#1-he will stay in russia. its tax free and he makes a lot of $$
#2-if he comes back, get what you can for him and trade him away. the assets will be worth more than a 34 year old who wanted out the 1st time. he wants to win now, at his age he wont be interested in a re build.

i thought all 30 teams had to say he can come back

He shouldn't be allowed to come back in my opinion. Or if he does come back his cap hit from the old contract should still count.
- lileapers

While it is certainly reasonable for there to be differing opinions on whether Kovalchuck should be allowed back in the league, the salary cap hit is wrong.

Kovalchuck officially retired legally and that invalidated the original contract going forward. There is zero legit basis for his cap space under a terminated contact to be applied. And since NJ wouldn't be actually paying him that money it would likely have little affect on the team since they are quite far from spending to the cap.

From a Ranger fan perspective I get how'd you like that but it's not happening. Just like I would have liked Wade Redden's salary to have counted when you buried him in the minors.... Funny how that wasn't circumventing the cap...

Even if we get Kovalchuk and Shattenkirk we are not a playoff contender!

I hate admitting it, but that is the fact. We would be a bubble team at best; don't get me wrong, we would be worlds better but not a contender. Reason being that our conference is still worlds ahead of us. Kovalchuck and Shattenkirk wouldn't let us leapfrog over Pittsburgh, Washington, or even Columbus. So I do think that it is to early right now for us to be taking on older (albeit talented) players.

In addition, as a fan, I still do not like how Kovalchuck disowned the Devils mid contract. You can argue it was better for the team in the long term but he still left us high and dry the year we were being penalized for signing him. I say sign and trade is really the only option I would be in favor of. Letting us get young pieces to offset what we lost for signing him is the best option for long term success in my opinion.

http://www.tsn.ca/the-iss...ntial-nhl-return-1.732604

Kovalchuk isn't making the devils contenders. Trade him and get what you can for him.
- drummer829

Kovalchuk isnt making anyone a contender

I think you're slightly overvaluing what you'd get for him, unless the Devils are prepared to allow teams speak with his agent and basically let him decide where he wants to go.

Nobody is giving you a defenseman and a high pick to acquire his rights and run the risk of him saying "sorry, that's not where I want to play" and staying in Russia.
- eichiefs9

They can't trade his rights, he has to be signed.

Kovalchuk isnt making anyone a contender
- Fakepartofme

Amazing

i thought all 30 teams had to say he can come back

He shouldn't be allowed to come back in my opinion. Or if he does come back his cap hit from the old contract should still count.
- lileapers

Why don't you just take back our 1st round pick while your at it to top it off

i thought all 30 teams had to say he can come back

He shouldn't be allowed to come back in my opinion. Or if he does come back his cap hit from the old contract should still count.
- lileapers

Why should his old cap hit still count? That would just be punishing the Devils after he already left them in a lurch by leaving in the first place. That makes no sense at all.

They can't trade his rights, he has to be signed.
- shvingter88

Yeah I didn't have that handy-dandy TSN article explaining the scenario when I posted earlier. I still don't think the Devils will get a huge haul for him, because even though it'd have to be a sign-and-trade he's still basically going to pick where he wants to go and that doesn't exactly give the Devils much leverage in a deal.

I guess they could always reject a trade offer and tell Kovalchuk to get lost and stay in Russia if they wanted, but it seems unnecessarily spiteful, especially considering that they are a bad team that would benefit from even a small return. In that scenario they would just be cutting off their nose to spite their face.

Yeah I didn't have that handy-dandy TSN article explaining the scenario when I posted earlier. I still don't think the Devils will get a huge haul for him, because even though it'd have to be a sign-and-trade he's still basically going to pick where he wants to go and that doesn't exactly give the Devils much leverage in a deal.

I guess they could always reject a trade offer and tell Kovalchuk to get lost and stay in Russia if they wanted, but it seems unnecessarily spiteful, especially considering that they are a bad team that would benefit from even a small return. In that scenario they would just be cutting off their nose to spite their face.
- eichiefs9

That handy dandy article is information that has been known for some time

I think they could get a decent haul for him. Though not close to what it took to get hall.

Yeah I didn't have that handy-dandy TSN article explaining the scenario when I posted earlier. I still don't think the Devils will get a huge haul for him, because even though it'd have to be a sign-and-trade he's still basically going to pick where he wants to go and that doesn't exactly give the Devils much leverage in a deal.

