Your 2010 UFA/RFA/TRADE Rumor Chart Update
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A source confirmed this to me this evening saying, ""If Kovalchuk is to Sign in Russia, it likely happens today."
You know the adage..if you want to avoid bad press from the US Media, do something after 5pm on a Friday. It is amazing how many players are traded, GM's and coaches fired, or general controversial decisions are announced between 5 and 8 pm ET on a Friday. The thinking is a bit antiquated, but in the summer especially, it is good to let a story fade over the course of a weekend. On Saturday and Sunday, the newscasts are shorter, the paper is smaller, and the Web traffic is far less.
We will see.
I for one don't believe he has any desire to go to Russia.
Also, people need to sort of mellow out on the Kovalchuk roller coaster.
Know this...the main teams who are interested, The Kings, The Devils, The Islanders, The Rangers and the KHL, are going to be "interested" until someone locks him up. Even teams with interest in shorter term deals (Philly, Detroit, St. Louis, Ottawa, Toronto, and Anaheim) are watching this closely. So this hour by hour stuff on Twitter is fun, and there are definite clues, but it needs to be understood how this all works..
Everyday we hear reports of "someone is now out of it" or "back in it." I myself am reporting this. But in actuality, what we are hearing the fringe noise of this story. Teams walking away, getting back in... are happening all the time. They just decide what they want us to hear and when... teams and agents pick their spots and strategically release information...Leaks can be right or wrong, but they are rarely without purpose. Always try and seek out the agendas behind the leaks...
But for now, the ride continues...
My hunch remains he will be a Devil, but the longer this goes...the more I start to suspect a short term deal with one of the wildcard teams could happen. Or Kovalchuk signs short term in Russia...but my gut is, he is too much of a competitor to sign in Russia.
I could see Kovalchuk going somewhere in the NHL and adding the one missing piece to his resume. Winning.
more in a bit...
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