Kovalchuk joining Tim Thomas in KHL as part of the all-quitters team.
- feelingkettle

The irony of Tim Thomas in the KHL would be hilarious.

Well, the tax status will probably depend on his citizenship. Pretty sure the tax free thing with KHL contracts has to do with citizenship.
- johndewar

Kovalchuk.... sounds French.

It wouldn't be intimidating, but Portland is the city of roses.
The Portland Roses shall strike fear in the hearts of their rivals
- JAKEw1234

The Portland Treehuggers?

The Portland Whooping Cranes?

Those do anything for you?

Devils just announced a Kovalchuk jersey exchange.

First 2000 Devils fans to return an Ilya Kovalchuk jersey get an Aaron Hernandez jersey.

Well, the tax status will probably depend on his citizenship. Pretty sure the tax free thing with KHL contracts has to do with citizenship.
- johndewar

Pretty sure Kovy is a Russian citizen if that's what you're hinting at...

The irony of Tim Thomas in the KHL would be hilarious.
- johndewar

Thomas may like it there. I'm not sure if you guys have heard but Jesus Christ is big over there

Now you know why Lou was so desperate to re-sign Elias and to get Ryan Clowe even though it cost 5-years @ $4.85M... I wonder if Elias and Clowe knew about Kovi before they signed... if not, they must be pissed now.
- Tomahawk

I wonder if Marty is contemplating an earlier retirement than expected? I wonder if he's consider agreeing to a move?

Devils just announced a Kovalchuk jersey exchange.

First 2000 Devils fans to return an Ilya Kovalchuk jersey get an Aaron Hernandez jersey.
- PLindbergh31

The irony of Tim Thomas in the KHL would be hilarious.
- johndewar

It would also be ironic if the Devs ended up picking first overall this year.

True true, but I hate that it's harder to make the playoffs in the east than the west.
- JAKEw1234

Swings and roundabouts, though. The flipside of that is travel; of the 30 teams last season, the 13 with the least mileage traveled were all from the East. The only East teams with mileage greater than any Western Conference teams were the Florida Panthers (20) and Winnipeg Jets (23). With the new alignment, it's going to be even more pronounced in our division, where the average distance between teams is 222 miles. The average distance in every other division ranges from 500+ to 800+. (and the Floricanadian Division would have been much lower as well if not for the constant Montreal to Miami trips.)

It would also be ironic if the Devs ended up picking first overall this year.
- feelingkettle

Its not a far fetched idea, but know how the Devils work, they will end up making the playoffs.

It would also be ironic if the Devs ended up picking first overall this year.
- feelingkettle

I'm not sure if that's irony. Just coincidence.

Pretty sure Kovy is a Russian citizen if that's what you're hinting at...
- JAKEw1234

I'm pretty sure Russian citizens get taxed in Russia.

- five4fighting10

It is interesting that the NHL channel has not seen fit to break away from their broadcast of a game that occurred 2 years ago for this amazing turn of events.

It would also be ironic if the Devs ended up picking first overall this year.
- feelingkettle

What even happens to that pick? Is the draft just going to be one pick shorter this year?

That's why I'm puzzled when people state that they don't want Weber because of his contract. Not that I think it's going to happen. But the only thing that would stop me is the asset cost in acquiring him. The contract wouldn't stop me.
- MJL

Weber's contract isn't too bad if you only lose picks. If you have to give up a top 6 F or two and a top 4 dman, that contract is a boat anchor b/c you need cap space to replace said top 6 F(s) and top 4 dman.

I'm not sure if that's irony. Just coincidence.
- PhillySportsGuy

I'm pretty sure it would be ironic if they were dead last (in part because he retired) and didn't have a pick because of the Kovalchuk deal.

It is interesting that the NHL channel has not seen fit to break away from their broadcast of a game that occurred 2 years ago for this amazing turn of events.

- MBFlyerfan

They probably have no one handy to break away to.

You can't throw it to a news anchor who might not even be on site.

What even happens to that pick? Is the draft just going to be one pick shorter this year?
- BulliesPhan87

Maybe they auction it off eBay style and the Flyers can buy it.

Naw, you're right with the one pick shorter.

It is interesting that the NHL channel has not seen fit to break away from their broadcast of a game that occurred 2 years ago for this amazing turn of events.

- MBFlyerfan

NHL Network does not have an active news gathering or reporting operation in the offseason. Sunday was the last day of NHL on the fly until September.

Weber's contract isn't too bad if you only lose picks. If you have to give up a top 6 F or two and a top 4 dman, that contract is a boat anchor b/c you need cap space to replace said top 6 F(s) and top 4 dman.
- phillydentist

I agree with mjl. Contract is fine. Mostly worried about what we'd have to give up to acquire weber.

Regardless of their correlation to team performance, faceoffs had a significant effect on the way Giroux was deployed last year.
- Benway

Do we know for sure that it was strictly about faceoffs and not because Lavi preferred the defensive matchup?

Also, I don't remember Konopka, Gaustad, or Steckel having been on waivers or in the AHL in recent years.
- Benway

Konopka and Steckel have been regular healthy scratches over the past couple of years. Konopka was waived and sent down right after signing w/ the Lightning -- he hasn't been able to stick with a team for more than a year since.

Also, part of my point is that Laughton could have more to gain long term from spending a year being counted on as a leader and offensive threat in the OHL than he would playing less than 10:00 minutes a night on the Flyers 4th line. Why not have Hall take those minutes at a lower cap hit than Laughton's ELC? It's not like he has dominated to the point where he has nothing left to learn by staying in Juniors the way Couturier did. Why not wait until next season when he is theoritically more developed to start and thus maximize the value of his ELC?
- Benway

I don't disagree with you about not rushing Laughton, but the Flyers have historically wanted their 1st-rounders in the lineup asap, and indications seem strong that they're planning to give him every shot to make the team.

Even if he didn't, they already had Holmstrom and Newbury under contract.

Kind of beating this thing to death, but IMO Gagne helps the team in many more ways than Hall does. They could be mutually exclusive due to contract limits, so that's the reason why I was questioning the Hall signing.

NHL Network does not have an active news gathering or reporting operation in the offseason. Sunday was the last day of NHL on the fly until September.
- bodiva88

Wow......

The Portland Treehuggers?

The Portland Whooping Cranes?

Those do anything for you?
- johndewar

Team names are hard to think of. Isn't Bruin a native american term for bear? And Canuck means Whale? There's gotta be some badass native american vocab word to use so they don't use some tacky overused name like the "rockets" or the "warriors"

“@Eklund: Very good to hear this is just a personal/cultural decision by Kovalchuk family. I wish him well. Ilya was always nothing but classy to me”

Ilya was always nothing but classy to me

Ilya was always nothing but classy to me

Ilya was always nothing but classy to me

Ilya was always nothing but classy to me