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Kovalchuk Retired Effective Immediately?


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I think that explanation is equal or less plausible as people who think Lou asked him to keep it quiet until after the initial free agency blitz. Lou had to spend quite a bit of time assuring free agents that the Devils were going to be okay financially. Add in Kovy leaving, and it might have been disastrous.  

 

Kovalchuk said in a few interviews as well that he did not shock Lou with this. This is something that they had discussed for quite a bit of time (started when the lockout ended and continued after the season). No one will talk about it in the near future, but would it be so shocking that Lou asked him to wait until the date he officially announced it?

 

I did forget about the financial issues, but again, the KHL likes its press, and it's not going to get the whole hockey world in July 1, or during the Cup Finals, etc.  I guess we'll never know.

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No offense, but sometimes I wonder why you're not a Chicago or Pittsburgh fan. You constantly bemoan the team's lack of speed and flashy offense, but that's not the kind of game this team plays. The team and PDB's system negates speed and is built on quality 5v5 play where our offense comes from zone time, which is gained by forechecking hard and good play along the boards. These are both things Kovy wasn't particularly good at.

It just seems to me that sometimes you're complaining about things that epitomize who this team is. That just doesn't make sense to me.

 

Listen, with my post i was not "complaining" i was pointing out how ridiculous some posters are now bashing Kovalchuk like he was a fvcking terrible player and that he was not useful at all. He was helping us a LOT and now people are butthurt and will try to convince themselves that he was terrible, which is not true at all.

 

But the same people will never say a bad thing about Zajac who can barely score 20 goals as a first line center. The double standard on this board is ridic. So many freagin homers / koolaid drinkers here its unreal.

Edited by SterioDesign
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Jesus Christ, how many walls have people put their fists through walls reading yours and Mike Brown's posts in the past year?

 

"Streak" of missing the playoffs?  fvcking really?  He was here in 2013 when they missed the playoffs, remember?  So they missed the playoffs once since he left...that's now a "streak"?!  And yeah, Kovy was sure awesome in 2013 (no, he wasn't).  And awesome again in 2014, when he wasn't exactly lighting it up in the KHL.  Stop living in 2012 and stop blowing Kovy up to be more than he was.    

 

Yeah Parise was missing and EVERYONE sucked that year. Who caried the team almost back in the playoffs in the 2nd half? who? yeah thats right.

 

back then we we're praising the guy. Now that he's gone, its like he was a fvcking useless bum?

 

Even if he was not to your "level of awesome" he was better than any other player on the team, so acting as if he's not useful ? give me a break

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Listen, with my post i was not "complaining" i was pointing out how ridiculous some posters are now bashing Kovalchuk like he was a fvcking terrible player and that he was not useful at all. He was helping us a LOT and now people are butthurt and will try to convince themselves that he was terrible, which is not true at all.

 

But the same people will never say a bad thing about Zajac who can barely score 20 goals as a first line center. The double standard on this board is ridic. So many freagin homers / koolaid drinkers here its unreal.

 

 

Yeah Parise was missing and EVERYONE sucked that year. Who caried the team almost back in the playoffs in the 2nd half? who? yeah thats right.

 

back then we we're praising the guy. Now that he's gone, its like he was a fvcking useless bum?

 

Even if he was not to your "level of awesome" he was better than any other player on the team, so acting as if he's not useful ? give me a break

 

 

No one is saying he was terrible, but guys like Tri are pointing out that underneath some of the eye-friendly numbers, there were some issues.  He put up respectable numbers when he first got here after the trade, but he didn't seem terribly comfortable (I thought it became pretty obvious that he was never properly coached before he got to NJ, which is a shame).  2010-11 was obviously rough for him initially, but Jacques Lemaire was able to get him to start cleaning up the weaker points of his game, and he began to improve.  You're an idiot if you think Kovy "almost carried the team to the playoffs" in 2011...he was a key figure in making the second half fun to watch for sure, but like I said, that team was still out of it for most of that run, and they never pulled to within more than six points of the final berth, and he was just as much of a reason as to why the team did zilch in the first half as he was a big reason they played so much better in the second half. 

