Kovalchuk Russian Back Home; Will Others Follow??

With Ilya Kovalchuk retiring from the NHL to return to the KHL, it not only shocked the hockey world in their reaction to it all, but it also made people question about if it was about being homesick or something more to it. While Kovalchuk could make $15-20 million a year, he did express interest in staying over in the KHL even after the lockout was resolved-- so the money may not have been the true issue. The factor of Olympics could be another factor, as the NHL and PA haven't decided yet on participation.

This whole scenario could spring up a much more interesting conundrum in the future when it comes to Russian superstars. For a while now, the KHL has been an alternative for many minor league players and some players at the end of their careers. Yet, with Kovalchuk going over to the KHL in his prime age, would this be the thing that finally makes the KHL a viable option for other players to ship off to and maybe leverage their NHL team into contract demands??

Sportsnet's Jeff Marek did bring up the idea of Kovalchuk being the modern day Bobby Hull, though rather than bringing free agency into the NHL fold-- Kovalchuk's move could make many NHL teams force their hands and their wallets in order to keep their talent from jumping ship. Though many have reviewed the KHL as not well run, especially the lower tiered teams, if enough talent can come over-- the money will be found one way or another.

Not only that, but with the league expanding into Croatia this season, as well as Finland and Italy in 2014-15 and Norway, Poland, and Switzerland for 2015-16; there should be a lot of money and a lot of variety to go around in terms of where some players want to play. Even if the top North American players don't go over, the role player threatening to go overseas could cause much overpayment to the players that won't live up to it and will make fans and pundits alike sweat heading towards this CBA's ending.

Going the other way, the crop of Russians have hit a lull when it comes to those who have played in the NHL. Some of that is due to mismanagement, some of it due to not being the right fit; but you can definitely see that the likes of Pavel Datsyuk, Alex Ovechkin, and Evgeni Malkin aren't too much on the horizon. While the jury is still out on Nail Yakupov, it's probably safe to say that he could be the last of this generation to come over and have a bit of success in the NHL.

With the KHL influence on the National players, it has made many NHL leery over selecting a Russian in fear that they may never come over, which is probably why Valeri Nichushkin dropped in the Draft due to his adamant feeling about playing in the NHL or else he'll go to the KHL to make the big money. That's also a reason why Evgeni Kuznetsov has stayed in the KHL, though the Caps are confident he could be over next season. That KHL money and the influence to the younger players that this is their league to take over when they get older and they should have pride in their national league, as much as the North Americans have with the NHL.

As this whole thing will completely settle itself out, it does give a lot more to talk about than just development camps, lingering free agents, and upcoming arbitrations. Not only that, it makes some fans worry about what their top player could do with this development. Kovalchuk could be the first domino to fall or just the exception to the rule of Russian players.

Friday Five: Returns and Reunions

It's been quite the week.....and yet another goalie fight, so it just shows that I'm an idiot and really don't know anything about hockey and how it works. Why are you even reading this?? Oh well, time for the F5 because it's Friday.

1. With the rabble-rousing of Carrie Underwood husband's being traded to her locale, how rough it is for the Ottawa Senators to get nothing in return??

If I'm playing on the Senators (and if things get bad, I actually may) I'd be a little disillusioned with the situation. Sure, you expect trades to happen and maybe some of the bigger named guys-- but getting an unknown in return is a bit disheartening. Fisher wasn't the flashiest guy, but got the job done and helped that team in any chance he could. With getting only picks back, coupled with an 11-game losing skid, as well as a regime that is almost guaranteed to be ousted at season's end (though it should be sooner), you almost have to think Eugune Melnyk is playing the role of Nero as his Rome burns (rack 'em).

That said, it seems par for the course for the Sens since they made it to the Stanley Cup finals in 2007 and nothing has seemed to get better or easier-- from goaltending, to coaching, to guys leaving-- it just snowballs into something worse; and you can't blame the fans for being rageful about the direction of this team.

2. With all these trades with some decent profile names, will this Trade Deadline Day be more about names moving or just upgrading role players on the roster??

