reporting job?
- Niatnouf

Good point.

Also, (frank) off Ladd.

This is not what the Zubov article says.

he has to not play any professional hockey for a year before he could come back to the NHL without going through the approval of every team.
- Aetherial

The Zubov article seems to be consistent with 1. and 2.

They don't mention the exemption apparently found further in the same By-Laws.

Best course of action here Ek is to put up a new blog asap!

Save what is left of your credib...oh who am I kidding...

I CAN'T START TO SAY ALL THE THINGS I WOULD SAY TO THIS GUY IF HE SET ONE SKATE IN NJ!! I KNOW ITS A BUSINESS AND MONEY RULES BUT THE WAY HE KILLED THIS TEAM IS UNREAL!!I WOULD BUY A TICKET JUST TO BOO HIS SORRY ASS

"Eligible for the playoffs" and "Sign with the Leafs" is an oxymoron.
- FuzE_gus

And be traded the same day to Montreal. Markov chain probability of zero.

I CAN'T START TO SAY ALL THE THINGS I WOULD SAY TO THIS GUY IF HE SET ONE SKATE IN NJ!! I KNOW ITS A BUSINESS AND MONEY RULES BUT THE WAY HE KILLED THIS TEAM IS UNREAL!!I WOULD BUY A TICKET JUST TO BOO HIS SORRY ASS
- ZYWGOLDEN.10

That'll learn him.

reporting job?
- Niatnouf

Yeah, I think he meant to say " this is not very believable fabrication"

I don't believe one bit of this junk. Kovalchuk is not returning to the Devils.

No. He won't be joining the Leafs. Why in the living frig would the Leafs bother with him?

Not so far fetched,Russian value economy tanking
- Landsbergfan

Not really for a hockey player

Thought I read somewhere that if the Devils activate him from retirement, the contract he signed goes back into place. If that is true there is zero chance he returns to the Devils until he is 35 and that would be as a free agent.
- smellmyfinger

So, The Devils re-activate him and trade him to TO ..... they can take on the bad contract.....

then in the summer, TO trades him .... retaining salary just to make the cap floor

its just crazy enough to work

Thought I read somewhere that if the Devils activate him from retirement, the contract he signed goes back into place. If that is true there is zero chance he returns to the Devils until he is 35 and that would be as a free agent.
- smellmyfinger

that would be my gut feeling - that his old contract comes into place. I don't think the idea is to punish a player/team if a player retires and than changes his mind. To me, what is fair is if he wants to comes back, let him, but he finishes out his old contract.

problem with a lot of the speculation of how he can come is that its based on NHL By-Laws that supposedly date back to circa 2009. They may have completely changed since then and are not public.

Buff to Philly

Eklund: Source: Kovalchuk Headed Back to Devils or Leafs...Soon. Ladd... Buzz@1
- Eklund

So he is desperate to sign before the trade deadline to be eligible to play in this year's playoffs... but he wants to sign with the Leafs.

Logic will break your heart 100% of the time.

So he is desperate to sign before the trade deadline to be eligible to play in this year's playoffs... but he wants to sign with the Leafs.

Logic will break your heart 100% of the time.
- Mashadar

sometimes a little deep breath before hitting send does wonders.

No. He won't be joining the Leafs. Why in the living frig would the Leafs bother with him?
- weirdoh

I don't think he will come to the Leafs either, however I wouldn't rule it out. Lou's blueprint for a successful team is 1/3 veterans, 1/3 players in prime and 1/3 rookies. Clearly the Leafs can't follow the Oilers model of draft picks only.......they need some leaders and "names" to take the next step.........so I do not see a team full of 20-22 year olds in the future, there will be a mix. Is Kovalchuk part of that mix.....don't think so but there will be someone. Who knows maybe Kovalchuk peaks the interest of a Stamkos!!?

Kovalchuk can't just walk back into the NHL. He would need unanimous approval from 30 NHL teams. Plus if the timing is to sign now so he's still eligable for the playoffs why is he rumoured to be going to 2 non playoff teams? Seriously Ekland.

Ek totally clueless again. Teams aren't going to sign off on his return.

Slow day on the rumour front, eh Ek?

Gotta pay the bills somehow.

StainedKos and Tavares going to LOU to

No. He won't be joining the Leafs. Why in the living frig would the Leafs bother with him?
- weirdoh

Because Lou gave him that contract when he was in NJ , typical Ek always making these bogus first degree associations to justify player destinations and where they will end up.

Because Lou gave him that contract when he was in NJ , typical Ek always making these bogus first degree associations to justify player destinations and where they will end up.
- Alexzanki

his best best friend is playing there, he grew up there, rooted for them at one point, dad was stationed there when he was in the service...

Leafs could sign him as they are in last place and get the first shot at him.
The Leafs can then trade him wherever they want.

Kovy will fit right in with the Laffs...he's Kessel fat.

Sooooo....

I decided to check the CBA for playoff eligibility. Discovered something pretty funny.

They drew up the new CBA in such haste, they didn't bother to proofread it.

They obviously took the previous one and updated it, but they did a lousy job.

Here's what it says about playoff eligibility (keep in mind this document was signed in 2013):

16.2 Playoff Games. The NHLPA has consented to granting the League, either in the 2005-06 NHL Season, or, alternatively, in the 2006-07 NHL Season, the option to institute in any League Year a "Playoff Qualification Round" preliminary to the Playoffs, which will consist of one (1) round involving four (4) Clubs in each Conference, with each series in the round having a maximum of three (3) games, with the winner of each series advancing to the Playoffs. If the League institutes a Playoff Qualification Round in either 2005-06 or 2006-07, the parties agree
to thereafter jointly evaluate and discuss such experience. If the League desires to implement a Playoff Qualification Round with respect to future NHL Season(s), it may only do so with the consent of the NHLPA, which shall not be unreasonably withheld. The Playoffs will consist of four (4) rounds, with each series in each round having a maximum of seven (7) games.

I get why the clause is still in here - NHLPA wants to assert their right to veto an expansion of the playoffs.

But update the franking language!