ‏@mirtle 6m
If Kovalchuk had retired next year, the cap penalty would have been nearly $700,000 a year for the following 11 years.

Ken Campbell ‏@THNKenCampbell 1m
Let's not forget, the Devils are, according to some sources, carrying about $300 million in debt at the moment. Big savings for them.

Mike Colligan ‏@MikeColligan 47s
Considering the #Devils financial situation, the Kovalchuk retirement might end up being the best thing for their chances at survival

Mike Colligan ‏@MikeColligan 3m
If Kovalchuk had played 5 more seasons (age 35), he would have earned $56m ($11.2m/yr) and left #Devils with a $3.7m cap penalty for 7 years

.

 

[Plinko]

So are they off the hook for his contract this year?

 

[Cake Boss]

At least he didnt go to a divisional rival, he retired unlike a certain someone.

 

[Samyy]

The NHL just lost Ilya Kovalchuk. And the KHL just scored Ilya Kovalchuk. This is also another bad precedent for Russian players in the NHL.

So I don't think Bettman is pleased about this.

Kovy is popular, but they are lucky he is really not that high profile. He was never really marketed as a premier NHL player and played for a smaller market team in NJ.

If the NHL was ever to lose Ovi though....

 

[Coldnoodle]

Larry Brooks ‏@NYP_Brooksie 2m
Source tells Post that NHL will not attempt to prevent Kovalchuk from playing in KHL. NHL return would have to be approved by every team.

Tom Gulitti ‏@TGfireandice 54s
RT @AlexandrZaytsev: Sport-Express is reporting that Kovalchuk will play for SKA in the KHL.

:LOL

 

[calder]

So are they off the hook for his contract this year?

Yes, they have a small cap hit but beyond that they are good. Well, other than losing an irreplaceable player in his prime and also losing a first round pick as a result of his initial contract. Oh and I guess the timing fucked them over on some recent FA moves too.

Elliotte Friedman ‏@FriedgeHNIC 6m

On Kovalchuk: He was entering the "big money" years of his contract. From 2013-14 until 2017-18, he was to make $56M....

But tax rate (including NJ state tax) is about 45 per cent here, it is 13 per cent there. So, you have an idea what he will be paid...

While the Devils would be annoyed from a hockey perspective, I'd bet league/ownership is not upset from a business perspective. Why?...

Because without this contract on the books, it will be easier to find a seller or a cash infusion for the team.

Hmm, interesting about the Devils potential sale.

Bob McKenzie ‏@TSNBobMcKenzie
A few quick thoughts on Kovalchuk's "retirement" from NHL that voids his NHL contract but paves way for him to sign in KHL:

1. Mutual (player and club agree) termination of an NHL contract not that unusual but usually involves lower-profile players.

2. If NJ had so chosen, it could've blocked Kovalchuk from the KHL by tolling contract. But NJ isn't doing that, he's free to go to KHL.

3. Kovalchuk doesn't get paid anything (by NJ) and Devils don't get cap hit other than a modest $250K/year penalty for each of next 12 years

4. NJ will miss Kovallchuk on ice in the short term but long-term gain is getting out from under long-term financial obligation.

 

[Socreges]

So Kovalchuk may have been doing the Devils a favour. In a way.

Kovy is popular, but they are lucky he is really not that high profile. He was never really marketed as a premier NHL player and played for a smaller market team in NJ.

If the NHL was ever to lose Ovi though....

No, he isn't that high profile, but it still isn't something that Bettman would welcome. For Kovalchuk himself, and for what him leaving could mean for other players down the road. When's the last time the NHL has lost one of their best players to another league?

 

[Coldnoodle]

So Kovalchuk may have been doing the Devils a favour. In a way.

No, he isn't that high profile, but it still isn't something that Bettman would welcome. For Kovalchuk himself, and for what him leaving could mean for other players down the road. When's the last time the NHL has lost one of their best players to another league?

Probably Jagr?

 

[JABEE]

I guess you can't blame the Devils for letting him go, but I wonder what the NHL thinks about them not tolling the deal.

No team should pay for someone that wants to retire/not play for their team anymore. It's just the ramifications are different in terms of how transfer agreements work in the NHL. Lou basically allowed for Kovalchuk to leave for the KHL while under contract.

The CBA already has information on cap recapture, so it all makes sense. The Devils did the right thing. It really sucks to lose your best player. The Flyers have experienced that with losing Pronger to a freak accident. It's tough to replace a player of their calibers. The Flyers are still trying to find a replacement.

 

[Spl1nter]

When's the last time the NHL has lost one of their best players to another league?

Leo Komarov, super pest.

 

[Red_Man]

Roenick going in hard on Kovalchuck on twitter :lol

 

[Coldnoodle]

@Sean_Leahy Ilya Kovalchuk will join SKA, could earn $20 million per season: Report | Puck Daddyhttp://yhoo.it/1aeNWiu

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[Samyy]

I would probably defect for 20mil a season too :loooool
They NHL has to start to worry when none Russian NHL stars start leaving I think.
What can they really do?