This one could be all about upgrading the role players on the team. While there's decent UFAs for the summer, odds are you aren't willing to pay a lot to get them as a rental player. Basically teams are going to just tie up their loose ends when it comes to mucker and grinders, with maybe a decent size name going in the process. Yet-- I don't know if teams will wait for the 28th, as the gettings are good right now.

3. Ilya Kovalchuk is on a tear and the Devils continue their rise. Wishful thinking or was this a sign of waiting too long to replace John MacLean??

This was definitely something where they waited a bit too long to fire their coach, but they are showing they aren't the big bust many people thought they were. Kovalchuk, despite the minus-22, has been hot with five goals and five assists in the last eight games and showing he's worth his money. Even with Martin Brodeur dealing with injuries, the team has played well around Johan Hedberg recently, which is something they didn't do too much with MacLean behind the bench. While they're 13 points out of a playoff spot and have to keep an unimaginable pace to even keep up....some are keeping the faith.

4. Peter Forsberg returns tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets-- injury happens...??

I'd say before the month of February ends. While it's a solid story if he does come back and plays well enough to get a contract for next year-- but the reality of the situation is he'll play a couple minutes tonight and in a few more games before he realizes he can't keep up with the speed and then retires for good....until October when it all starts again.

5. Quebec city is getting a $400M arena built. How much will this be like the Kansas City/Sprint Center fiasco??

With no team in sight for expansion or relocation (so they say) it could be a big deal for building such an expensive arena and not have anyone to house the arena after it's built. While hockey is very prevalent in Canada and a junior team could probably house that arena-- it's not what they want. The Canadian Olympic Committee President and former Quebec Nordiques' president and club owner said the NHL will be back in three years. Wishful thinking, but you may need that kind of over-the-top positive attitude in order to make something like this succeed.

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That's another week and if you want to get in contact with an idea for a topic-- Scotty.Wazz@Gmail.com is the place to send it over to. It'll be a riot if you see your topic here and you can tweet all your friends about it too....or not.

Friday Five: Injury Bug and Relief

It's the end of another week and time for the F5. First off, thanks to those who enjoyed the story of Matt Mitchell's pads and the goalie himself, as it blew up big time. Sadly, it won't get better than that, I'm afraid-- but hey, I won't stop trying.

1. With Zach Parise and Martin Brodeur hurting, will the bad luck end in Jersey??

At least the Brodeur injury doesn't seem that serious-- though if it is, there's going to be issue, moreso. The Parise injury hurts on the actual team side in terms of scoring, but for the salary-wise, it's quite the relief. Unless there's a drastic change in attitude, I don't know if there's anything that can save this teams right now. It's almost like this is the mulligan year for the Devils after the years of success; which happens every now and again to even the most elite of teams. The ebbs and flows of parity is showing right now.

2. What's Bobby Holik's deal and why does he have such an axe to grind with the Devils??

The thing you have to appreciate is Holik coming out and being the outspoken guy he's become on the NHL Network and beyond. That said, there has to be some kind of underlying issue which makes him more critical of the Devils, a team he has two Cup rings with. Granted, everyone and their mother have been critical of the Devils, but Holik has been beyond that and it's a bit refreshing at one end of it and a bit "enough already" at the other end. We all know the Kovalchuk deal was bad, we're seeing the result on the ice-- but there's a point where it just stops being a topic because it's widely known as a bad move for everyone.

3. Staying in the Tri-State area, are we seeing the true New York Islanders or is it a bump in the road??

This is more than just a bump in the road, but it's not something they can't get out of. The issue I have is that they left Rick DiPietro in for two games in a row after he let up more than four goals. While I know they want to get the most out of his contract and out of his body while he's healthy-- there's a point where you have to switch it up and put Dwayne Roloson in there to help stop the bleeding and give the team a chance to win. The injury issues are a bit much, but at the same time-- guys have to step up and not use it as an excuse. If they don't improve in another month, all is definitely lost.

