i expect a jagr signing now.

Kovy retires. WTF! So, Lou signs him to a cap circumventing deal for 15 years, costs the Devs a first rounder next summer and now, after free agency is over, Kovy gets homesick and decides to retire? Boy, did Kovy just "F" the Devs over. they forefeited a first rounder to sign him and now he takes off on them and didn't even have the decency to do it before free agency started. Wow...
- Jethro09

I hear what you're saying but at least as per a statement from Lou stated on TSN that he's had conversations with Ilya for the past year bout him thinking about retiring from the league.

I hear what you're saying but at least as per a statement from Lou stated on TSN that he's had conversations with Ilya for the past year bout him thinking about retiring from the league.
- Killer' Carlson

Damage control.

Damage control.
- PeteM

Perhaps or it could be the truth. He could've came to this thought while playing during the lockout and started talking to Lou

I don't get the bailey bashing. He is so young. Has tools to be great. He plays hard along the boards and if anything he doesn't shoot enough.

Behind Tavares he is the current isles toward with most upside. Then until of course strome joins the team.

I don't get the bailey bashing. He is so young. Has tools to be great. He plays hard along the boards and if anything he doesn't shoot enough.

Behind Tavares he is the current isles toward with most upside. Then until of course strome joins the team.
- Spartiarti

nope

I hear what you're saying but at least as per a statement from Lou stated on TSN that he's had conversations with Ilya for the past year bout him thinking about retiring from the league.
- Killer' Carlson

If he wanted to go to Russia and the KHL, that's fine (Although I don't know if he'll be able to play in the KHL, since that league 'supposedly' is honoring NHL contracts). But he should have had the decency to pull this BEFORE free agency started so Lou could have addressed his departure at the draft or in free agency. It was totally selfish of him to wait till July 11 to officially announce his retirement.

Lots of cap space and knowing Lou they will probably make a deal for Malkin and it will somehow(?!?!) only cost them a 1st rounder.

Kovy really did F them over, though.
- Mancalledsting

James Mirtle ‏@mirtle 10m So Kovalchuk's cap benefit recapture will mean a $250,000 cap charge to the Devils until 2024-25. Not that bad at all.

Perhaps or it could be the truth. He could've came to this thought while playing during the lockout and started talking to Lou
- Killer' Carlson

Possible, but I find it a little hard to believe that Lou being the great GM that he is couldn't at least convince Kovalchuk to make his decision while the Devils could still do something to replace him. I'm sure he would have approached free agency very differently if he had known as little as a couple of weeks ago that Kovy wasn't coming back.

If he wanted to go to Russia and the KHL, that's fine (Although I don't know if he'll be able to play in the KHL, since that league 'supposedly' is honoring NHL contracts). But he should have had the decency to pull this BEFORE free agency started so Lou could have addressed his departure at the draft or in free agency. It was totally selfish of him to wait till July 11 to officially announce his retirement.
- Jethro09

Larry Brooks ‏@NYP_Brooksie 3m

Source tells Post that NHL will not attempt to prevent Kovalchuk from playing in KHL. NHL return would have to be approved by every team.

I don't get the bailey bashing. He is so young. Has tools to be great. He plays hard along the boards and if anything he doesn't shoot enough.

Behind Tavares he is the current isles toward with most upside. Then until of course strome joins the team.
- Spartiarti

I think Strome has the most upside for forwards...Reinhart for defenseman...

i expect a jagr signing now.
- slapshot018

He won't sign on with that sinking ship

I don't get the bailey bashing. He is so young. Has tools to be great. He plays hard along the boards and if anything he doesn't shoot enough.

Behind Tavares he is the current isles toward with most upside. Then until of course strome joins the team.
- Spartiarti

agreed, I don't get it either?

nope
- Killer' Carlson

Who? Maybe Hamonic?

