Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

You're absolutely right. It'd be 8/80 then. I remember reading his agents wanting to get him an AAV of 10 million.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

Because he's going to play in mother Russia.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

I refuse to believe it.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

Maybe CBJ will sign him to backup BOBROVSKY!

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

HOLY SHIT! Get FUCKED New Jersey!

Love,

Ilya Kovalchuk

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

Ilya Kovalchuk has announced his retirement

ummmmmmmm, what?!?!?!

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

:lol:lol Devils

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world that Ilya Kovalchuk would play for 105 years (or something close to that)

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

what in the flying fuck

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Was it worth it Lou?

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sport...tm?csp=usat.me

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

Vanderbeeks pocket is certainly a few tons heavier now. Kovy was due to make a half bajillion bucks over the next 11 years.

Would have been nice to know before Clarkson went buh-bye

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

Ilya Kovalchuk just gave NJ a giant middle finger.

I mean, it's his life and he needs to do what's best for him and his family, but wow.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

I just looked up what his cap recapture hit will be and it's barely anything because he's retiring now and the team is not benefiting from the dead years at the end. $250k per year until the end of the contract.

Still it's a wow moment for sure.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

them Russians sure a little weird and quirky, no?

Why couldn't family be here? He'll be back in a year. Walking away from a lot of money.

Good news for the Islanders and the rest of the easterners fighting for the last few playoff spots next year.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

And that forfeited draft pick, that NJ should have forfeited last year when they got pick #29, will really hurt when it's a lottery pick again next year.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

:thumbsup I give him two years before he's back in the NHL.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

We already signed Nabokov to be the #1 for 1 more year and with all but 1 important rfa in Bailey already signed, we are at the cap floor already. I doubt we will add any more payroll of significance, if any. Roster is pretty much set.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

And the Flyers will sign him to a 8 year $80 million contract.







I'M SORRY JOHN IT'S JUST TOO EASY

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

I think Holmgren would agree with you.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

Well played by you both. :thumbsup

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

Roenick is flipping on Twitter right now :lol His typing is even worse than normal... probably because he has steam coming out his ears. Dude, chill. :lol

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

At least the Flyers don't have 6 4th liners on their current roster because they're so top-heavy, wampa ;) :lol:lol

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

There's the friendly banter I've been missing.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

The last tweet is coherent. lol

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

More Roenick. Great stuff right now from this guy :lol

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

While I understand where JR is coming from, Kovy played for the money he got. This is a head scratcher but a bigger dick move would have to waited a couple more years and done it. Taken more of their money and the cap recapture penalty would be a lot higher.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

but they bang bodies, bodies will bang! Steve Macyntire and Tanner Glass.... ummm... HOCKEY!

(this is me not having anything good to say about this situation)

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Double post. Sorry!

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

Kovy this is awesome. First, because he is a dick! Second, because he was on the Devils! Third, because it spices up the off season in such a huge way!

From an NHL fan standpoint, sorry Devils fans! Really sucks and hurts the team for sure.

From a Rangers fan standpoint, hahahHAHAAaaahahahaha GOOD!

I haven't forgot the unreal taunting from two seasons ago when NJ knocked out NY!;)

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

Wow, was not expecting anything like this. Totally shocking. I feel for the Devils.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

wait, if the contract is void, whats to stop any team now from doing the same with a bad contract? kind of fishy...

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

It's not "void", they're taking a cap hit of $250,000. I know not anything massive, but...IDK...it's strange.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

That's wild.. My brother is a Devils fan and he's an idiot so I'm pretty happy. I feel bad for the franchise. What an asshole.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

So not void in the sense that i thought.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

Right. Cap hit of 250,000 until 2025 or something like that.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

Oh I'm not disagreeing with Roenick, I just love to see people on a rant like this :lol

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

:lol:lol

https://twitter.com/TheNHLHumor/stat...46677861195776

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

So chalk that up for a victory for me ;)

Not often I can get the last word in on a Pens fan :lol Great meeting you at Camden again buddy

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

man, Kovalchuk is going to get Bobby Clarke/Kharlamov'd at the Olympics this year by one of the Devils.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

I'll delve into this tomorrow, but for tonight; just wow...

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

Interested in hearing your thoughts, pal.

Oh, and my condolences.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

This is hardly bad for the Devils. Kovalchuk had one of the worst deals in the league and is now on the wrong side of 30. This is really the best outcome they could imagine in my opinion. Yes they lose immediate production but they were not that great a team anyway. They need to rebuild and they don't have to deal with that albatross contract.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

Are you kidding me? The Devils are screwed this year. Kovalchuk didn't have the decency to tell them before free agency? That's bullshit.

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Yes obviously it hurts them the next couple years probably. In the long run they are much better off.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

:lol:lol

Yes, one of the league's most successful franchises hot off a run to the cup finals two years ago, and having just traded for a young franchise goaltender, should rebuild immediately....

