A few people have stated that teams won't give up a lot for a 34 year old Kovy. I disagree. Why? Because it happens every year at the trade deadline where teams give up quality future assets (players and/or picks) for older established players. There are several teams that are close to being Stanley Cup teams but are just missing that one piece...several teams will look at Kovy as that missing piece. Some teams miss out at the trade deadline and will therefore jump at the chance of getting him before the season starts.
- Ocean24

At the trade deadline you are trading for a player who: A) has a pro-rated cap hit for the rest of the season and B) is almost definitely on an expiring contract. These two things have value to a team, which is why they pay a premium for them.

Kovalchuk is going to be on, at least, a two year deal and whoever acquires him will be charged with the full amount of his cap hit for the duration. Figure in his age, the presence of a NMC (there will be one) and his risk of leaving the NHL again (no you can't build something into a contract that prevents this) and his value is diminished.

The Devils aren't getting a haul in return for him, but the good news is that it's essentially found-money. They'll get something(s) of value for sure, but if you think you're getting a top prospect and a first round pick you're only setting yourself up for disappointment.

Very true. And maybe vice versa?
- jersey1414

I can't see him becoming more valuable. If he was 30, absolutely.

While that would be amazing, it is prone to change if these teams find cheaper sources of offense in the mean time. Here's hoping though
- willschulme

The only option in free agency is a 31 year old Oshie and 36 year old Williams. Don't see his value dropping lower.

Hall-Patrick-kovy sounds better
- shvingter88

Doesn't matter if we go with Hischier or Patrick, I wouldn't them anywhere near the top to start things off. But I would definitely want Niederreiter over Kovy just cause he would work better with our timeline

There seems to be an overlying assumption that NJ is trading a 34-year-old so that means they'll get a roster player back for him.

That is not how it works, and I challenge anyone to a trade that agrees to that convention.

They're trading a "first line" winger who is "34 years old" on x salary.

They trade for a guy with reasonable potential to end up on the first line but isn't there yet (or a first round pick).

"But nobody's going to pay that for a 2 year first liner"...

You are correct. Therefore, other pieces have to be moved in order to accommodate the deal.

NJ will also trade a young roster player with limited potential to the team and get an older player in return who will mitigate the salary impact of the deal.

So either you get Kovy for a 1st round pick and a salary dump, or Kovy + roster asset for blue chip asset + salary dump (older player past his prime with one or two years left on his deal that nobody else will touch, even Vegas).

Whoever would trade Kovy for a fringed 2nd liner doesn't realize that there are plenty of fringed 2nd liners to be had which don't require moving a first line winger (no matter his age), therefore no enticement to the deal.

You trade a rare crop, you get a rare crop... age and salary is what you structure the rest of the trade around.

Let him stay in the KHL before trading to the ISLES or RANGERS.

Devils hopefully will not trade him to any divisional team .

Let him go out west.
He wants to be in the NY/NJ area.
Well here you go. PLay for NJ or go out west or stay in RUSSIA.

We all ready signed him to play here for 10 years and he left. So he gets what he gets.
I would take KOVI back at 3 yrs -5.5 million .

no no-movement clause. Then if he gets hurt or bolts again we are not responsible for his cap. ( Players signing long term 35 and up teams are responsible for entire cap the full length of the deal ) that is why KOVI wants back now.

I can't see him becoming more valuable. If he was 30, absolutely.
- willschulme

Well, expansion plays into this too. If a team loses a key player and they miss out on UFAs, then perhaps he does become a tad more valuable.

I'd rather have Nash
- mrn22

Keeping Nash certainly makes more sense then trading for Kovy but if you're picking between the two for free it doesn't.

Seriously though what would anyone from the devils want off the Rangers in a deal for kovy ? They are a team who's window is shutting faster then they can move their hands out of the way and have literally nothing coming up that excites me in the least bit to part ways with Kovy to our biggest rivals its going to cost you just to make the damn phone call if I was Ray.Keep Nash and the other bunch of core players who could never get it done and continue to die a slow painful death. Leave us Devils alone we will get a nice return from a team in a warm place where we won't have to see kovy. One thing I can tell you right now a young third line player or very late pick does not interest me at all and then factor in that its likely the best offer the Rangers can give without (frank)ing their team up any worse. I would just need to much for the conversation to even happen.

Let him stay in the KHL before trading to the ISLES or RANGERS.

Devils hopefully will not trade him to any divisional team .

