The Russian rabble rowser is at it again. Alexander The GR8 is bumping his gums. This guy loves the sound of his own voice, doesn't he?
This time, his pro-NHLPA words are bellowing from Moscow to Manhattan.
Alexander Rogul, of Sport Express, asked Oveckin his opinion on the NHL owners steadfast refusal to seriously consider one of the three CBA counter-proposals that the NHLPA made to Gary Bettman and the owners' executive committee in Toronto on Thursday.
Ovechkin's take: If he and his 725 NHLPA brothers have to give back substantial (translation: millions) dollars to appease the NHL owners, by way of immediate contract rollbacks, then he and other players will consider staying and playing in the KHL, rather than playing in the NHL.
In other words: if Jacobs, Snider, Leonsis, and the other 27 NHL owners get their way, and they take their razor sharp machete to deals like Ovi's that have already been negotiated and signed off on, then he and his comrades will have a legal right to transfer to the KHL.
Ostensibly, Ovechkin is saying: Go ahead. I dare you owners to chop millions off my remaining deal, and those of my fellow NHLPA members. You renege on my contract. We'll stay and play in the KHL and really stick it to the NHL.
Here's the line of questioning and Ovi's candid answers:
What do you think the players are ready to make concessions?
I do not understand with a fright, we have to agree to reduce the already signed contracts, which the owners themselves, and we were given. And even in this... The same Parise, Webber, Suter. Who are we kidding? It turns themselves. That's why the lockout and on.
Do you think that if much will cut contracts, NHL players will be able to remain purely legal in Russia?
I think it is possible. We have signed some contracts that are now going to be cut.
And, for example, you are mentally prepared to break away and leave the NHL?
I will not give any comments on where I wanted to play. Now I'm in the KHL. Here I was happy with everything: good league, a good team. So I will not say that he wanted to leave right now in the NHL. Again, it will depend on the agreement to be signed between the league and the union. I think that most players do not agree to return to the NHL, if there is a serious cut in contracts.
In 2008-09, Oveckin's present 13 year, $124 million gargantuan contract kicked in. Thus, Ovi has an annual cap hit of $9,538,462.
He's due to be paid $9 million for the next two seasons. His annual salary moves to $10 million per year for the final seven years of the deal.
Take your shoes and socks off and try to calculate the salary reduction that Ovechin will have to concede if the owners get their way. He's owed $87 million on his present contract. Reduce the deal by 10% and he's out $8.7 million, or the equivalent of one year's salary.
Under the NHL owners' "make whole" deal, Ovechkin, et al would receive a balloon 12.3% haircut, effective ASAP. In year three of this proposed deal, the players salary would be reduced to pay himself back for year one contract reduction.
In this model, Ovechkin's contract would be decreased by $9.7-$9.8 million dollars. In one fell swoop, kiss goodbye one year's salary that was already agreed to five years ago.
Now you know why the players are telling the owners to go pound salt.
No wonder he's pissed off. I would be, too.
Ovechkin is speaking from a position of emotion. Thats how he rolls. He's raw, un-edited, and very real. He says whats on his mind, just like Donald Fehr, his NHLPA boss:
"It's pretty hard to treat seriously the notion that the athletes, who are the only people who anybody comes to watch, that they would be greedy in the face of a 24% reduction in their pay last time; billions of dollars went to the owners, not the players; seven years of record revenues that was more than anybody thought. The result of all that success is for the owners to say, 'OK, now we want to renegotiate all the contracts again and we want to lower them.' My message to the fans is: I don't think that characterization hits the facts very well. Hockey players are pretty down-to-earth people. That's why fans like and identify with them. They want to do the right thing. The right thing here happens to be proceeding in a way which is not merely, 'Oh the owners asked for billions of dollars I guess we have to give it to them because who are we? Hockey players.' "
The players will no doubt have to make concessions. Will it be 12.3% all up-front? We have five days for teh NHLPA and NHL owners to arrive at a fair and equitable solution.
My take: I think the two sides will find middle ground. I think that a new CBA will be agreed to and signed off on by Thursday's stated deadline. the season will begin on 11/2/12.
The pieces of a deal are lying before the two sides. now they have to fit the puzzle pieces together.
Thats why, all they have to do now, is keep talking.............
Watch as Ovechkin finishes a stiff body check, then breaks the pane of glass with his melon. Classic. Former Caps head coaches, Boudreau and Hunter, wish that they could've jammed Ovi's head through a pane of rink glass for his reluctance to play "team-first" hockey in the NHL playoffs. See, ots proof that Ovi saves his best play for his Russian club, not the Caps.
Here's Ovi's 5th goal of the season, scored on Saturday 10/20 vs. Atlant.