Please. The core is still decent, and while this loss hurts a lot right now, to think the Devils are going to immediately drop to 30th place as a result of it is crazy. They still will field a decent top six, and also have tremendous depth on defense, not to mention the best goaltending tandem in the league.

It's a punch in the gut, no doubt. But, the Devils have shown year after year that they can get off the mat when dealt with this kind of adversity (Gomez, Niedermayer, Rafalski walking, Stevens retiring etc.) They are still ran by the best GM in the NHL.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

Ant would agree that the Devils do a pretty nice job for a Mickey Mouse organization. ;)

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

This Kovalchuk fiasco is totally karma for me making fun of the Flyers off season moves last week :lol:lol:lol

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

Well speaking of which, the Flyers have done a lot of good things so far. The only questionable signing, money wise, is Mark Streit. But consider this, everyone is giving the Penguins flack for their cap hell--but the cap after next season will continue to go up (until the next lockout). Yes, Mark Streit got a lot of money, but Holmgren needed a puck-moving defenseman. He certainly isn't/wasn't willing to part with Couturier or Schenn and so, the only available guy out there was Streit, who in my honest opinion, will fit in nicely with a very old Timonen, an inconsistent at times Coburn, and a young Gus.

The Lecavalier signing is great. I was on the fence about him, but after hearing his conference call, I'm confident he'll be a great locker room addition. Ray Emery is the diamond in the rough. He's adding stability in net there. I like Mason, but am unconvinced. His numbers with the Flyers were interesting to say the least. The team played great defensively after they started bringing in some of the younger guys. If Lavy can re-work that with the regulars, I think the Flyers are right up there with the other teams.

I still miss Jagr though.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

This is some wild stuff. Good riddance Kovy.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

This is what kind of irks me about the whole thing too. I get it if the guy has family reasons or whatever. Who knows what's going on behind the scenes that we don't know about. Obviously it was pretty important if he left what, like $70 something mil on the table (which, granted, he could probably still make in the KHL). But c'mon, Kovy, you couldn't have announced it one week earlier?

Yes, long term it does give the Devils a lot more maneuverability. This year will be tough. It will be a learning year. Wouldn't be surprised to see the Devs now make a solid run at Brunner or Grabovski.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

Yeah long term they are better off. If he was thinking about it for a while he should have made a decision a couple weeks ago. Other than that he wanted to walk away it's his right and in a way he's doing the Devils a favor doing it now. He waits any longer and starts getting the big paychecks with low cap hits, it would hurt hem a lot more. So if he wanted to leave it's better for him to do it now rather than later. Lou really should have forfeited that pick in 2012.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

@Proteautype Note to all Professional Hockey Writers' Association members: DO NOT VOTE FOR ILYA KOVALCHUK AT ANY POSITION ON THE 2013-14 ALL-STAR TEAM.

:lol :lol

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

As if the whole kovy story wasn't crazy enough, he waits to long to tell the team, they miss out on using that coin in FA, now they could be a bottom 15 team and have no 1st rounder to minimize the blow because of the kovy deal in the first place haha damn. Glad the flyers didn't trade for him way back when (I really wanted them too when the devils got him).

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

What also sucks is the devils were the only team that got penalized for circumventing the cap. And now the guy walks away.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

Bruins re-sign (extend) Bergeron for 8 years.
http://bruins.nhl.com/club/m_news.htm?id=677833

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

Do the Devils retain his NHL rights? He can't come back in 2 years and sign with Philly or something?

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

Love the Bergeron deal. Fair cap hit and he's the captain in waiting. Hope he remains a Bruin the rest of his career.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

Lou went hard after forwards after losing Parise with the 2012 draft pick, which I couldn't fault the guy for. Hindsight is 20/20 regarding the 29th overall pick in 2012.

Per Devils beat writer Tom Gulitti:

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

:lol:lol:lol:lol

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

Just shattered my hopes and dreams of Bergeron in the orange and black :lol:lol

Lol never! We won't let him go!

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

Slava Malamud ‏@SlavaMalamud 3h
Sport-Express reported that Kovalchuk and SKA had the terms of his future deal agreed upon back in January. This was a prearranged move.




..........

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

What an asshole.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

Wow... Wow.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

My guess is that Lamoriello told him back in January that if he came back for the lockout shortened season, then he and the Devils wouldn't block Kovalchuk going back to Russia in the summer.

This whole thing is a disaster, and has [rightfully] turned Kovalchuk into the biggest traitor in the history of the NHL.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

http://www.mercurynews.com/sharks/ci...harknado-jokes


Amazing. Simply amazing :lol:lol

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

that's pretty funny. Thanks for sharing.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

I saw that yesterday and simply smiled :lol

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

If he knew, well if either him or Lou knew, back before lets say mid-June, then this is even dumber than before. Not sure the Devils do much but at least they have that cap space if they wanted. Clarkson was going to TO from the start it seems, Weiss was to Detroit or St Louis and I doubt Alfie goes to NJ. He leaves 2 weeks earlier I don't think this is as big of a deal. Sucks still but at least it isn't after everyone is signed up.

