Kovalchuk Announces His Retirement

[lamajama]

I'm sorry, but I'm going to skip the sentimentality.

What. An. Arsehole.

You made a big deal out of the money you were making, out of your contract situation, you get one of the longest contracts in the history of ever, and now you just want to go home?

Sorry, you signed the contract. You can't just choose not to play anymore. That's complete crap. It's you're own fault you put yourself into that long-term, binding agreement.

Seriously. What an ass. I get it, he wants to go home to Russia with his family. But at the end of the day, he just doesn't want to be in America, so he's quitting and biting the hand that fed him.

Yes I know it's his right, blah blah blah, doesn't make it any less of a douche move.

Yep - do you think he would have pulled this stunt if he wasn't guaranteed to make bajillions in the KHL? Nope.

 

[Jalili]

Heard that it might be that he's suffering from some lingering health problems... something about a chronic back injury. Could be total BS.

Still completely spineless of him though, either way.

 

[Kin]

I'm sorry, but I'm going to skip the sentimentality.

What. An. Arsehole.

You made a big deal out of the money you were making, out of your contract situation, you get one of the longest contracts in the history of ever, and now you just want to go home?

Sorry, you signed the contract. You can't just choose not to play anymore. That's complete crap. It's you're own fault you put yourself into that long-term, binding agreement.

Seriously. What an ass. I get it, he wants to go home to Russia with his family. But at the end of the day, he just doesn't want to be in America, so he's quitting and biting the hand that fed him.

Yes I know it's his right, blah blah blah, doesn't make it any less of a douche move.

I think the problem most people would have with that opinion isn't that doing this is Kovalchuk's "right" because, frankly, I can't believe that it is(provided he plays in the KHL) but rather that it's debatable whether or not anyone actually comes out behind here. Kovalchuk will probably make more money, the Devils get to walk away from a potentially damaging long-term contract and one that could have had some really nasty recapture penalties down the road, Lou Lamoriello clears a contract that according to many people he never wanted to sign in the first place. Devils fans...I mean I'm sure they're disappointed but if I were one I'd ultimately think the team needed to rebuild and Kovalchuk's fairly untradable contract was probably an impediment to that in the long-term. Obviously the draft pick that the team loses smarts but that's on the team, not Kovalchuk.

Honestly I think that the fault here, if there is one, rests with the NHL. Both with having the lousy sort of paternalistic transfer agreement they have with the Russians where there's no incentive for the Russians to care about NHL player's commitments to their NHL teams(I don't know for certain but I assume that in soccer, where various leagues don't just treat the smaller leagues as development factories, that a Man U player couldn't just "retire" and then sign with Juventus or whoever) and for their insistence on making the new CBA rules on long-term contracts retroactive. Like it or not those rules fundamentally altered the relationship that players like Kovalchuk with their teams. If his plan was to play in NA long enough to make the big money and then retire then, sure, it was sneaky but the previous CBA allowed for it. If he then had to choose because of the new CBA to either leave now or potentially stick the Devils with a ton of dead cap space a few years from now...this was probably the better decision for all involved.

 

[Heroic Shrimp]

I'm sorry, but I'm going to skip the sentimentality.

What. An. Arsehole.

You made a big deal out of the money you were making, out of your contract situation, you get one of the longest contracts in the history of ever, and now you just want to go home?

Sorry, you signed the contract. You can't just choose not to play anymore. That's complete crap. It's you're own fault you put yourself into that long-term, binding agreement.

Seriously. What an ass. I get it, he wants to go home to Russia with his family. But at the end of the day, he just doesn't want to be in America, so he's quitting and biting the hand that fed him.

Yes I know it's his right, blah blah blah, doesn't make it any less of a douche move.

I would agree, but withhold some judgment without knowing for sure how much the Devils might have quietly encouraged him to leave for whatever team financial reasons.

 

[Heroic Shrimp]

Kovalchuk would have been a certain Hall of Famer, but between cutting his NHL career short and possibly/likely snubbing the NHL for the KHL, I think there's pretty much no chance of the HOF for him now.  Not that he likely cares all that much.