4. Daniel Briere has been suspended and Joe Thronton has a hearing Friday afternoon-- will this send a message to star players that they aren't infallible??

It's definitely a good message if they actually receive it as something they need to tone down. You look at this week also having fights with Jarome Iginla and Sidney Crosby, which is the way it should be done if star players feel like throwing their weight around-- drop the gloves and settle it the way you can within the perimeter of the rules. If you're cheapshotting guys when you're an elite player, it's silly when you actually have a rule allowing you to settle stuff without resorting to cheapshots.

5. The SPHL has a rule where their overtime is immediately a 3-on-3 situation. Is this the way to go or is there another way??

You have to give the SPHL props for going to this drastic of a measure, skipping over 4-on-4 altogether. However, I'm with JonnyP and other guys saying they should extend the 4-on-4 to a ten minute segment and seeing how that goes before reducing the players or going right to the shootout. The NHL coming out of the lockout was supposed to be about creating chances and while 3-on-3 does create chances in overtime, the 4-on-4 for a longer period of time would do just the same, but closer to the spirit of the game rather than gimmicks.....though I love me some gimmicks

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Another week in the books, and if you have a topic that you'd want to be tackled, you can get in touch with me via electronic mail. Scotty.Wazz@Gmail.com is the place to contact me and you can just get your question answered by me.....isn't that thrilling??

Short Changing the Coach Due To Short Bench

While this whole thing with the Devils only suiting up 15 players is definitely something that is going to bring a lot of heat to Lou Lamoriello and his mismanagement of the salary cap; which it should. For a guy to do all he did in order to get Ilya Kovalchuk under contract; he deserves this mess he's gotten himself into. He sacrificed the team for one player.

Yet, there's one person to feel bad for in all of this and it's head coach John MacLean. Here's a guy who has clawed his way to this spot in the coaching ranks, being passed over for the head coaching job a couple times and when he finally reaches the pinnacle...he has to deal with this mess. It's hard to coach in this league in the simplest of times, but to have a literally shortened bench because of it all-- what a rough issue for a rookie head coach to be put into.

That said, the good side to all of this is that he doesn't have to put out his fourth line because...well, he doesn't have one. He can actually play the top guys and know he'll be getting the most out of them. The downside is that the other team knows they won't have much energy late in the game if they power them with a dump-and-chase game early. It's hard for MacLean to coach from an advantage, even if they go up early-- because if they "blow their load" (I expect to be suspended for that one) early in the game; they'll be tired and be susceptible to a late-game comeback. If they lay back and get down early-- they may not have the juice to get back into the game.

It's one thing to have a mass of talent in order to justify the team having a rough time filling out the roster and staying under the salary cap; much like the NBA's Miami Heat. It's another thing to be like the Devils who have almost $32M tied to six players-- four of which have no-movement clauses-- and have issues trying to get a full team for another 12 players for $28M, especially since these guys had contracts prior. This is the backlash and almost karmatic result for the whole Kovalchuk situation.

It's obviously taking it's toll, as the Devils are 0-2-1, already short players via injury and not having the cash, and it seems Martin Brodeur is off his game, letting up 11 goals in three games and a .857 save percentage to boot. But, like I said during my post yesterday-- it's Chicken Little stuff right now. The bigger problem is what can be done to fill an entire team and actually win. They'll have to trade someone or shoot them in order to have the money in order to fulfill an entire roster and give MacLean the chance to actually coach a full team and show that the Devils should have hired him sooner rather than later.

The End of Confusion.....For Now

It's finally done. It only took two months, two contracts, and two drawn-out debates between the NHL and NHLPA for the biggest free agent to his the market to have a team...and it's still the same team that he ended the 2009-10 campaign with. However, even though Ilya Kovalchuk will remain a Devil; the biggest news could be the end of these kind of contracts that lead to questions about circumvention....we think.

If you're to listen to the likes of Darren Dreger, the deal Kovalchuk got and deals like Roberto Luongo, Marc Savard, and Marian Hossa has (where it's a long-term deal with declining salary in the latter years) will be the last of their kind. Whether or not you take that as a reassuring bit of news or not is up to your own discretion. People will always make a fuss about any kind of long-term deal, actually.

