You can't prevent someone from retiring though. If they want to retire they can at any point.
- Cheeseballin

I agree, however retiring shouldn't mean "making double the cash tax free in another league"

Well, lets see...

Should you guys get your pick back? No. Bettman should further go out and say that if Kovalchuk were to come back to the NHL, that either A. he cannot sign with the Devils, or B. the Devils must honor the contract that they just tried to weasel their way out of and the 11 million in cash they "circumvented" by creating a "retirement party" will be penalized from the franchise.

However, a 250k penalty til 2025 isnt so bad considering that the franchise is financially strapped.
- aecliptic

You think the Devils wanted to get rid of Kovy?

completely overlooking Hamilton and Knight...ho hum...
- annoyance_101

Knight has always been a pretty marginal player. Hamilton, that remains to be seen.

I didn't think the Devils would allow him to get out of that contract. The agreement between the NHL and KHL is that they honor each others contracts, which is why Visnovsky had to come back to the Isles last year. If they'd just suspended him and kept the contract then he shouldn't have been able to play there. The fact they're going to terminate it and let their best player, who cost them parise and a 1st round pick as a penalty for the contract, walk to Russia to make more money and leave a gaping hole in their roster is unbelievable.
- Isles_since_6

It did not cost them Parise, that guy knew they were a sinking ship when he left to play with Suter...he wanted to play on the same team as Suter

Knight has always been a pretty marginal player. Hamilton, that remains to be seen.
- Jeffmt

If he learns how to skate, we're in trouble.

Knight has always been a pretty marginal player. Hamilton, that remains to be seen.
- Jeffmt

Yes and it remains to be seen Seguins full potential also...Ruff is a very good coach when it comes to coaching younger teams...

Also, the Bruins don't even have Seguin anymore, they have Eriksson, so i know it isn't exact but now the Kessel deal is Eriksson, Hamilton, Knight and some how they also got Morrow out of dallas in that deal...so its actually looking better and better for boston as time goes on...I realize they lost Peverley as part of that though, so thats why I said its not exact...but I'd take Morrow over Peverley in the long term...

A handful of their top teams pay their few good players good money. I was reading an article recently about the KHL, and if I remember correctly, there are a couple teams that have a total payroll of 2 million or something like that.
- rmdevil313

Well thats shocking if true lol. Either way if your a Russian superstar you will make more in the KHL.

Ya lets just keep a 6.66m cap hit for a guy not to play.
- bobert836

cap hit wouldn't count as it's not an over 35 contract. Like Visnovsky's cap hit didn't count for the Isles while he was suspended, leading to the trading for Tim Thomas's cap hit, which did count as it was an over 35 contract.

I agree, however retiring shouldn't mean "making double the cash tax free in another league"
- Isles_since_6

The trade off is that he'll never get to live out the "dream" of winning the Stanley Cup, that's the sacrifice he's making. Obviously, Kovalchuk (like many Russians) doesn't really care about that sort of thing.

Kovys Thinking :" Why play 12 seaons in NHL to make 77million. I go to russia, drink vodka, dance around center ice during all star games, and make that 77 million in 5 seasons."

I agree, however retiring shouldn't mean "making double the cash tax free in another league"
- Isles_since_6

I think regardless of the terminology of how this all went down, the KHL would have made an exception to whatever rule was holding them back.

the clowe contract is, for the player he is, just as terrible. Kovalchuk was an elite talent, clowe is a third line winger.
- Isles_since_6

so what does that say about Clarkson's contract then?

You think the Devils wanted to get rid of Kovy?
- rmdevil313

He is saying that the Devils forced the issue now before the cap recapture became stupid with the 11 million dollar years coming up, and that they couldn't pay the 11 million each year because they are broke. Which, depending on who you believe, either is or isn't the case.

Yes and it remains to be seen Seguins full potential also...Ruff is a very good coach when it comes to coaching younger teams...
- annoyance_101

Stifling skilled youth since day one...

I agree, however retiring shouldn't mean "making double the cash tax free in another league"
- Isles_since_6

That's business for you.

completely overlooking Hamilton and Knight...ho hum...
- annoyance_101

We have enough up and coming defense, we'll greatly take a 24 year old old 40-50 goal scorer instead.

You think the Devils wanted to get rid of Kovy?
- rmdevil313

I can't imagine anyone in the Devils organization (or the players who just signed there as ufa's) would be happy about this. If this happened to the Isles I would have been seriously pissed at Kovy, not happy he was gone.

@NYP_Brooksie now
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.

Every team has to give him to Ok. He's never coming back.

You think the Devils wanted to get rid of Kovy?
- rmdevil313

I think so.

Franchise finances. Knowing that theres no way he will be able to play til hes 44, meaning a rediculous cap penalty for like 4 or 5 years. Plus like you said, they can now lobby for getting the 1st round pick back, which they wont.

Theres a reason why Lou structured Kovys contract with 2 years @ 6 million in cash before the mega-money comes in.

I understand the fans' anger here, and the organization's, to an extent, but if I hear any league guys whining about this I might puke. The NHL has been doing this with Russian players for years. Imagine how Magnitogorsk felt when Malkin hopped on another flight.

The trade off is that he'll never get to live out the "dream" of winning the Stanley Cup, that's the sacrifice he's making. Obviously, Kovalchuk (like many Russians) doesn't really care about that sort of thing.
- Jeffmt

He can buy his own Stanley cup with the money he is making. Hold it up i n his mansion in Russia. Whoohoo

Any team willing to build their team around a Russian after all the BS that has happened in the last 10 years is crazy.

When Datsyuk leaves for the KHL next season, we'll be doing this all over again only with wing fans as the dejected

We have enough up and coming defense, we'll greatly take a 24 year old old 40-50 goal scorer instead.
- Sheppy99

40-50? he hasn't even reached 38 in one season in his career

http://ca.sports.yahoo.co...jVh0i87kacwUvOYYyv8PCfgM6

He is saying that the Devils forced the issue now before the cap recapture became stupid with the 11 million dollar years coming up, and that they couldn't pay the 11 million each year because they are broke. Which, depending on who you believe, either is or isn't the case.
- jbivens13

Isn't the cap recapture just a cap hit penalty, and not an actual fine? By the time Kovy retired there could be a completely new CBA and the recapture thing would be something of the past. I have a hard time imagining this is what the Devils wanted with no first round pick, actually looking decent this season, and the penalty only doubling to 500k.

@NYP_Brooksie now
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.

Every team has to give him to Ok. He's never coming back.
- tomburton99

yep...no way in hell njd allow this...among MANY other teams...this is bad for the entire nhl...not just the devils