Kovy Signing With Rangers Is Distinct Possibility

[Daniel]

right, that's all terrific, the problem is that the rangers can make absolutely no other improvements besides adding kovalchuk. kovalchuk turns them into a playoff team, but not a very good one. the rangers need help at center and at defense, kovalchuk solves none of this.

With the exception of the Kings, Colorado and Isles, no other team that is plausibly in the running, can afford to make additional improvements if they sign Kovy, including the Devils. Also, I think you're overrating the Rangers ability to look at the long term picture.

[MantaRay]

You've been misinformed.

No he isn't. The cap could be reduced down to $50 million by some reports.

"It will affect everybody's philosophy and everyone's decisions," Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello predicted. "Because, if you're signing any long-term contracts of two years or more, you don't know what potentially can happen and how far down the cap will or can go."

Some pessimists have suggested it could drop as low as $48 million for 2010-11.

In simple terms, the economic downturn is catching up to the NHL. And it very well could get worse before the 2010-11 season.

[HellOnICE]

has the PA done it's 5% bump yet?

[Prucenterrules]

He doesn't really seem to like the rags though.

[Devils731]

No he isn't. The cap could be reduced down to $50 million by some reports.

"It will affect everybody's philosophy and everyone's decisions," Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello predicted. "Because, if you're signing any long-term contracts of two years or more, you don't know what potentially can happen and how far down the cap will or can go."

Some pessimists have suggested it could drop as low as $48 million for 2010-11.

In simple terms, the economic downturn is catching up to the NHL. And it very well could get worse before the 2010-11 season.

Ya, probably the same reports who thought the cap was going down 10 million dollars for this season.

Wasn't Bettman just recently out there saying revenues were flat to only slightly down for the NHL this year? That would mean the cap wouldn't change much.

[Amberite]

No he isn't. The cap could be reduced down to $50 million by some reports.

"It will affect everybody's philosophy and everyone's decisions," Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello predicted. "Because, if you're signing any long-term contracts of two years or more, you don't know what potentially can happen and how far down the cap will or can go."

Some pessimists have suggested it could drop as low as $48 million for 2010-11.

In simple terms, the economic downturn is catching up to the NHL. And it very well could get worse before the 2010-11 season.

This is the first I've heard of this. Everything I've heard until now has been that the cap will most likely remain as it is, or decrease very slightly. If the cap is due to drop $3 or $4 million, let alone $7, I would imagine we'd hear a lot more rumblings by now.

Edited March 11, 2010 by Amberite

[Daniel]

No he isn't. The cap could be reduced down to $50 million by some reports.

"It will affect everybody's philosophy and everyone's decisions," Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello predicted. "Because, if you're signing any long-term contracts of two years or more, you don't know what potentially can happen and how far down the cap will or can go."

Some pessimists have suggested it could drop as low as $48 million for 2010-11.

In simple terms, the economic downturn is catching up to the NHL. And it very well could get worse before the 2010-11 season.

I don't know what the consequences are of a union striking when a collective bargaining agreement is in place, but if the cap drops to $48 million next year, the NHLPA is consulting the smartest labor lawyer in the country to find a way to legally go on strike.

[skullsmasher]

I didn't read any responses so I'm not sure if anyone else said this but Kovalchuk left Atlanta to have a shot of playing in the playoffs. Atlanta is in the same boat as the Rags about now, why on earth would he ever want to go to that garbage team? He hates Avery and will never be his teammate.

[Triumph]

With the exception of the Kings, Colorado and Isles, no other team that is plausibly in the running, can afford to make additional improvements if they sign Kovy, including the Devils. Also, I think you're overrating the Rangers ability to look at the long term picture.

doesn't matter, the devils are already good enough.

my point is that the rangers have to look at the long-term picture well just to fit kovalchuk in, they can't just up and sign him without a plan in place, they're in that bad a shape cap wise. the kotalik trade does make this possible - without that, the rangers would have no shot.

edit: manta didn't cite a source, and no one is predicting that anymore - that quote must be from june or july of 2009.

Edited March 11, 2010 by Triumph

[Daniel]

I didn't read any responses so I'm not sure if anyone else said this but Kovalchuk left Atlanta to have a shot of playing in the playoffs. Atlanta is in the same boat as the Rags about now, why on earth would he ever want to go to that garbage team? He hates Avery and will never be his teammate.

Again, if Avery were the main stumbling block for Kovy signing with the Rangers, Avery gets waived in a heart beat. And from what I hear, most of the players on the team don't really like him all that much, and wouldn't miss him. I think the fact that Sather refused to re-sign him initially after he played a huge role in embarrassing the Devils in the playoffs, shows that Sather isn't particularly attached to him either.

[MantaRay]

Rangers have no cap room, Kovalchuk hates Avery with a passion, Kovalchuk hates the Rangers in general for him knocking out of his only playoff run with the Trashers. Not a chance he signs with the Rangers

$$$ talks.

[DevilinLA]

Only on NJDEVS.com can you find a panic possibility thread of Kovy signing with the Rangers a day after we beat them badly.

What is our preoccupation with this half-assed run franchise?

I get it that "its acceptable for all logic and reason to go out the door when hating the Rags" - but why do we care so much.

Maybe because they're in your backyard...but....

