Kgbeast 195 Report post Posted June 29, 2017 Noise in Russian hockey press suggesting that Kovalchuck will start 2017-2018 season in NHL. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
IPv6Freely 2092 Report post Posted June 29, 2017 This has been news for a month or more. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kgbeast 195 Report post Posted June 30, 2017 Very well. I missed that until now... better yet(for me) one of the likely new homes for him is Columbus. Looks like Kovy was "getting familiar" with the area, whatever that means. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flip12 714 Report post Posted June 30, 2017 He had good chemistry with Panarin at SKA. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
clarkiestooth 235 Report post Posted July 1, 2017 This would have been exciting if we could summons a 2005 Kovi. 2017 Kovi is just a guy who was a healthy scratch for SKA. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kgbeast 195 Report post Posted July 1, 2017 Not sure about healthy scratch. He has 87 points in 17-18 season, second in KHL. Still a sniper and a dangler. Pretty fast and pretty furious. CBJ could use his size and experience. That said, it makes sense for him to sit out in KHL for one more year. In 2018, we will be an unrestricted free agent with no ties to Devils. He will be able to go with anyone who sign him, without any hoops to jump through. Another huge thing for Kovalchuck is to go and play in Winter Olympics which is his last chance. Plus since NHL will not be there in any capacity, it will take a miracle on ice for Russia not to take gold. I think Kovy will be really looking at that. Next year, at 35, with his experience and level of play, he can have a very good run in the right team, so he can bag a Stanley as well. If it was me, I would have gone to Olympics, then next year take a low contract from an NHL team that has good chance at the cup. Lots of changes in NHL this year, so it is pretty difficult to see who is what. This is another reason to wait. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flip12 714 Report post Posted July 2, 2017 (edited) 14 hours ago, clarkiestooth said: This would have been exciting if we could summons a 2005 Kovi. 2017 Kovi is just a guy who was a healthy scratch for SKA. Yeah, KGB is right, you were thinking of 2016 Kovy, who was apparently missing Panarin pretty hard. 2017 Kovy was pretty beast again (with strong support from Datsyuk and Voynov). He's still only 34! This could give him the chance to be the second Russian to get 500 NHL goals. And I think he wants to win a Stanley Cup. His chance with the Devils was pretty dim with his injury limiting him and they didn't have so much offense aside from what he could produce when he was healthy. Edited July 2, 2017 by flip12 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
clarkiestooth 235 Report post Posted July 2, 2017 6 hours ago, flip12 said: Yeah, KGB is right, you were thinking of 2016 Kovy, who was apparently missing Panarin pretty hard. 2017 Kovy was pretty beast again (with strong support from Datsyuk and Voynov). He's still only 34! This could give him the chance to be the second Russian to get 500 NHL goals. And I think he wants to win a Stanley Cup. His chance with the Devils was pretty dim with his injury limiting him and they didn't have so much offense aside from what he could produce when he was healthy. Yeah, you have a point. But the KHL is a long, long way from the NHL. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flip12 714 Report post Posted July 2, 2017 4 hours ago, clarkiestooth said: Yeah, you have a point. But the KHL is a long, long way from the NHL. Totally agree. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
215BroadStBullies610 435 Report post Posted July 5, 2017 I feel that NJ should move him for something than lose him next year, getting nothing. Ilya can still play in the NHL. Maybe not at the same clip we witnessed during his time in ATL/NJ, but he is still a legitimate scoring threat. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chippa13 1844 Report post Posted July 5, 2017 He has said thru his agent that he will be spending the upcoming season in the KHL. If it is true that NJ loses all rights to him in Summer 2018 then what can they possibly get for him? The answer is not much since any team would just be dealing for the exclusive bargaining rights between the end of the KHL season and July 1. There is no big return that NJ can expect. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kgbeast 195 Report post Posted July 5, 2017 Good call on his behalf. As far if he is the same or not, hard to say, but he is still a powerhouse, very fast, sniper and a one of the best danglers, and can drop gloves with the best of them. If he comes back next year, he should be able to put together a nice highlight reel. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
215BroadStBullies610 435 Report post Posted July 6, 2017 7 hours ago, chippa13 said: He has said thru his agent that he will be spending the upcoming season in the KHL. If it is true that NJ loses all rights to him in Summer 2018 then what can they possibly get for him? The answer is not much since any team would just be dealing for the exclusive bargaining rights between the end of the KHL season and July 1. There is no big return that NJ can expect. No doubt. The reality though: a return > no return. I still don't see why NJ didn't do anything (assuming that it is too late to do anything this off-season). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chippa13 1844 Report post Posted July 6, 2017 My guess is that any interested teams contacted Kovalchuk's agent and once they learned he wasn't coming back this season they figured there was no point to pursue it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
215BroadStBullies610 435 Report post Posted July 6, 2017 That would make sense then. Oh well. One should expect him to be playing in the NHL in 2018-19. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