Who's hotter a hotter junior hockey player right now than the Sabres 2012 first rounder, Mikhail Grigorenko?
Nobody.
10 goals, 13 assists in 11 games this season. +11 to boot. Excellent start to his sophomore season in QCity.
Here's #10 of the season. Transition hockey 101. Turnover to attack, drive the net with speed, stick on the ice, finish. Grigo makes it look easy, hence my nickname for him "Freakarenko"
Grigo has at least one point in each of the Quebec Remparts eleven games this season.
Grigo and his Quebec squad entered Friday night's tilt . at Gilbert Perreault Arena vs. Victoriaville with a 9-1 record. The lost for only the second time all season.
Thats not the only the element of importance that the Remparts will be losing this week.
As I told you in this space earlier this week, Remparts coach and GM, Patrick Roy, is hoping
and praying that the NHL lockout draws to an amicable conclusion on or before the Thursday 10/25 deadline that has been set forth by the NHL.
Here's why:
Roy has three immensely talented European imports who demand a ton of ice time. His problem is that he can only play two of the Euro stars per game, per CHL rules.
Grigorenko, Mikita Kucherov, and Nick Sorensen make up the talented trio.
Grigo is on his eleven game tear right now, but will be sitting in the press box before too long. He and his buddy, Kucherov, will be platooned, if the NHL lockout drags on and on.
The reason: Kucherov (second round pick of Tampa Lightning) hasn't played in a game yet for Quebec as he has been recovering from off-season labrum surgery. Kucherov is ready to play, and Roy wants to work him into the starting lineup. In fact, Roy said after the Friday night's loss that Kucherov would be making his Remparts debut on Thursday in Quebec City against Baie-Comeau.
To further complicate matters in Quebec, Roy has another is percolating with his Danish/Swede import Nick Sorensen, who is in his NHL draft year.
Roy is committed to playing Sorensen in an effort to help develop the kid's already impressive game, and to improve and maximize his draft position. Some NHL scouts have Sorensen pegged for late first round, early second round.
Three imports. Only two can play. Who sits?
Kathleen Lavoie of LaPresse has been monitoring the situation. It looks like when the ice chips settle, Grigorenko will be the odd man out. Doesn't seem plausible, does it?
Who can your sniper be press box passenger?
Lavoie writes (translated from French to English by Good Translator)
The hockey man most eager to see the lockout set in the NHL may be Patrick Roy. As the conflict continues, the boss of Ramparts must, by his own admission, manage the "predicament" of her three Europeans. However, he is confident that the resumption of the Buffalo Sabres make a verdict in the case of fast Grigorenko, for which the training camp will be crucial. Russian, however, could also be subject to a trial period of up to nine games before being returned to his junior team.
"It's not bad that the answer I got from Buffalo to date. If the lockout rule quickly is the best scenario ... Because it will not come back right away. And during that time, Nikita and Nick will play at least. The worst case scenario is to live in uncertainty and having one all the time in the stands. That's bad, "admitted Roy. Meanwhile, this is a work of psychologist who expects to maintain peace in the dressing room. "I'll have a job to do. I'll have to talk with the guys and try to keep them as happy as possible. "
Roy has already established their use. Swedish Sorensen, who must be seen scouts, will play all the games, while the Russians Grigorenko and Kucherov will alternate. "I think Nikita and Grigo will understand the situation Nick ..."
Roy is doubling down on the conclusion of the NHL lockout as a solution to his Euro imports issue. When the owners unchain the doors, presumably this Thursday or Friday, NHL training camps will open. For Grigo, that would mean an invite to a nine game NHL tryout, just like the one that Tyler Myers successfully parlayed into his roster spot with the Sabres. The onus would be on Grigo to make the Sabres roster out of the nine game tryout. Frankly, I think he'd pass the yest with flying colors.
By all accounts, Grigorenko appears to be NHL ready. His hand-eye coordination is stupid. His skating is smooth and powerful. His back check is disciplined. His two areas of weakness right now are faceoffs and physicality. He'ss get to work with Kevyn Adams on the faceoff proficiency. He'll have to commit to banging the body and being targeted by NHL opponents. That will come with each passing practice, shift, and NHL game.
Grigo will get his obligatory nine game NHL tryout in Buffalo once the NHL lockout ends in the next week.
At least that's what Roy is praying for right now.Otherwise, Grigo and Kucherov will be platooned while Sorensen gets the steady ice time. To complicate matters more, Grigo's linemate Anthony Duclair, who has missed the past 11 games with an ankle injury, will be , healthy and will return to the Quebec lineup in early November.
Patrick Roy needs the NHL lockout to end this week.
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