If he wanted to go to Russia and the KHL, that's fine (Although I don't know if he'll be able to play in the KHL, since that league 'supposedly' is honoring NHL contracts). But he should have had the decency to pull this BEFORE free agency started so Lou could have addressed his departure at the draft or in free agency. It was totally selfish of him to wait till July 11 to officially announce his retirement.
- Jethro09

By the sounds of it, they're going to mutually terminate the contract, which I did not think would even be possible under the cba. This opens the door for anyone interested in playing in the KHL to just bail from their NHL contract and go.

He won't sign on with that sinking ship
- Cptmjl

I find the clowe and elias signings to be even worse without kovalchuk. Ugly ugly offense and now two aging declining players on the books for 5 more years are going to have to supply a big chunk of their offense.

If he wanted to go to Russia and the KHL, that's fine (Although I don't know if he'll be able to play in the KHL, since that league 'supposedly' is honoring NHL contracts). But he should have had the decency to pull this BEFORE free agency started so Lou could have addressed his departure at the draft or in free agency. It was totally selfish of him to wait till July 11 to officially announce his retirement.
- Jethro09

The guy is an absolute POS. This is why teams stay away from Russians. There is a reason it's not some conspiracy. Guy signs a contract like that, Devils forfeit their first rnd pick bcs of that contract. He goes to the Finals the year before and then high tails it? Facking a$$hole. Absolute POS.

By the sounds of it, they're going to mutually terminate the contract, which I did not think would even be possible under the cba. This opens the door for anyone interested in playing in the KHL to just bail from their NHL contract and go.
- Isles_since_6

No team is going to draft Russians anymore. These guys want to play in the KHL or their head cases. It's a no win no matter how you slice it. Bunch of nutty primadonnas.

I think Strome has the most upside for forwards...Reinhart for defenseman...
- kear20

He did say till Strome starts.

I find the clowe and elias signings to be even worse without kovalchuk. Ugly ugly offense and now two aging declining players on the books for 5 more years are going to have to supply a big chunk of their offense.
- Isles_since_6

Yeah, I agree. It's almost like a prehistoric offense with a few mediocre younger players. The Devils always surprise the crap out of everyone but I don't think that will happen this year and even though they will probably be a lottery team they gave up that pick for that pos. That's the real kick in the nuts. Unreal

Larry Brooks ‏@NYP_Brooksie 3m

Source tells Post that NHL will not attempt to prevent Kovalchuk from playing in KHL. NHL return would have to be approved by every team.
- kear20

....and I wouldn't approve it unless he was going to play for my team, for $1 a year....which means he's out....

James Mirtle ‏@mirtle 10m So Kovalchuk's cap benefit recapture will mean a $250,000 cap charge to the Devils until 2024-25. Not that bad at all.
- kear20

Yeah, except that Marty Brodeur better start practicing that slapshot from his own crease....it's going to be a big part of their power play.

....and I wouldn't approve it unless he was going to play for my team, for $1 a year....which means he's out....
- dcb1

You'll never see him again which is a good thing. These guys have no pride, just pieces of garbage with zero back bone.

By the sounds of it, they're going to mutually terminate the contract, which I did not think would even be possible under the cba. This opens the door for anyone interested in playing in the KHL to just bail from their NHL contract and go.
- Isles_since_6

The key though is mutually terminate. If the team doesn't agree then it would seem the player wouldn't be able to play. As long as the KHL abides by the agreement that is. They did with Viznovski.

The key though is mutually terminate. If the team doesn't agree then it would seem the player wouldn't be able to play. As long as the KHL abides by the agreement that is. They did with Viznovski.
- PeteM

this is the thing that makes no sense. He's hurt their organization in a very big way with this, why agree to terminate the deal? I'd say, sure, go retire, but you're not making any money anywhere else. Suspend him if he tries to go play and push the KHL to honor the agreement. Why let him walk to make 15 mil per? If it's financial difficulties, why the clowe and elias signings? Makes zero sense why Jersey set him free especially losing parise the year before and a 1st coming up this year. What a gong show. For once, it's not the Isles and I am very thankful for that.