It all started with the Rick DiPietro contract right after the lockout. It had nothing to do with the money at first, it was the absurdity of a 15-year deal for a goalie who hadn't proven much in his few years in the league leading up to that point. It's compounded now that DiPietro's injury history has been the downfall of that contract. After that, you saw the same long-term deals given more often to players after their entry level contract was up. The likes of Mike Richards, Alex Ovechkin, Henrik Zetterberg, Duncan Keith, and Nicklas Backstrom got long-term, high money deals after their first deal-- though Backstrom and Ovechkin are the only two who has their contract money raised later into the deal, but still-- it seems the long-term contract is the way to go.

However, is it the best way?? With all of those deals over 10-years, who knows what the future actually holds. I mean, it's one thing to give the money out that freely for the term, but to actually predict what could happen in year seven or eight of the deal is insane. While it could turn out to be a great deal should the player keep up the pace they've set for themselves, it could also be disappointing should they not be able to produce in the years they are actually getting the big money, right Daniel Briere?? Then, you have the side of the player being disappointed in his latter years when he's actually doing well and only making a million bucks; but he could also slack off during those years since he already got the bulk of his money. It's a crapshoot, for sure-- but aren't all contracts.

The next debate about contracts will probably be the ability to restructure the contract of a player during their tenure. Especially with these long-term deals becoming more and more prominent, the idea is definitely one that should be taken a look at. Give it an option where during a contract term, the team can open it up once and the player can open it up once; but it can only happen after the second year of the term has been complete it. It is another way for owners to be saved from themselves, but maybe it's something where they can actually be smarter and maybe player agents will be smarter and putting out a smaller term with a same cap-hit, but giving their player options after that deal and giving them more bargaining power when the contract is up because their player can actually get a new deal later for a decent amount of money.

These are all some crazy ideas for the sake of crazy ideas. In the end, it may not as crazy as once though, but time will only tell how this will happen. As far as we know now, this will not happen again, hopefully. That's not to say we won't have someone a few years down the road try this same stunt with the new CBA being in effect; because odds are we will have someone test the boundaries off the hop to see how strong the NHL will stand. Even so, if the NHL is doing this with a high-profile player like Kovalchuk and an ally like Lou Lamoriello; odds are the message has been received loud and clear to teams about trying to make a deal like this again.

Or not.

Tin-Foiling The Kovalchuk Decision

Before I start, I will say that this will be something out there, something that probably is so far away from being true that if you believe-- you're a silly goose. That said, this is what came across my crazy mind while trying to deal with my everyday night stocking job. As you know, I'm not normally of the tin-foil hat brigade; but this is my venture into that situation.

With the decision to void the 17-year contract the New Jersey Devils gave to Ilya Kovalchuk, it makes me wonder if this is just another line of things that has really gone crazy this summer in the free agent market. Especially considering the guy who gave Kovalchuk the contract, I almost wonder if it's some kind of "Arrested Development" situation.

How is that?? Well, that's because the players (Kovalchuk in this case) are making a big commotion for wanting long-term contracts and big money as they play the role of the Bluth children. In this case, the owners were being represented by Lou Lamoriello as he played the role of George Bluth Sr. and got all distracted as the kids are making said commotion. All the while, the NHL played the role of J. Walter Weatherman and being the set-up man and stopping the Bluth kids complaining and proving the point that other owners and GMs wanted to in the first place.

Yes, it's a stretch, but the point is valid. For many owners and critics; the long-term, front-loaded deals are something that are getting out hand and in this instance, finally called to the table and challenged. Now, with this whole thing, other contracts have been now re-opened and looked at with a fine-toothed comb. Roberto Luongo is one that has been confirmed as being looked at. Yet, why did it take so long for something like this to be challenged and for this to be come a big issue. Sure, it's been looked at prior and pushed to the wayside with the conclusion that it's nothing that is a problem; yet with this contract, immediate action was taken and rejected out of hand.

