Jump to content

Slow News Day: Kremlin Edition- Could IK Come Back to NHL?


RunninWithTheDevil

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 110
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/ilya-kovalchuk-eyeing-nhl-return-in-2016-17-season--report-144816069.html

 

I myself am I little confused.  Would the Devils retain his rights and have to basically give him permission to come back as an FA?

We own his rights until he is 35, then he falls off the voluntary retirement list and is a UFA.

If he wants to come back before then straight from the KHL (or another professional league) he needs permission from all NHL clubs, if he sits out a year and wants to come back before the 2018 season he just needs permission from the Devils who could presumably strong arm him into playing for us, if we we were interested.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Every team in the Metro should block him from coming back.  What do any of them have to gain by the Devils bringing in someone who could help them?  Sorry Kovy, you made your bed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

He was also under contract in New Jersey. If he's eyeing a return, and the Ruble continues to be as bad as it is, what is the threat of breaking that contract? 

 

Like, say he calls Lou and says "I'm coming back for 2016. Will you honor my existing contract?" And Lou says "Yes.". What stops him from 'retiring' from the KHL?

 

The difference is that when he retired from the NHL he immediately moved from one salaried position to another.  He can't be paid for playing hockey next year in order to be eligible for reinstatement without a 30 team approval.  Given that Russian money is still tax-free and he's still being paid lots of it, I'm sure he's still making more money in Russia than he would be here.  Interestingly, all the leverage goes to the KHL after his next contract because he can't play in the NHL without sitting a year out or someone managing 30 teams to vote yes, so I imagine that's why the rumblings of him coming back to this league.

Edited by Triumph
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I really do not want Kovy to come back.  Parise left for money/family/friends, but he at least honored his contracts with the Devils.  Kovy just left for money (I do not buy the playing home in Russia nonsense) and now that the Ruble is in shambles wants to come crawling back to the NHL.  fvck him.  I'd rather deal with us being sh!tty and/or boring for the next 5 years than to have that sort of guy back on the team.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think Kovalchuk is like that gorgeous ex girlfriend from college. You dated her, both of you changed for the better. Everywhere you went, people stared at her in amazement. And then, a year after you proposed, she left you to go home. She left you in shambles. And you hated her, you hated her so, so much. But you saw Facebook photos of her and knew you were still in love. In the years without her, you lost your job, your apartment. Your life, for the most part, has been miserable without her. Yeah, you don't spend money on her any more which is nice, but you replace her cost with cigarette-smelling strippers named Brunner and hookers named Ryder. You had a short stint with a cute girl named Jagr, but that's done now too.

 

And then, a few years later, when you think you might be getting over the pain, you get a text. "Hey", she says. "I miss you. I want to come back. I still love you."

 

Maybe it's about the money, maybe she got bored going back home. Maybe you should be the bigger man and move on. But you haven't scored with any chicks in forever, your future looks bleak, and when you close your eyes at night you can still picture her doing that cute little dance, where she puts her knee on the ground and her hand in the air. She always used to say that 'This is Couple', and it was adorable. 

 

So what do you text back?

 

"never text me again"

 

At this point while there is still hurt, you see her true colors and you just don't want to deal with that again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

He'd be 33 if this story was true and got the consent of all teams (and no way would the Rags or Flyers consent), so his best option is still going to be 35 in 18-19 when it requires no consent. At that point, I don't expect Lou to be GM, and its too far out to guess whether or not we'd want a 35 year old Kovy on this team. I frankly couldn't care less at this point of his reasoning for going. If he came back and performed well, I'd get over any ill will quickly. He's a mercenary and never has been anything else.

 

At the most, he's posturing and likely just trying to gauge what his chances of reinstatement would be and see what kind of tea leaves come up from NHL media. He's not coming back anytime soon. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think Kovalchuk is like that gorgeous ex girlfriend from college. You dated her, both of you changed for the better. Everywhere you went, people stared at her in amazement. And then, a year after you proposed, she left you to go home. She left you in shambles. And you hated her, you hated her so, so much. But you saw Facebook photos of her and knew you were still in love. In the years without her, you lost your job, your apartment. Your life, for the most part, has been miserable without her. Yeah, you don't spend money on her any more which is nice, but you replace her cost with cigarette-smelling strippers named Brunner and hookers named Ryder. You had a short stint with a cute girl named Jagr, but that's done now too.

 

And then, a few years later, when you think you might be getting over the pain, you get a text. "Hey", she says. "I miss you. I want to come back. I still love you."