If I'm Kovy I'm much more interested in going to a team like LA because:

1.) I'm instantly the marquis player on an already talented team

2.) A young team poised to be good for a LONG time w/no key pieces who are aging towards retirement

3.) I'm instantly the marquis athlete for my sport in the area along w/Kobe and Manny

4.) All the attractions of a major city along with endorsements

5.) Youth, quickness, and no dinosaur coaches playing like its 1997

6.) Managment team that understands promotion along with some of the liberties he had in ATL

7.) They've been waiting for that "key piece player" to become available for 5 years now, and finally the team is matured enough to warrant the $.

All the signs point to it. Instead of being just another dude on a team with merely 3 superstars + top-heavy scrubs lineup

[DaneykoIsGod]

my point is that the rangers have to look at the long-term picture well just to fit kovalchuk in, they can't just up and sign him without a plan in place

The Rangers? Look at the long-term picture? Have a plan in place?

[Jerrydevil]

I don't know if he'll be a Ranger (a possibility), but I would take anything Kovalchuk says publicly about playing for a contender with a grain of salt.

[Devil Fan]

Each time the Rangers offer big money to ex-Devil, the result is terrible (Malakhov, Holik, Gomez...)

[Triumph]

Only on NJDEVS.com can you find a panic possibility thread of Kovy signing with the Rangers a day after we beat them badly.

What is our preoccupation with this half-assed run franchise?

I get it that "its acceptable for all logic and reason to go out the door when hating the Rags" - but why do we care so much.

Maybe because they're in your backyard...but....

If I'm Kovy I'm much more interested in going to a team like LA because:

1.) I'm instantly the marquis player on an already talented team

2.) A young team poised to be good for a LONG time w/no key pieces who are aging towards retirement

3.) I'm instantly the marquis athlete for my sport in the area along w/Kobe and Manny

4.) All the attractions of a major city along with endorsements

5.) Youth, quickness, and no dinosaur coaches playing like its 1997

6.) Managment team that understands promotion along with some of the liberties he had in ATL

7.) They've been waiting for that "key piece player" to become available for 5 years now, and finally the team is matured enough to warrant the $.

All the signs point to it. Instead of being just another dude on a team with merely 3 superstars + top-heavy scrubs lineup

only on NJdevs could someone lecture the board about pessimism, then sh!t on the NY metro area, coaching, management, promotion, team concept, and team direction. well played, sir.

[Daniel]

Rangers have no cap room, Kovalchuk hates Avery with a passion, Kovalchuk hates the Rangers in general for him knocking out of his only playoff run with the Trashers. Not a chance he signs with the Rangers

With the exception of the cap room issue, which is discussed in this thread, the rest of your reasons applied to a certain player from Alaska who used to play for us. I don't recall his name off hand, but I'm told that he always bled Rangers blue. I'm pretty sure money caused a change of heart, but I could be wrong on that.

[DevilinLA]

only on NJdevs could someone lecture the board about pessimism, then sh!t on the NY metro area, coaching, management, promotion, team concept, and team direction. well played, sir.

Talk about a fragile ego for the board know-it-all.

Where do I ever allude to this being a dig against the Devils organization other than the obvious:

1.) Brodeur is 38 he will retire in the next 3-4 years - he won't be around for the length of a long term Kovy contract. Who's the replacement in goal? That would be on my mind if I'm signing long term in NJ.

2.) Marketing/Promotion - although there are improvements in this area, I think that there is little argument that the marketing arm of the Nj organization has its fair share of issues if not ignorance.

3.) NYR has its money tied up in a handful of key players (Hank, Gabby, Redden). Some of which are stars some are not. Regardless, they have little $$$ to field a balanced team if they try to hook another marquis superstar. I said nothing about NJ's plan.

4.) If I'm Kovy, has JL and the rigidity of the NJ system won me over. I'm not judging it to be good or bad - just as to whether its the type of hockey I want to play for the next 7-10 years? Legitimate question if I'm Ilya.

5.) Just because LA can't compete with NY in "big city" fringe benefits doesn't make it a slight against the Metro area.

6.) LA hockey has yet to have a "prominent face of the sport" here the way baseball and basketball do. Although they market Kopitar, he's too young and not established enough internationally to be "the guy".

Just because you have a preoccupation with the Rags, you need not distort the conversation into me trying to prove LA is better than NYR. I'm just saying that if I'm the guy assigned to research LA on Kovi's agent team - this is my list for him.

[pattyelias]

6.) LA hockey has yet to have a "prominent face of the sport" here the way baseball and basketball do. Although they market Kopitar, he's too young and not established enough internationally to be "the guy".

Wayne Gretzky?

[Devs3cups]

Kovy=Devil longterm

[maxpower]

so, the team won last night, thus we're on doom scenario B. I don't care where the hell he signs, because I'm not married to him like some people are. he's here for a few months to merc, and then we'll see what happens

[Daniel]

so, the team won last night, thus we're on doom scenario B. I don't care where the hell he signs, because I'm not married to him like some people are. he's here for a few months to merc, and then we'll see what happens

It wouldn't be njdevs.com if we weren't discussing a doom scenario. I'm not married to him either, but I would be very upset to see him a Ranger uniform.

[DevilinLA]

Wayne Gretzky?

I meant currently.

[Devilsfan118]

Daniel...why are you always the negative nancy in the room?

[Daniel]

Daniel...why are you always the negative nancy in the room?

My nature to expect the worst hope for the best.

And, I'm not necessarily negative about everything, just feel like the discussion is a little more interesting when it's not a cheer leading session. That's what MSG + Commercials are for.

Edited March 12, 2010 by Daniel