All the while, the talk was why would Lamoriello, a guy very close to Gary Bettman when it comes to advising and being a strong voice for the Board of Governors, pull a contract like this-- especially after it was rumored that Bettman told Lamoriello it would get rejected if he actually signed Kovalchuk to this offer. For a guy who Bettman's trust with his opinion; it almost seems like a set-up and a way for Bettman/NHL to set an example for the other owners who may have done this before and those who were thinking about doing this in the future. Who else to use for an example than a guy who is held in the high regard and showing that if the NHL is going to do it to a guy like Lamoriello, they will do it to anyone who tries to pull something like this again.

Even with this as an example, it's a way the NHL is trying to save the owners from themselves in giving these long-term, front-loaded contracts. Now, they have the guideline and know that the NHL will actually start to stick up for themselves and not sit on the sidelines when it comes to some of these outrageous contracts that have happened recently. The big issue, I suppose, was the huge drop-off of the contract in the end. It's not like Mike Richards, who does have a drop-off, but nothing that's as drastic as Kovalchuk's and Richards' is a slow decline and nothing out of the ordinary.

Granted, the odds that the Devils will restructure and get Kovalchuk under contract before the month is up is very good; but it just adds to the whole mantra of this off-season, where the strange things get stranger by the day. It's a small win for the NHL and actually makes them look strong, even though you kind of saw it coming (if you're not a Devils fan, of course). Plus, gives me a chance to throw an "Arrested Development" reference in there.

........Annnnnd Scene

After 18 days, after numerous rumors and buzz-- Ilya Kovalchuk re-signed with the New Jersey Devils, ending the longest and most gut-wrenching (good and bad) free agency saga in the NHL. Since we haven't seen a caliber player like Kovalchuk hit the free agent market, it's no surprise it took this long and took this many turns, the last one being the New Jersey Devils' Twitter Feed beating EVERYONE to the punch.

First, I CALLED THE DAY....though the team was wrong and the terms are yet to be announced, but don't doubt my dumb-luck, folks.

Second has to do with those unannounced terms (though some say 17 years) and what it means for the long-run. Greg Wyshynski said that in no way do the Devils risk putting Zach Parise signing long-term in jeopardy with an outrageous contract for Kovalchuk. And we all know that Lou Lamoriello does have a very keen sense to manage the salary cap to his liking and move around money without much of a hassle of getting caught up in any trouble. Maybe you should watch the transaction wires as the season draws close.

Also, as an aside, Ilya's agent (Jay Grossman) should be considered for the Mayor of Newark, New Jersey with Ilya, Anton Volchenkov, and Johan Hedberg-- all his clients-- playing on the same team. Now, Grossman doesn't have to make multiple trips to check up on some of his bigger named players.

Now, while many people said the Kings were the destination, the point was brought up that Ilya didn't want to play in the West Coast, which is understandable. In 55 games in Western Conference buildings, Kovalchuk has a normal 20 goals and 20 assists, which would be very shaky when trying to justify a big time contract, and maybe Ilya knew that and wanted to stay out East. Now, for the Kings-- they'll have to look elsewhere; maybe Simon Gagne going out there; but it's a good move for them not to risk the future for the superstar.

It's finally done, and I think that's all that matters. Now, we can see some other moves, some trades, some signings, and maybe focus more on the like of Mike Modano, Marty Turco, and others who may be out there and forgotten because of all of this mess.

Armchair GM: Where Are The Possibilites??

With so much going on about Ilya Kovalchuk, there's still a decent amount of decent players still out on the market that haven't been picked up yet. At the same time, there's a lot of things that need to happen in order for them to get signed and many of them may have to wait until late-August/early-September for the signings to happen. In any case, here's my thoughts on some of the more prominent FAs and what needs to happen (and maybe some destinations) for them to get signed.

