Thread: Kovalchuk Part VI-The Return of Lombardi?-UPDATE IK A Devil again thread in NHL TALK

Originally Posted by fiveholio

Kovy kind of screwed himself by saying it wasn't about money, so he kind of has to take less. If he doesn't, I guess it was about the money.

He has to take less but it has absolutely nothing to do with his comments about it not being about the money. NJ has the option of offering less or offerring a contract without the years at league minimum which would put them in a very difficult cap position.

Originally Posted by TheAnzer

Could the Devils have been hoping for this? It was rumored Lou never wanted this deal and it was pushed on by mgmt so maybe the Devils can now tell their fanbase that we tried and the league screwed us. Fans will not be mad at the team now.

Exactly. Remember Lamoriello admitted, "We shouldn't have these (contracts).

It seems like he know the contract was too big, so he front-loaded it absurdly forcing the NHL to reject.

Now that Kovi appears to have burned his bridges with LA with statements at the press conference (during which it may already have been known that the contract was going to be rejected), his only option seems to be to accept less money from the Devils, or go to the KHL

Not sure if Lou planned it out this way, but if so, brilliant.

Now if Kovi now signs a new contract with NJ for money comparable to the Kings offer I'm going to be seriously ****ing pissed off.

I can only hope that any money the Devils save with a new contract will be more than offset by some serious salary cap penalty handed down from the league.

There is NO WAY the nhl goes back on any other contract and they shouldnt.

Kings need to offer Kovy something. I dont care if its the same offer or if they change it. He is what we need. Why trade assets when you can get a better player giving away no assets?

Also if Hammond is right about a one year deal shouldnt the kings be all over this? We have the cap this year and it would give us a leg up next year when he would be a UFA AND we would have a better idea of what Doughty and co would want. Then we would know what we could offer Kovy, if anything. But might as well take him for a year if thats where this is headed.

Either way Kings should be all over this again. I don't care if they make a deadline for him to accept by and if not make the trade they are working on. But you spent 3 weeks on Kovy, hes still a UFA now, go for him again!

Tweet of fail:

NHLSourcesSay
The Kovalchuk case leak that was sent to me yesterday is in fact true! Devils/Kovy get contract reinstated.

^ haha thats all kinds of classic

I am just waiting for the Grossman tweet...

Probably will be something like: "working, my client will play in the NHL"

Kovy talk on am570 rt now

Originally Posted by SmytheKing

So, how could you go back and say a contract that was previously ok by you is now against the rules? You couldn't. Not only that, but what makes the Hossa deal ok? At the end of the day, all of those contracts were salary cap circumvention.

New Jersey could make that case, then again they probably did and the arbitrator didn't feel that was the case. Ehh...

Birdman already posted this link, but if you are thinking about the Kings going after Kovy again, please read this;

LA Kings Insider

Originally Posted by lappycomehome

Kovy talk on am570 rt now

Matt Money Smith is a Kings guy. Love Pertos and Money.