Does sound like Brunner is going to NJ though. For right around what Detroit was offering so clearly he wanted out. Wasn't going to be a top line guy at the start of the year with Pavel, Hank, Franzen, Alfie, Weiss and probably Abdelkader as your top 6 and he wanted that I'm guessing. Still he could have been on a great third line and had a great year and when Alfie retires be in the top 6 next year. He sounded like he was leaving after the post-playoff interviews but was hoping he'd want to stay. I guess ego can get in your way. He thought he was/is a top 6 forward and didn't like going to the third line. Too bad cause he was great there in the playoffs and getting him with Helm would be great.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

So, Kovalchuck is eligible to return to the NHL as a UFA for the 2018-2019 season?

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

Yeah I just read that. If he pulls that crap, that would be sad.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

He is already planning on it, apparently.

“Naturally, he plans to return to America and perform in the NHL. But the next [four] years he will play in Russia,” Arina Kovalchuk said.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

That's so ridiculous, I can't belive she openly said that.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

Actually I can totally believe it. How many times have we had family members come out and say something like that? I'll believe it when I see it. He might have said he'd be open to going back in a few years and she took it like he was planning on it. Family members like their moment in the spotlight too.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

So ridiculous.

I can't find the quote Tim, but he apparently said something along those lines too. That he just wanted to spend a couple years in Russia and wanted to come back after.

He's reportedly getting around $15 per year on this 4 year deal in the KHL.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

I just don't see why he'd come back. At 34 he'll still get more per year over there then he'll get here.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

Probably for the sole purpose of sticking it to the devils.

He'll probably sign with the Rangers

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

And why would he do that? What does he have to stick it to the Devils over? At the end of his new KHL contract he'll still be property of the Devils at age 34 per the league. If he was truly wanting to screw over the Devils he would have gotten himself a 5 year contract so then he'd be able to come back as a UFA.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

Found it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqr17fSd8hw

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

I see, I wasn't aware of that exact timeline.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

I don't understand the new arbitration rules. I was hoping someone could fill me in.


Fraser and Gunnarson have both filed for arbitration. I was reading today that if they arbitrator determines that they deserve a salary that is less than 3.5 million a year. They CAN'T Walk away from it? Does anyone know if this is true or specifically what the rules are?

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

Welcome back Ron Hextall!!!

http://flyers.thecheckingline.com/bl...tant-gm-flyers

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

I think it's pretty hilarious that people are so up-in-arms over this whole Kovalchuk thing. Long-term it is good for the Devils and if Lamariello ok'd Kovy to leave, then what's the issue?

But seriously, is anyone surprised? I mean clearly this is not the case with Kovy since he already got his deal before the lockout, but this is going to happen more and more if teams from other leagues are going to offer more $$ than the money offered by NHL owners....of course more Russian players are going to look to leave the NHL for a league that will pay them more money.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

NHL:36 about Lidstrom was a suggestion on youtube so I watched part of it and it got me excited for next season already. Should have the schedule soon so at least that's getting us there.

I caved and ordered HBO the other night. I did it to watch the new season of The Newsroom but it also helped that NHL 24/7 will be happening again so I'll be able to watch that live as well.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

You're the only one that thinks superstars leaving teams because of potential "long term" ramifications is a good thing. No one else does, because it's stupid to think that.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

:lol:lol

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

I don't know if this is interesting to anyone or not but on Friday I'm going to the CBJ season ticket holder "select-a-seat" event at which they give me the season schedule. So we should have it by then at the latest.

The Hawks may have just traded Carcillo to LA. My. God.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

So all five of you should have a good time. Sorry had to.

@JoeYerdonPHT: Official: Dan Carcillo to LA for a conditional 2015 pick.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

Flyers West :lol:lol

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

the conditional pick probably has more upside.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

:lol:lol

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

Patrick Kane's water bottle has more upside.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

Since we're a kookie family in here. Much love to Matty and his family as they deal with a family loss. I'm sure he's toughing it out Adam Foote style. :)

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

I had no idea, but I'm sorry, Matty.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

Didn't even see it on Facebook. Probably cause I'm in bed as early as an old man. Thinking of you Matty.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

^ Yeah, he posted something on FB last night. Father-in-law.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

Many thanks, guys. My father-in-law collapsed on Saturday and died Monday evening. A very aggressive form of vascular cancer that we didn't know about until it hit.

We are indeed kind of a weird form of a family here, which is strange but awesome at the same time. We may never have met (and many of us probably never will), but hell, I communicate with you guys more than I do a lot of my family! I've developed some very true friendships here and I appreciate that.

And Kev, I'm sure Footer would NOT be impressed with my blubbering on Monday as we watched my father-in-law pass. Not impressive at all. Foote would've cross-checked the cancer right in the teeth, called it every curse word in the book as it was falling to the ice, then punched it a few times in the head as it was lying there defenseless.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

:hug :hug Matty.