Marty Turco-- While no one can dispute his skill or hockey sense, the fact his salary demands could be high and his record is down (but individual stats somewhat up) are the stumbling points. Plus, he's a high-priced possibility in a position that is logjammed across the board, so he doesn't have a spot and he's priced him out of the unavailable spot. Quite the conundrum. What needs to happen is that he needs to open up his options and maybe see if he plays in a tandem situation and maybe be a mentor to the younger guys out there. Possibilities: There's really nowhere for him to go. Atlanta signed Chris Mason and will re-sign Ondrej Pavelec most likely and other places already have a solid tandem. He picked the wrong year to go on the market.

Paul Kariya-- Injury woes have brought down the former star, as well as the salary possibility. However, he could fill the role of a scorer or a role player. While his points have dropped off, he does have the ability to get back up into the scoring role if need-be, which is something that could be good if he goes to the $2M range or something of that ilk. If he's a cheap get, then people will be flocking to get Kariya. Possibilities: If the Penguins are looking for a winger to play with Sidney Crosby, then this is the pick-up for them. Kariya could dish the puck and put it in the net if need be. Even somewhere like Ottawa, if Jason Spezza is still there-- that's a place he could revitalize his scoring touch.

Jay McKee-- McKee made $800k last year and is a solid defenseman who will throw his body in front of the puck at all cost. Granted, the shot-blocker does cause a lot of injuries and he's not the most sturdiest of d-men, but at the same time; he's a guy who could go to a young defense at a cheap cost and be reliable. He just needs to get his name out there, which is something that is getting lost in the Kovy-Mania. Possibilities: Phoenix could be the way to go, as they lost Zybeck Michalek and I don't think they could rely too much on Sami Lepisto to do what McKee does, at the same price. Maybe, if he wants to stay out East, head to Carolina; who could use some extra protection in front of Cam Ward.

Alexander Frolov-- Known as "Kovalchuk Zero", as he is like Kovalchuk; minus his skill, Frolov could be a guy that would need a scenery change to revitalize his career. Of course, the thoughts about his attitude and then maybe looking at what he may ask especially considering there's not much else out there on the terms of talent on the left-hand side and with guys like Derek Boogaard and Jody Shelley getting over a million a year at the same position; he could price himself all the way to Omsk of the KHL. Possibilities: Aside from going back to Russia, maybe a trip to Pittsburgh or even St. Louis may be a destination, though I'm not sure if anyone will want to take a chance on him if he'll be bi-polar with his play.

With not much else on the horizon and the pretty much holding pattern until Kovalchuk does make his move, then this is what we can do with speculation on other guys not named Ilya. There's a fine crop outside of IK17; but because he's hogging the headlines; many good names are being overlooked.

Waiting With Bated Breath or Anguished Annoyance

While it seems that Ilya Kovalchuk is biding his time to make his decision, it's an annoyance to many who just want it over by now. For two days, the hockey world has been waiting to see where this year's biggest unrestricted free agent will go. While many have him going to New Jersey, will it be that exciting if he does or will it be a huge letdown??

Especially with everyone expecting Kovalchuk to go to LA, for him not to go there would probably be the most shocking thing. They seem to have the need for him, the money for him, and the spot for him, with the players that could compliment him and a system that could work with him. So why not go there in order to make things work out. It seems he's reluctant to play on the West Coast, which I could understand. Not just dealing with the LA traffic, but the travel out West is insane, so for a guy so used to staying in the same time zone-- his effectiveness on the West Coast could be the biggest reason why he's going to balk at the idea of playing out West.

So, while the LA thing may not work out, would New Jersey be such a bad thing?? For the short-term, not so much; though they would be back into an issue of the salary cap and it'd be harder to make some of the contracts disappear. Plus, they'd have to make decisions on some key players pending on how much Kovalchuk receives in his contract. Especially with franchise player Zach Parise becoming a restricted free agent next season and looking for a raise more than likely, some things will have to be moved-- like Patrik Elias or Travis Zajac or another higher priced player. Is the skill and ability of Kovalchuk worth blowing up your team for?? If you say it is, like it seems Lou Lamoriello is thinking-- then you can afford to do that without second-guessing. However, I think most GMs wouldn't think that way.