 

[Deebo]

The Devils were fine with sending Alex Mogilny to the minor leagues because when it suited them. I'm sure Alex didn't sign with the Devils for 2 years expecting to play 34 games and then getting shipped off to Albany to ride the busses.

 

[Kin]

Kovalchuk would have been a certain Hall of Famer, but between cutting his NHL career short and possibly/likely snubbing the NHL for the KHL, I think there's pretty much no chance of the HOF for him now.  Not that he likely cares all that much.

Probably. It'll be interesting to see how the HHOF looks at the KHL. I mean enough people have made the "It's not the NHL HOF" point before but the KHL is pretty clearly a lesser league so you're probably right in assuming that they won't take it too seriously.

That said Kovalchuk, as you say, has sort of firmly established that he's a HOF calibre player so...I don't know. I think he could make it.

 

[LittleHockeyFan]

I'm sorry, but I'm going to skip the sentimentality.

What. An. Arsehole.

Love you WIGWAL, cut through the crap and straight to the point. 

 

[Deebo]

I'm sorry, but I'm going to skip the sentimentality.

What. An. Arsehole.

You made a big deal out of the money you were making, out of your contract situation, you get one of the longest contracts in the history of ever, and now you just want to go home?

Sorry, you signed the contract. You can't just choose not to play anymore. That's complete crap. It's you're own fault you put yourself into that long-term, binding agreement.

Seriously. What an ass. I get it, he wants to go home to Russia with his family. But at the end of the day, he just doesn't want to be in America, so he's quitting and biting the hand that fed him.

Yes I know it's his right, blah blah blah, doesn't make it any less of a douche move.

I disagree wholeheartedly.

NHL teams are very quick to cut players who don't fit in with their team after signing long term deals. Trade them right before an NTC kicks in, waive them,  buy them out when its whats best for their team. Kovalchuk is just doing what is best for himself.

 

[Zee]

What happens if Kovalchuk decided to make an NHL comeback in 2-3 years?  Is he a free agent?  Does NJ have some say?

 

[Corn Flake]

What happens if Kovalchuk decided to make an NHL comeback in 2-3 years?  Is he a free agent?  Does NJ have some say?

Bill Daly said something last night (paraphrasing) that it's safe to assume NJ will control his NHL rights for the foreseeable future. 

I don't think they have to deal with the cap hit but not sure how it gets categorized.. whether he's suspended for not showing up, an official retirement paper signing means it's off the books unless he comes back or how that part works. 

 

[Corn Flake]

I really don't have a problem with the guy doing this because yeah it's a business and you can walk away whenever you want... but hey, if it was my team losing it's best player I'd be pretty upset with him.

To me it looks the worst on NJ, the owner in particular, who went through all they did to build that contract, got penalized for writing a deal that circumvented the CBA including losing a 1st round pick, etc etc, and now the player they did this for has walked away.

 

[Deebo]

I really don't have a problem with the guy doing this because yeah it's a business and you can walk away whenever you want... but hey, if it was my team losing it's best player I'd be pretty upset with him.

To me it looks the worst on NJ, the owner in particular, who went through all they did to build that contract, got penalized for writing a deal that circumvented the CBA including losing a 1st round pick, etc etc, and now the player they did this for has walked away.

Opting not to give up the pick when it was 29th overall after they made the cup final was another questionable decision. Their 2014 1st rounder will now have to be forfeited, and it could be a high pick.

 

[BrownRolo]

What happens if Kovalchuk decided to make an NHL comeback in 2-3 years?  Is he a free agent?  Does NJ have some say?

Bill Daly said something last night (paraphrasing) that it's safe to assume NJ will control his NHL rights for the foreseeable future. 

I don't think they have to deal with the cap hit but not sure how it gets categorized.. whether he's suspended for not showing up, an official retirement paper signing means it's off the books unless he comes back or how that part works.

The contract between the Devils and Kovalchuk has now been voided so if he decided to come back they would no longer own the rights. I read somewhere that all teams would have to give the okay of allowing Kovalchuk back into the NHL before he could be signed by any team.

 

[Peter D.]

It sounds like this was all set in place since January, but the Devils convinced him to at least play out this year.

Going back to my point on the first page, the Devils' ownership secretly may be thinking that this is the best thing that could have happened to them by getting out under this contract.  Didn't take long either for some Devils fans to suggest that LouLam "masterminded" this whole thing so the organization could do so.