Let him go out west.
He wants to be in the NY/NJ area.
Well here you go. PLay for NJ or go out west or stay in RUSSIA.

We all ready signed him to play here for 10 years and he left. So he gets what he gets.
I would take KOVI back at 3 yrs -5.5 million .

no no-movement clause. Then if he gets hurt or bolts again we are not responsible for his cap. ( Players signing long term 35 and up teams are responsible for entire cap the full length of the deal ) that is why KOVI wants back now.
- thechezman

Well, I mean if he doesn't want to play anywhere else.....

The only way I trade in division is if it is all that is left and there is no other options. If I where to trade within the division I would call Carolina first. They have cap, assets are on the up and are in what I would assume is a desirable destination considered it has been rumoured he would consider florida or Sj why not Carolina ? They perhaps don't want a 34 year old player but I firmly believe you are getting an elite player here and I would argue with Todd that Kovy comes back and his more productive then Hall ( now Ill have to see but it wouldn't shock me at all as he has way more talent then Hall imo )

The only option in free agency is a 31 year old Oshie and 36 year old Williams. Don't see his value dropping lower.
- rmdevil313

I was thinking via trade

Rumor is he might want to come back. Seems to be limited to a very short list of teams. Don't discount Rangers if that's the team he wants to go to. First of all the notion that Rangers and Devils don't trade goes back to when the rivalry existed and Lou was GM. Not many teams trade in their division. Not to poke fun at Devils, but does anyone see them having a chance at the cup? They're rebuilding and if getting a couple picks for a guy they have no need for is return, they take it, even if it is Rangers. Kovulchuk won't be around in a couple years when Devils are competitive again. As for Rangers, I think it's a no brained. Yes we have guys that can score, but not a pure goal scorer! Look at 3-39 Pp in playoffs. That's reason enough. Cap shouldn't be a problem since I'm betting they use Stepan in a deal for a dman. Ntc kicks in July 1st and no way they're paying him 6.5 for a few more years. Another team with more space will take him for sure. As far as Buchnevich, having Kovulchuk around would actually help his development

Is it confirmed that kovy is conning back this year? I know it's May but this is a ridiculous amount of talk on this topic
- jackzack87

can you fuck off please? you're not funny and no one cares

can you fuck off please? you're not funny and no one cares
- arothman

Someone cares

Rumor is he might want to come back. Seems to be limited to a very short list of teams. Don't discount Rangers if that's the team he wants to go to. First of all the notion that Rangers and Devils don't trade goes back to when the rivalry existed and Lou was GM. Not many teams trade in their division. Not to poke fun at Devils, but does anyone see them having a chance at the cup? They're rebuilding and if getting a couple picks for a guy they have no need for is return, they take it, even if it is Rangers. Kovulchuk won't be around in a couple years when Devils are competitive again. As for Rangers, I think it's a no brained. Yes we have guys that can score, but not a pure goal scorer! Look at 3-39 Pp in playoffs. That's reason enough. Cap shouldn't be a problem since I'm betting they use Stepan in a deal for a dman. Ntc kicks in July 1st and no way they're paying him 6.5 for a few more years. Another team with more space will take him for sure. As far as Buchnevich, having Kovulchuk around would actually help his development
- junaka3

The last trade between the Devils and Rangers was in 1979 when the team was still in Colorado - about 8 years BL (Before Lou). They haven't traded with the Rangers since moving to New Jersey. Because it's based on the rivalry not the GM's personality. Shero could do it but most GM try to avoid trading within the same division. And why accommodate a guy you owe nothing to and deliver him to your biggest rivals. At that point let him sit out the year or go to the KHL unless the return is significant.

The last trade between the Devils and Rangers was in 1979 when the team was still in Colorado - about 8 years BL (Before Lou). They haven't traded with the Rangers since moving to New Jersey. Because it's based on the rivalry not the GM's personality. Shero could do it but most GM try to avoid trading within the same division. And why accommodate a guy you owe nothing to and deliver him to your biggest rivals. At that point let him sit out the year or go to the KHL unless the return is significant.
- Queenie_5_hole

youre accomodating yourselves. If the guy has no intentions playing for you, you're not getting anything. Period. If Rangers where the team he wants to go to, Sheri would be an idiot not to look and see what he can get.

While my first reaction is (frank) the Rangers, it could work if we took Nash back to clear the cap space fir them. But at that point they'd have to offer a heck of a lot in assets (assuredly draft picks) that it would be crazy....
- Queenie_5_hole

Man...just speaking as a Rangers fan, there is just no way on Earth that I would take Kovalchuk over Nash. Nash is a two-way freak of nature when he's on, and even when he's not, he's still a very solid hockey player. It's just his salary that is the problem. We have no idea what Kovalchuk will bring if/when he returns.