On a fan level, how much of a letdown will this be if the end result is that he's staying where he was traded?? The big thing when he was traded to Jersey was that he wouldn't be staying there after the season. If he stays there, it seems like a big to-do about nothing; which really puts a sour feel on the whole UFA market, since there really hasn't been too much of a shock in terms of who signed where. If the biggest UFA doesn't do anything, then we sit and watch what will happen with the remaining players, if anything-- which probably won't be as dramatic-- nor would it be dramatic if Kovalchuk stays in the swamp.

Whatever may come of it-- the grasp that Kovalchuk has on the fans of the NHL is amazing. Especially when Kovalchuk's agent, Jay Grossman, said it'd be over on Monday-- guess he just added to the drama of the whole thing-- and that could have worn down the spirits of fans, as well. Also, if Kovalchuk signs in New Jersey; Grossman could run for mayor of Newark, New Jersey with three of his clients, Kovalchuk, Anton Volchenkov, and Johan Hedberg, signing with the Devils this off-season.

The Devil You Know

It's finally over and we can move on with our lives.

That's right, Ilya Kovalchuk has been dealt to the New Jersey Devils with Anssi Salmela for Johnny Oduya, Niclas Bergfors, Patrice Cormier, and the Devils' 1st round pick. When you look at what was given up by the Devils, you can just think about how Devils' GM Lou Lamoriello basically stole this deal from Atlanta.

Any team who got Kovalchuk was going to win the deal, it's hard to beat something like that. But for Sweet Lou to give up what can be called very little (especially when you look at the speculation being tossed around), it's almost a shame the Thrashers had to go down like that. Sure, they get a good defenseman like Oduya to help guys like Zach Bogosian and Tobias Enstrom out in the long run, but what does it mean for the future of the franchise as a whole?? I'll touch on that later.

The posturing is something that was epic in the past 48 hours, but the Thrashers ripped it out today-- saying that Kovalchuk turned down two offers-- one of seven years at $70M and another at 12 years and $101M, which is almost insane to turn down. I mean, Kovalchuk is one day older than me and to be turning down that money when I won't see anything close to that makes me shake my head. Then, yesterday-- Atlanta's GM Don Waddell saying how he told Kovalchuk was going to be move, which was a signal to the teams on the fence to make a final move or move along. When you look at it, the bridges were burning in Atlanta, much like in 1917.

The Devils really were a dark horse, in terms of they were mentioned, but no one expected them to be a big player. That's one thing people shouldn't do-- count Jersey out. And while I mentioned that teams may have to trade the farm, the Devils didn't have to do that. Sure, Kovalchuk is a rental in this case, barring any unpredictable occurrence, but the Devils have plenty to play with and giving up who they did won't paralyze them in the long-run. The Devils now have a prolific scorer in their line-up for the first time in a while. Also, they have the greatest goalie of the modern era. This team is scary right now.

Yet, it was mentioned on FOHS from Spector's Hockey's Lyle Richardson that this move could be the deathblow for the Thrashers franchise in Atlanta. When you lose a guy like Kovalchuk, who has been the only real face of the franchise, it's hard to come back from if you don't get someone of his stature to replace him. Especially in an unconventional market like Atlanta, you're going to need something to keep people interested and into the game. While a lot of that will hinge on what the crazy ownership situation does or doesn't do this off-season, but the fact remains that when you deal a franchise player like this and don't have anyone waiting in the wings to pick up the PR slack; it's a tough sell for fans already wondering what a team is doing there in the first place.

All is said and done until the summer for Kovalchuk, but at the same time-- could this be as big as the trade deadline gets for people?? The big names seem to be moving out early and it could be a lot of role players being shuffled at the deadline-- not the sexy thing you like to see or deal with. In any case, now Kovalchuk is a Devil and we have to wonder how much offense he'll be able to produce for a team that many have questioned in terms of scoring prowess. The East just got more interesting.

"Ilya Rental-chuk" or "How Much Will You Give Up??"