Leaving $77 million over the next 12 years on the table?  Pfft.  Reports suggest he is set to sign a 5-year/$55 million deal in the KHL.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

I'm sorry, but I'm going to skip the sentimentality.

What. An. Arsehole.

You made a big deal out of the money you were making, out of your contract situation, you get one of the longest contracts in the history of ever, and now you just want to go home?

Sorry, you signed the contract. You can't just choose not to play anymore. That's complete crap. It's you're own fault you put yourself into that long-term, binding agreement.

Seriously. What an ass. I get it, he wants to go home to Russia with his family. But at the end of the day, he just doesn't want to be in America, so he's quitting and biting the hand that fed him.

Yes I know it's his right, blah blah blah, doesn't make it any less of a douche move.

I disagree wholeheartedly.

NHL teams are very quick to cut players who don't fit in with their team after signing long term deals. Trade them right before an NTC kicks in, waive them,  buy them out when its whats best for their team. Kovalchuk is just doing what is best for himself.

Yep agreed completely. Even a lot of fans are the same - lots wanted Sundin and Kaberle traded against their wishes to stay.  They were criticized for wanting to stay. Kovalchuk is criticized for wanting to go home.  It's part of the business - you can be traded, waived or you can choose to walk away from it.

 

[Corn Flake]

I really don't have a problem with the guy doing this because yeah it's a business and you can walk away whenever you want... but hey, if it was my team losing it's best player I'd be pretty upset with him.

To me it looks the worst on NJ, the owner in particular, who went through all they did to build that contract, got penalized for writing a deal that circumvented the CBA including losing a 1st round pick, etc etc, and now the player they did this for has walked away.

Opting not to give up the pick when it was 29th overall after they made the cup final was another questionable decision. Their 2014 1st rounder will now have to be forfeited, and it could be a high pick.

Holy. I didn't even realize they kept that pick. I just assumed they let that one go.  Wow.

 

[BrownRolo]

It sounds like this was all set in place since January, but the Devils convinced him to at least play out this year.

Going back to my point on the first page, the Devils' ownership secretly may be thinking that this is the best thing that could have happened to them by getting out under this contract.  Didn't take long either for some Devils fans to suggest that LouLam "masterminded" this whole thing so the organization could do so.

Leaving $77 million over the next 12 years on the table?  Pfft.  Reports suggest he is set to sign a 5-year/$55 million deal in the KHL.

I've heard possibly $20mil a year. Heck Radulov gets $9mil a year over there, so it doesn't sound implausible Kovalchuk could get 20.

 

[Corn Flake]

It sounds like this was all set in place since January, but the Devils convinced him to at least play out this year.

Going back to my point on the first page, the Devils' ownership secretly may be thinking that this is the best thing that could have happened to them by getting out under this contract.  Didn't take long either for some Devils fans to suggest that LouLam "masterminded" this whole thing so the organization could do so.

Leaving $77 million over the next 12 years on the table?  Pfft.  Reports suggest he is set to sign a 5-year/$55 million deal in the KHL.

Well we know that Lou Lam is pretty good at getting rid of problem contracts when he needs to.  Mogilny, for one.

This saves his owner's bacon and probably helps a lot in the sale of the team not to have that giant contract hanging overhead. It was worth more than half the value of the team.. at least!

 

[CarltonTheBear]

I really don't have a problem with the guy doing this because yeah it's a business and you can walk away whenever you want... but hey, if it was my team losing it's best player I'd be pretty upset with him.

To me it looks the worst on NJ, the owner in particular, who went through all they did to build that contract, got penalized for writing a deal that circumvented the CBA including losing a 1st round pick, etc etc, and now the player they did this for has walked away.

Opting not to give up the pick when it was 29th overall after they made the cup final was another questionable decision. Their 2014 1st rounder will now have to be forfeited, and it could be a high pick.

Holy. I didn't even realize they kept that pick. I just assumed they let that one go.  Wow.

I think it was busta who mentioned this earlier, but the rumour at the time was that New Jersey thought they had more time to decide what to do with the pick. The deadline passed and they hadn't told the league anything so they automatically kept it.