Man...just speaking as a Rangers fan, there is just no way on Earth that I would take Kovalchuk over Nash. Nash is a two-way freak of nature when he's on, and even when he's not, he's still a very solid hockey player. It's just his salary that is the problem. We have no idea what Kovalchuk will bring if/when he returns.
- starshower776

1st of all, not sure Nash will have anything to do with us getting Kovulchuk. 2nd, look at Khl highlights. Maybe it's not NHL, but it's still second best league. Look at Kovulchuk in recent international tournaments. Playing against Canada. USA. Sweden. These are NHL allstar teams. The man can still play.

Man...just speaking as a Rangers fan, there is just no way on Earth that I would take Kovalchuk over Nash. Nash is a two-way freak of nature when he's on, and even when he's not, he's still a very solid hockey player. It's just his salary that is the problem. We have no idea what Kovalchuk will bring if/when he returns.
- starshower776

You've never watched kovy

Man...just speaking as a Rangers fan, there is just no way on Earth that I would take Kovalchuk over Nash. Nash is a two-way freak of nature when he's on, and even when he's not, he's still a very solid hockey player. It's just his salary that is the problem. We have no idea what Kovalchuk will bring if/when he returns.
- starshower776

Kovulchuk scoring gwg vs Canada. What was 2 way freak of nature doing here?https://youtu.be/xIZXgvJnrag

Kovulchuk scoring gwg vs Canada. What was 2 way freak of nature doing here?https://youtu.be/xIZXgvJnrag
- junaka3

Nash must have thought it was the Stanley Cup playoffs and he was doing what he does best; watch his team lose.

I mentioned Nash in a Kovy trade because NY was shopping him last offseason and would love to clear his salary. Anyone who thinks Nash is a better player the Kovalchuk doesn't understand math because the numbers are pretty clear.

No way Shero trades him to the Blueskirts. Just isn't happening.

Nash must have thought it was the Stanley Cup playoffs and he was doing what he does best; watch his team lose.

I mentioned Nash in a Kovy trade because NY was shopping him last offseason and would love to clear his salary. Anyone who thinks Nash is a better player the Kovalchuk doesn't understand math because the numbers are pretty clear.

No way Shero trades him to the Blueskirts. Just isn't happening.
- Queenie_5_hole

Never say never. I agree they still might look to move Nash, I just don't see Devils having interest. He only has 1 season left on contract and if Rangers have to retain part of salary and still pay someone else to replace him it might not make sense. As far as Kovulchuk, we'll have to wait till next month. As I stated, it's a long shot. Pretty much has to be Rangers as only option and Devils might trade for a prospect and futures

Never say never. I agree they still might look to move Nash, I just don't see Devils having interest. He only has 1 season left on contract and if Rangers have to retain part of salary and still pay someone else to replace him it might not make sense. As far as Kovulchuk, we'll have to wait till next month. As I stated, it's a long shot. Pretty much has to be Rangers as only option and Devils might trade for a prospect and futures
- junaka3

The Rangers aren't the only team he has been said to be interested in so it doesn't matter. It isn't like anyone has said it's the Rangers or he isn't playing. If I had my run of the mill of choosing which teams had interest in me the Rangers would be low to the bottom on the list of teams able to contend for a Stanley cup. There are a few teams who have a better shot at the cup going forward then the Rangers and even more when you put Kovy on them so I agree the return might not be the best but I seriously doubt he lands in New York as a Ranger, but I do believe he plays in the NHL this upcoming season 100%.

The Rangers aren't the only team he has been said to be interested in so it doesn't matter. It isn't like anyone has said it's the Rangers or he isn't playing. If I had my run of the mill of choosing which teams had interest in me the Rangers would be low to the bottom on the list of teams able to contend for a Stanley cup. There are a few teams who have a better shot at the cup going forward then the Rangers and even more when you put Kovy on them so I agree the return might not be the best but I seriously doubt he lands in New York as a Ranger, but I do believe he plays in the NHL this upcoming season 100%.
- blizzzard

You can keep taking cheap shots at Rangers all you want, but the fact is Rangers are looking to contend every year. The Rumor was he wants to either play in NYC or Florida. So yes, that narrows it down. Honestly, I think a panthers have best chance.