no top prospects and get over kovey leaving. too bad they have to forfeit 1st rd pick...should be top 5 pick next year

sorry but this is rather funny, a Minnesota wild fan telling me about circumventing the cap. didn't they do the exact same thing with the parise and sutter contracts last summer. lets see long term, front loaded deals playing guys league minimum at the back end of the contract, boy i'm seem to remember this not being allowed once before?
- devfan30

Got those contracts in just under the wire before the CBA expired, then Minny's ownership cries poverty.

what i seem to think people forget is it is just not that easy to say i offer you this and sign. you need something to attract UFA's. with kovy gone and brodeur on his way out what is that attraction?
- hauger14

As far as this summer, a lot of people have reported Brunner is coming to NJ, it's not official but it seems like it's happening. I've also heard a few rumors of Mason Raymond.

I figure the best case scenario as far as the next few years is that with the team we have next year we perform well enough that we can attract a decent UFA next summer, I'm not expecting to get Kessel or anything like that. The Devils are going to go back to what's worked for them: an offense with no real star power, but 4 lines deep of players who play well together, backed by solid goaltending (if we can lock up Corey long term I think we have that set) and solid D (already isn't terrible, but we have several very good D prospects, I think in 5 years our D will be very very solid).

Why don't you wait till the end of the season before you make that assumption. Also this is the 3rd time you have came in here and said the exact same thing. Can't you think of anything else to say maybe as to why you need prospects to win NHL games or maybe why Price is any better then Schneider? or how about how badly the Canadiens over achieved last season.

He would require unanimous approval to come back from all the owners/gm's, that simply is never going to happen. He is done with the NHL permanently.

NHLPA says

EDIT: But I do love the idea.
- Panthers88

I can't believe the PA is in favor of this. Nullifying his big contract is a hit for them.

And people need to remember they were penalized for the first contract that didn't go through. This current one had years taken off the back and money added. The original 17 yr deal is the one they were penalized for cap circumvention. There are others that are certainly questionable. But the original Kovy deal took it to a ridiculous level.

sorry but this is rather funny, a Minnesota wild fan telling me about circumventing the cap. didn't they do the exact same thing with the parise and sutter contracts last summer. lets see long term, front loaded deals playing guys league minimum at the back end of the contract, boy i'm seem to remember this not being allowed once before?
- devfan30

Really? Last time I checked Leopolds offer was for 12 years $98 million $24 million of that being signing bonus money.

Pardon me for being the one to point out the differences in what you're trying to argue, but wasn't New Jersey's contract offer for 17 years, $102 million???? Don't get me wrong, 12 years is nothing to sneeze at either, but still 5 less years. Whether you feel it's fair or not, Wild conducted their business within league rules and therefore were not reprimanded by the league.

Biggest news of the day........twinkies are back on store shelves

byfuglian is happy
- dmarsden2988

I hope Byfuglian is in the olympics(Thinks he's american not sure though) and he crushes Kovy. A nice hit where they are both moving at full speed would be wonderful.

He would require unanimous approval to come back from all the owners/gm's, that simply is never going to happen. He is done with the NHL permanently.
- zerokarma

Only the first year

Sorry, but the Devils tried to sell their souls to make that deal and the onus is completely on them for trying to circumvent the cap rules to do so. That's on them.
- MnGump

Go look at Hossa's deal and tell me Kovy's contract is that much worse. Hossa is better then so many players that have a higher cap hit then him its ridiculous.

They are two completely different things I agree with that. Kovalchuk leaving should not mean we get the first back. Would I like if we did of course but they aren't the same thing we didn't lose the pick because we got to keep Kovalchuk we lost it because we "circumvented" the cap. The thing I disagree with is all the other teams who had done it didn't lose a damn thing and we get slapped with a 3 million dollar fine and have to give up a 3rd and 1st round pick. It pisses me off the a team who also "circumvented" the cap just won the cup. Why are the Devils the only team to get punished. Lu's contract is so damn bad it cant be given away and Vancouver didn't have to give up any money or picks. Complete BS.
- blizzzard

I'm not saying it was fair, but as far as I know the Devils are the only team to offer up a contract in excess of 17 years in order to pay a player over $100 million dollars.