 

2011-12 saw the pinnacle of Kovy's steady improvement and refinement, and he did a lot of things well that year, but he was also playing a lot of minutes...more than would be ideal for a guy in his 30s.  Would that wear him down over time if he was expected to keep playing that many minutes per game?  One thing that did drop a bit once he became a Devils was his shooting%...Tri has some solid theories about why that happened, one of which had to do with the fact that playing for a team that was usually not relevant in the Thrashers allowed him to face more backup goalies, and it seemed like the franchise didn't mind the fact that, as a Thrasher, Kovy was a guy who could score and put up nice "glamour" numbers, but clearly had a lot of warts in his game...warts that both the Devils and, to his credit, Kovy tried to work on. 

 

As we know, Kovy got hurt in the 2012 playoffs, and I think that probably affected him physically and mentally.  Couple that with playing in the SKA, where he's treated like a hero initially (don't know if that still holds now), doesn't have to play in nearly as many games (52 regular season) but will still get paid handsomely, and will get to play in his home country (which apparently was important to him), I get why he left. 

 

Anyway, long and short of it, I never he said he was crap while he was here, and I'm definitely not rewriting history as to what he contributed here.  I think he had a rough beginning, played well in the second half of 2011 and the following season, didn't play particularly well in 2013 (possibly because his heart wasn't in being a Devil anymore, possibly because he's beginning to decline), and was much better in SKA in 2013 than in 2014.  Overall as a Devil I think he was pretty good, occasionally terrific, but like others and I have noted, I don't think the Kovy of 2012 is ever coming back, NHL or KHL, and even that 2012 version still had holes in his game, though, again to his credit, he worked very hard and allowed himself to be coached into becoming a more complete player.

 

I don't think the Devils are better off without him because of his past.  I think they're better off without him because of his future, which I don't think is all that bright.     

Edited by Colorado Rockies 1976
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Yeah Parise was missing and EVERYONE sucked that year. Who caried the team almost back in the playoffs in the 2nd half? who? yeah thats right.

 

back then we we're praising the guy. Now that he's gone, its like he was a fvcking useless bum?

 

Even if he was not to your "level of awesome" he was better than any other player on the team, so acting as if he's not useful ? give me a break

He is a bum, he QUIT on this team.  People like to remember how good he WAS, but seem to forget that he didn't Parise us, but he signed a long-term deal and then QUIT on us.  I don't understand how you all can continue to praise/defend him after he quit.  I be talking the same way about Parise if he pulled a stunt like Kovy. 

There are pretty convincing reasons to be drink kool-aid.  It tastes good and it's a great way to stay in shape.  The Cory Schneider acquisition was a great reason to drink kool-aid as well.  Lou identified the problem and went out to fix it in a fairly timely manner.  H

Kovy was an offensive juggernaught and an exciting player to watch. He was great on the PK and fantastic in the shootout. He pretty much carried this team (on his injured back) to the finals in 11/12. He almost single-handedly got us into the playoffs in 10/11 as well after the MacLean travesty. We could very much use a bit of that. Kovy wasn't awesome in 12/13, sure, can you name a Devil who was?

Oops, I forgot that ice hockey is a team sport.  Guess you did too. 

 

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Sterio:  The long and short of it is that you are not considering that Kovalchuk carried a 6.6M cap hit and was going to be paid $11M a year for the forseeable future.  That made him one of the highest paid players in the NHL - he would've been paid the 3rd most of any player in the NHL.  I do not think that the Devils are a team that can just spend way over the cap, so that would've caused issues with what else the rest of the team could do.  He was certainly a nice player to have and he had one great year and followed it up with a very good playoffs.  You're just ignoring that the other 2 years weren't really up to snuff.  But recently I watched that youtube video of that first game he played here where NJ scored 3 goals in 2 minutes to win the game, and that guy wasn't here in 2012-13, and it doesn't look like he was in Russia in 2013-14 either.

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Gotta agree with Tri after watching his highlights in the KHL this year - either he's not really trying over there, or he's already hitting that decline pretty hard.

 

One has to wonder how his back is doing.  If he played with a herniated disc as was rumored.. gotta think there's some permanent issues he's dealing with now.  Not to mention his bum shoulder. 

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Gotta agree with Tri after watching his highlights in the KHL this year - either he's not really trying over there, or he's already hitting that decline pretty hard.