I guess they could always reject a trade offer and tell Kovalchuk to get lost and stay in Russia if they wanted, but it seems unnecessarily spiteful, especially considering that they are a bad team that would benefit from even a small return. In that scenario they would just be cutting off their nose to spite their face.
- eichiefs9

Its not like he'll only play for two teams, he doesn't have the leverage for that. And he also doesn't really have the leverage to ask for a ton of money either.

What happened to the clause where Kovy would need to sit out of professional hockey for one full year before his return to the NHL?

It was also noted that to for go the 1 year absence he needed approval from all the NHL teams just to return to the Devils.

Anyone else remember this?

Its not like he'll only play for two teams, he doesn't have the leverage for that. And he also doesn't really have the leverage to ask for a ton of money either.
- rmdevil313

It's Kovy. Assuming he wants to go elsewhere it'll be a drama.

It's Kovy. Assuming he wants to go elsewhere it'll be a drama.
- Queenie_5_hole

But we hold all the power for a year. If he only wants to play in LA we can just not sign him an he has to play in the KHL.

This is funny to see so many people angry. ( yes the first year it happened I was to) But this is only a win win for us unless we want to tank for next year. Kovalchuk is still a good if not great player. maybe im the only one but hell yeah I want him back on the team.
were we this mad when Jagr wanted to come back to the NHL? I don't think he left in the middle of a contract to be fair but I cant remember either or looked it up yet.

It'll be nice next year to have Kovy, Patrick and shat

But we hold all the power for a year. If he only wants to play in LA we can just not sign him an he has to play in the KHL.
- rmdevil313

Yes, but that accomplishes nothing for the Devils and if Kovy sits out a year he can then sign with anyone. It is in the Devil's best interest to sign him. If he'll play in NJ it's pretty straight forward . If he wants to play elsewhere you need to work out a trade. Doing either is more beneficial then passing.

This is funny to see so many people angry. ( yes the first year it happened I was to) But this is only a win win for us unless we want to tank for next year. Kovalchuk is still a good if not great player. maybe im the only one but hell yeah I want him back on the team.
were we this mad when Jagr wanted to come back to the NHL? I don't think he left in the middle of a contract to be fair but I cant remember either or looked it up yet.
- Bragg18

Jagr left as a free agent and nobody here was mad because he left the Rangers.

He probably has a deal worked out with Uncle Lou for letting him go in the first place. What Lou wants, Lou gets.. lol.

In all seriousness though, the league shouldn't even be letting this guy come back. That's my two bits.

Yes, but that accomplishes nothing for the Devils and if Kovy sits out a year he can then sign with anyone. It is in the Devil's best interest to sign him. If he'll play in NJ it's pretty straight forward . If he wants to play elsewhere you need to work out a trade. Doing either is more beneficial then passing.
- Queenie_5_hole

Unless Kovy is being a Richard about it then we say screw you. We never were expecting anything else out of Kovy once he left. If he wants to come back and holds the organization by the balls then our leadership has no spine.

i thought all 30 teams had to say he can come back

He shouldn't be allowed to come back in my opinion. Or if he does come back his cap hit from the old contract should still count.
- lileapers

If New Jersey allows him to negotiate a contract with another team, all that will need to occur is him signing with the Devils for the contract that he would have with a different team, than the Devils trading him to that team. The most I see the Devils getting a second round pick. If I were them i would take that pick rather than having them.

If New Jersey allows him to negotiate a contract with another team, all that will need to occur is him signing with the Devils for the contract that he would have with a different team, than the Devils trading him to that team. The most I see the Devils getting a second round pick. If I were them i would take that pick rather than having them.
- TheUltimateJet

They could get way more than a second for a top 6 forward

What happened to the clause where Kovy would need to sit out of professional hockey for one full year before his return to the NHL?

It was also noted that to for go the 1 year absence he needed approval from all the NHL teams just to return to the Devils.

Anyone else remember this?
- Shadyron

Anti-poaching clause if he wanted to leave his khl contract prematurely.

So a player that skips out on a contract & creates havoc in doing so, wants back in?

Does he have the same agent?

Have to think any GM interested would be a very brave soul that is very secure in his job?? Can't see a GM throwing anything substantial the Devils way to sign him unless Kovy surrenders his passport, mother & left testicle!!