If you're on Twitter (like me) then you know that the whole thing exploded when RDS and then TSN came out with the story about Ilya Kovalchuk meeting with Don Waddell and basically being told he was going to get dealt. There are many teams apparently interested, but let's not kid each other; who wouldn't be?? Yet, the serious contenders seem to be around the five team clip.

Even with those five teams in, the question now becomes will the team who ultimately deals for him be in the position to actually give up what the report is asking for in terms of the price of Kovalchuk??

Rumors came out saying that the Thrashers were asking the Kings to give up Jonathan Quick, Wayne Simmonds, Jack Johnson or Oscar Moller, and prospects, which would include Brayden Schenn. If that's not giving up a lot for a guy who will play maybe 20 regular season games for you, I have no idea what is. Even if Kovalchuk did re-sign with the Kings, that's still way too much to give up; especially Quick, who has been stellar for the Kings this season and solidified his number one spot for the club. Had Dean Lombardi pulled the trigger, he could have been run out of town by people who don't even live in his town and Waddell would have more years of job security.

Even so, there's teams out there who are willing to pay the price. Craig Custance of the Sporting News says that the Thrashers are in a playoff chase and will ask for what they believe will be fair market value for giving up a player like Kovalchuk and not hurt their rank in the standings. While that's a valid point, I don't know how many teams would be willing to give up the farm just to get someone like Kovalchuk. Sure, the guy has incredible skills, but are you going to risk the chemistry of a team and the bodies on the team for a guy who won't be staying for more than six months?? That's the question GMs are going to be asking themselves as they ponder what to do.

Yet, the wheels are finally starting to get into motion after months of jockeying for position between the Kovalchuk camp and the Thrashers and finally-- something will get done here; probably before the week is up. Now, it's just a matter of who, what for, and then the questioning of whether or not it was too much and whether or not Kovalchuk will re-sign in the end with his new team.

The Snag Could Be a Red-Flag

With the news coming out about Ilya Kovalchuk's contract negotiations with the Atlanta Thrashers hitting a snag; this could be the end of the Kovy era in the ATL. Granted, there's plenty of time before Kovalchuk hits the open market, but the idea of a snag is something that could cause panic for the Thrashers' die-hard. All five-dozen of them.

While Kovalchuk is saying a lot of the right things about wanting to stay and liking the organization he's with, but says that the business is what it is-- which basically puts the heat on GM Don Waddell to get something done. Now, Waddell's excuse is that the Kovalchuk camp wants fixed-years with money, but the organization is thinking differently. I don't know how you can get different from what the Kovy camp wants, but it'll be interesting to see what's going on in the organizational standpoint side of things when all is said and done.

Of course, this will be the smoking gun to maybe deal Kovalchuk towards to deadline in order for the Thrashers to get some kind of assets for it; especially if they aren't going to sign a long-term extension for the undeniable face of the franchise. To that end, it may sign the beginning of the end of the Thrashers in Atlanta. Sure, this old gag again-- but with the declining attendance despite a decent team, craziness in the ownership ranks, and plenty of markets looking to get a team relocated to their city....the lack of signing Kovalchuk could be the nail in the coffin.

Yet, what could be garnered by Kovalchuck?? I'm sure with the talent he has, the Thrashers could command a lot, but would they want to part with Kovalchuk even with the influx of talent they could get?? Especially with them fighting for a playoff spot, why would you want to even think about getting rid of your star?? You have to believe that the thought will be there. The options of getting into the playoffs or getting assets for the future will weight heavy, but the former will outweigh it.....I hope. Plus, the Thrashers could look to deal their captain at the Draft or before it hits July 1st, 2010.

Albeit, the snag could just be semantics in the grand scheme of things, but at the same time-- you can't ignore it being a big deal. Especially with a player the caliber of Kovalchuk and him possibly being on the market-- the intrigue is going to be there, even if it's a red herring to get the news onto the Thrashers and get their star's name out there in the media....more so. This is going to be one of the stories under the microscope, even with all of the posturing that has been going along with these contract talks. Fun times ahead, for sure.