 

One has to wonder how his back is doing.  If he played with a herniated disc as was rumored.. gotta think there's some permanent issues he's dealing with now.  Not to mention his bum shoulder. 

I think he looked pretty strong in the Olympics. Radulov also looked strong. I just think there's a lot more coasting in the KHL and Kovy takes advantage of it.

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Bottom line, I don't have any regrets about the whole saga (we don't make it to the 2012 SCF without him, and ultimately I think Parise would have left anyway), but it was probably for the best that he left when he did.  I still think there's a good shot we would have made the playoffs last year had he been here, but, in all likelihood we would not have gotten the pick back this past year.  If Quenneville turns into a pretty good NHLer, or is part of a trade package for another good player, it would have been worth the mediocre result this past year.  In the meantime, for all intents and purposes the cap hit is gone, and you wouldn't have to plan around the inevitable cap recapture, even if it would have been five to six years away. 

 

And who knows, maybe there was something to the rumors that he's trying to find a way to return.  But really it looks like the team has turned a corner.  Perhaps the discussion here should as well. 

 

EDIT:  I'll also add that Kovalchuk brought a ton of excitement while he was here.  Perhaps it doesn't mean anything to the Mr. Spock's of the world, but there you have it.

Edited by Daniel
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I think he looked pretty strong in the Olympics. Radulov also looked strong. I just think there's a lot more coasting in the KHL and Kovy takes advantage of it.

 

Radulov has been a top scorer in the KHL every year until this one though.  If Kovalchuk repeats his 2013-14 and Radulov gets back to form, I think Radulov takes over the 'best player not in the NHL' mantle.

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Bottom line, I don't have any regrets about the whole saga (we don't make it to the 2012 SCF without him, and ultimately I think Parise would have left anyway), but it was probably for the best that he left when he did.  I still think there's a good shot we would have made the playoffs last year had he been here, but, in all likelihood we would not have gotten the pick back this past year.  If Quenneville turns into a pretty good NHLer, or is part of a trade package for another good player, it would have been worth the mediocre result this past year.  In the meantime, for all intents and purposes the cap hit is gone, and you wouldn't have to plan around the inevitable cap recapture, even if it would have been five to six years away. 

 

And who knows, maybe there was something to the rumors that he's trying to find a way to return.  But really it looks like the team has turned a corner.  Perhaps the discussion here should as well. 

 

EDIT:  I'll also add that Kovalchuk brought a ton of excitement while he was here.  Perhaps it doesn't mean anything to the Mr. Spock's of the world, but there you have it.

 

I loved watching Kovalchuk play.  Loved watching his games on CI as a Thrasher and was incredibly excited that he was here and that he re-signed.  I can separate that from my evaluation of him as a player, though.

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Sorry SD but if you look at his injuries and performance in 2012-2013 then couple that in with his upcoming salary it would have been a train wreck. We got an amazing talent for four years and never paid him once over six million. It was the best case scenaio that he left when he did. You need to open your eyes as well.

Edited by Zubie#8
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I don't get the beat the dead horse posts. The thread was bumped...it's been a year. A lot has happened, and it is interesting to look back and look ahead with everything we now know. Plus, most of the emotion has been taken out of the equation, so that makes helps.

 

The forum has been ghost town for a bit, and this is good discussion.

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But I did both. Because I'm tired of this stupid argument, and I wanted to express that. Yoy may carry on with this waste of bandwidth now.

 

Here's where I'll disagree:

 

This was clearly a huge moment in Devils' history, one of those big crossroad moments, and it's not even so much that Kovy left, but how he left...the circumstances were so stunningly bizarre.  Big names leaving here is nothing new (though many have stayed, and other teams deal with losing big-target free agents too, though some Devils fans seem to truly believe that Lou is the only GM that this happens to), but let's face it, if there was one thing that seemed like an indisputable absolute, it was Ilya "This is Team" Kovalchuk staying here for a very, very long time, and for better or worse, his face being synonomous with the New Jersey Devils...especially since the team really seemed to become HIS team as 2012 wore on.  Parise leaving was a downer, but a UFA exercising his UFA right to leave the team that drafted him for another team that appeals to him for whatever his reasons is one thing...it happens a lot, all over.  What Kovy did was so different and shocking (to fans, anyway), and I think some people are still having trouble grasping it.   