Whatever, I'm not villifying New Jersey, I'm villifying Kovalchuk. I'm just tired of these selfish self centered Russian players that don't give a poop about their teams, the league or the fans, who funny enough pay their outlandish salaries.

Time to take the Kovy picture down from the blog... can't stand looking @ that guy!!!

Not a fan of Kovalchuk, but appreciate his talent. That said, he should be banned from returning as a result of it.

Go look at Hossa's deal and tell me Kovy's contract is that much worse. Hossa is better then so many players that have a higher cap hit then him its ridiculous.
- NickA

Listen, I'm not passing judgement on New Jersey, They tried to do something that would allow them to sign a player to a very large and very long term deal. The league looked at it and didn't think it was within the rules and deemed it a strategic and blatent attempt to work out side of and avoid the rules.

I don't think any of these long term deals are good for the fans or the league and that includes Parise's and Suter's deals. I loved the fact the Wild signed both, but was not at all a fan of the size of their contracts. NOt at all.

Listen, I'm not passing judgement on New Jersey, They tried to do something that would allow them to sign a player to a very large and very long term deal. The league looked at it and didn't think it was within the rules and deemed it a strategic and blatent attempt to work out side of and avoid the rules.

I don't think any of these long term deals are good for the fans or the league and that includes Parise's and Suter's deals. I loved the fact the Wild signed both, but was not at all a fan of the size of their contracts. NOt at all.
- MnGump

And it's bullpoop because if you look at all the others they are just as bad. So we signed the best of the bullpoop deals? We get screwed while chicago has gone on to become the premier franchise...I don't care other teams signed guys at all just care and thinks its bullpoop for the league to punish one franchise for using a loop hole they created and all other teams abused. Honestly the fine is one thing but a pick? REALLY? The only thing i deem unfair. Fining is one thing but i don't see how stealing a draft pick is in any way right.

- jimmc7722

And it's bullpoop because if you look at all the others they are just as bad. So we signed the best of the bullpoop deals? We get screwed while chicago has gone on to become the premier franchise...I don't care other teams signed guys at all just care and thinks its bullpoop for the league to punish one franchise for using a loop hole they created and all other teams abused. Honestly the fine is one thing but a pick? REALLY? The only thing i deem unfair. Fining is one thing but i don't see how stealing a draft pick is in any way right.
- NickA

Some of the penalties the CHL has handed out the last few years has been crazy so I guess we can say we are lucky

I have no idea how people could have this opinion?
- Cptmjl

I approve this message

And it's bullpoop because if you look at all the others they are just as bad. So we signed the best of the bullpoop deals? We get screwed while chicago has gone on to become the premier franchise...I don't care other teams signed guys at all just care and thinks its bullpoop for the league to punish one franchise for using a loop hole they created and all other teams abused. Honestly the fine is one thing but a pick? REALLY? The only thing i deem unfair. Fining is one thing but i don't see how stealing a draft pick is in any way right.
- NickA

I guess I don't know why the leauge came down so hard on NJ, but I have to agree with you that a fine and a first round pick seems a bit excessive, especially being all the league ended up doing was forcing them to remove 2 years off the original deal. League could have just as easily said no to the deal in the first place. But as it was, they approved it, then nullified it and after the fact dealt out the punishment. Bettman's an A hole.

Fans of other teams trying to sell this as some Devils' conspiracy are you joking me? It's a conspiracy to get Kovalchuk to come back here at age 34 when he has already wanted to go home once? We had a very good team on paper this season that this traitor just left. We had the kinds of complementary prospects that would have supported a franchise player in Kovalchuk and a soon-to-be #1 d-man in Larsson. There's no way the Devils did this purposely. They may somehow benefit long-term from it, but purposely? And with the thought that he will return to them at age 34? Yeah sure.

Didn't the Devils also lose a third round pick years back as part of the penalty?

Didn't the Devils also lose a third round pick years back as part of the penalty?
- BarryB1124

Probably...(frank) us though right?

Thank you to the Minny fan at least we can agree on one thing bettman is indeed an bumhole.

Didn't the Devils also lose a third round pick years back as part of the penalty?
- BarryB1124

yup 2011

1. NJ loses their best player
2. They have no 1st rd pick in a year in which said player left leaving possibly in a position to get the #1 overall pick.

If this is planned it's horrible.