 

Maybe it's about the money, maybe she got bored going back home. Maybe you should be the bigger man and move on. But you haven't scored with any chicks in forever, your future looks bleak, and when you close your eyes at night you can still picture her doing that cute little dance, where she puts her knee on the ground and her hand in the air. She always used to say that 'This is Couple', and it was adorable. 

 

So what do you text back?

 

Pretty similar to a post I had last year making fun of SD's analogies (obviously not copying) Nice touch with the cigarette-smelling strippers, though. 

Edited by devilsrule33
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 He's a mercenary and never has been anything else.

 

 

Um, what?  He played his entire career for just 2 teams, and with us it was considerably shorter.  Not to mention he was exactly dead-on a point per game player with 816pts in 816 games played, with nearly 420 goals -- he had a legit shot at 700+ had he stayed in the NHL and remained productive.  

 

The word mercenary doesn't seem accurate in any sense.   :blink:

 

 

Post of the year, by far. So entertaining and so true lol

 

Agreed.  That was awesome.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think Kovalchuk is like that gorgeous ex girlfriend from college. You dated her, both of you changed for the better. Everywhere you went, people stared at her in amazement. And then, a year after you proposed, she left you to go home. She left you in shambles. And you hated her, you hated her so, so much. But you saw Facebook photos of her and knew you were still in love. In the years without her, you lost your job, your apartment. Your life, for the most part, has been miserable without her. Yeah, you don't spend money on her any more which is nice, but you replace her cost with cigarette-smelling strippers named Brunner and hookers named Ryder. You had a short stint with a cute girl named Jagr, but that's done now too.

 

And then, a few years later, when you think you might be getting over the pain, you get a text. "Hey", she says. "I miss you. I want to come back. I still love you."

 

Maybe it's about the money, maybe she got bored going back home. Maybe you should be the bigger man and move on. But you haven't scored with any chicks in forever, your future looks bleak, and when you close your eyes at night you can still picture her doing that cute little dance, where she puts her knee on the ground and her hand in the air. She always used to say that 'This is Couple', and it was adorable. 

 

So what do you text back?

 

"Nice shoes...want to fvck?"

 

Seriously, I don't want him back, but at least he would make things more entertaining in the near future around the Rock.  For all reasons stated above, its a moot point because he isn't coming back to the NHL anytime soon.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I thought it wasn't that we own his rights till he's 35, but that we have first right of refusal. He's free to play anywhere if we ok his return, but he doesn't have to play for us. Then all other 29 teams have to ok his return. When he turns 35 he can go to whatever team he wants without anyone's concent. But we don't own his rights at all.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I thought it wasn't that we own his rights till he's 35, but that we have first right of refusal. He's free to play anywhere if we ok his return, but he doesn't have to play for us. Then all other 29 teams have to ok his return. When he turns 35 he can go to whatever team he wants without anyone's concent. But we don't own his rights at all.

 

I was under this impression as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I thought it wasn't that we own his rights till he's 35, but that we have first right of refusal. He's free to play anywhere if we ok his return, but he doesn't have to play for us. Then all other 29 teams have to ok his return. When he turns 35 he can go to whatever team he wants without anyone's concent. But we don't own his rights at all.

This is close but Bill Daley clarified it when this all went down. 

Under 35 and If he doesn't skip a year of professional hockey he needs all 30 teams permission to come back and we have his rights. Which happens first, approval or us owning his rights is sort of moot, they are both in play.

Under 35 and If he does skip a year of professional hockey, he only needs to work it out with the Devils, either playing for us, or getting permission to play for a different NHL team.

 

And then as you mentioned, when he is 35 he is free to do whatever / sign where ever with no permission. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

He was also under contract in New Jersey. If he's eyeing a return, and the Ruble continues to be as bad as it is, what is the threat of breaking that contract? 

 

Like, say he calls Lou and says "I'm coming back for 2016. Will you honor my existing contract?" And Lou says "Yes.". What stops him from 'retiring' from the KHL?

Do you really think Kovalchuk gets paid in Rubles? His contract is in Euros.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The difference is that when he retired from the NHL he immediately moved from one salaried position to another.  He can't be paid for playing hockey next year in order to be eligible for reinstatement without a 30 team approval.  Given that Russian money is still tax-free and he's still being paid lots of it, I'm sure he's still making more money in Russia than he would be here.  Interestingly, all the leverage goes to the KHL after his next contract because he can't play in the NHL without sitting a year out or someone managing 30 teams to vote yes, so I imagine that's why the rumblings of him coming back to this league.

 

Why cant he play in the KHL and then come to the NHL? is there a rule that says to be reinstated that you have to have sit out a year of hockey?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.