 

Anyway, since he left, it's almost felt like Back to the Future II, Alternate 1985 Hill Valley...not as chaotic as THAT alternate timeline of course, but once Kovy decided he was done with the NHL (at least for now), Lou's made a slew of moves, many of which probably never have happen.  It's kind of natural to wonder "what if" a little bit, even it seems pointless, and even if there's no 1978 Supermanning our way around the Earth to reverse time and find out where we'd be had Kovy simply decided to honor his contract.  It'd be less on people's minds if the Devils hasn't missed the playoffs in three out of four seasons, but like dr33 suggests, Cory is signed, no real big moves are coming, the team is pretty much set, and until we have NHL hockey again there's not a whole lot to talk about, so this is the kind of stuff that will get brought up for the moment.         

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Here's where I'll disagree:

This was clearly a huge moment in Devils' history, one of those big crossroad moments, and it's not even so much that Kovy left, but how he left...the circumstances were so stunningly bizarre. Big names leaving here is nothing new (though many have stayed, and other teams deal with losing big-target free agents too, though some Devils fans seem to truly believe that Lou is the only GM that this happens to), but let's face it, if there was one thing that seemed like an indisputable absolute, it was Ilya "This is Team" Kovalchuk staying here for a very, very long time, and for better or worse, his face being synonomous with the New Jersey Devils...especially since the team really seemed to become HIS team as 2012 wore on. Parise leaving was a downer, but a UFA exercising his UFA right to leave the team that drafted him for another team that appeals to him for whatever his reasons is one thing...it happens a lot, all over. What Kovy did was so different and shocking (to fans, anyway), and I think some people are still having trouble grasping it.

Anyway, since he left, it's almost felt like Back to the Future II, Alternate 1985 Hill Valley...not as chaotic as THAT alternate timeline of course, but once Kovy decided he was done with the NHL (at least for now), Lou's made a slew of moves, many of which probably never have happen. It's kind of natural to wonder "what if" a little bit, even it seems pointless, and even if there's no 1978 Supermanning our way around the Earth to reverse time and find out where we'd be had Kovy simply decided to honor his contract. It'd be less on people's minds if the Devils hasn't missed the playoffs in three out of four seasons, but like dr33 suggests, Cory is signed, no real big moves are coming, the team is pretty much set, and until we have NHL hockey again there's not a whole lot to talk about, so this is the kind of stuff that will get brought up for the moment.

I know its been dead around here, so I get that people just wanna talk about something- its just a tired topic to me at this point. To me, its indisputable to be that we're better off without him long-term with that contract. If Kovy was still here and produced like he did in the KHL last year, we'd already been bitching about the contract being a huge albatross. I was pissed at the time, but now? I couldn't be happier. He did us a huge favor. I just wish we'd move on already...
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I know its been dead around here, so I get that people just wanna talk about something- its just a tired topic to me at this point. To me, its indisputable to be that we're better off without him long-term with that contract. If Kovy was still here and produced like he did in the KHL last year, we'd already been bitching about the contract being a huge albatross. I was pissed at the time, but now? I couldn't be happier. He did us a huge favor. I just wish we'd move on already...

 

If Marty gets signed, this will also be forgotten very quickly. 

 

I pretty much agree with the above (I wasn't really all that pissed when he left...I never liked that contract and was glad to see it off the books, especially since the Devils would be paying out high coin for decline years), though to me, as soon as a guy no longer wants to be here and is willing to go to the lengths Kovy did to get out, a lot of other things become moot.  A miserable Kovy constantly pining to be somewhere else would've sucked for everyone. 

Edited by Colorado Rockies 1976
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Yeah Parise was missing and EVERYONE sucked that year. Who caried the team almost back in the playoffs in the 2nd half? who? yeah thats right.

 

back then we we're praising the guy. Now that he's gone, its like he was a fvcking useless bum?

 

Even if he was not to your "level of awesome" he was better than any other player on the team, so acting as if he's not useful ? give me a break

 

There's a huge difference between "not worth 11 million a year" and "useless bum". If you can't see that Kovalchuk is clearly on the decline since the 2012 run, maybe you should be giving someone a break.

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