Rumor: Ilya Kovalchuk will be signing a 2-3 year deal with NYR

[Pavel Buchnevich]

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

If everything else stays the same? Yes, a bit. If he can stabilize the room and bring some fire out there I'm all for it, he doesn't even have to score 30.

All I'm looking for from this team next year is further development of young players, a competent system and some semblance of passion from the team as a whole.

If that leads to a playoff berth so be it, but no one should be surprised (or upset) if/when it doesn't. This is a process, not a 1 year reboot.

We still suck defensively, we'll have a full season without McDonagh, Miller, Nash, etc, and I'm not sold that Hank plays like a Vezina caliber goalie yet again next season.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I like him in 26 personally

And he’d have to make Vesey change his number in that case which is a plus

Maybe the number will be unoccupied by the draft.

 

[Ghost of jas]

We still suck defensively, we'll have a full season without McDonagh, Miller, Nash, etc, and I'm not sold that Hank plays like a Vezina caliber goalie yet again next season.

Bingo...and they’ll have to adjust to a new coach, and then there’s injuries which this team doesn’t have the depth to withstand.

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

Oh, btw, two days into the offseason and we’ve;

Fired AV
“Allegedly” signed Kovalchuk

Buckle up buckaroos, finna be a wild ride these next few months

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

We still suck defensively, we'll have a full season without McDonagh, Miller, Nash, etc, and I'm not sold that Hank plays like a Vezina caliber goalie yet again next season.

I doubt Hank plays as well as he did this season either, but we'll also have a new system that isn't stupid and I'd bet on improvement by the likes of Buchnevich, Kreider, Hayes, Zibanejad, etc.

If IK does indeed end up coming here, we're going to have 2 lethal PP units and the PK was very strong this season. There has been a lot said about how Hank kept this team from being a bottom feeder (which is true) but special teams played a large role in that as well.

I'm saying this before they win the lottery though. We get the true Great 8 and we're goin sizzler.

 

[NYR713]

Give me Kovy and Tavares and TBL win the cup. Chytil, Andersson, 3 firsts 2018, 2 firsts 2019 and the guys that stick from the current squad. Competing immediately with a stockpile of assets to develop to keep improving. When all these ELC's need raises in 3 years, Staal, Hank, Kovy and Shatty are all gone to make space while JT continues to lead the new wave.

Make it happen

 

[Ola]

Carp says it's not true as the two sides can't even talk right now and kovy can't sign until july 1st

That said, I could see rumors on the Russian side of things that Kovy wants to sign with the Rangers and that's being assumed to "will sign with the Rangers for *this deal*". Wouldn't be surpirsed if there's mutual interest, even Brooks was pushing it, though who knows if he had info or just spinning his own opinions.

We were granted permission to talk with Kova last summer. Was that permission limited in time?

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

Not a fan. This reeks of a Sather-era signing. Thought Gorton would know better.

 

[hi]

If this leads to Igor, Gusev and Rykov joining the Rangers in the near future then sign Kovy for 2 years and give him a front office job or something after

 

[BenedictGomez]

Not a fan. This reeks of a Sather-era signing. Thought Gorton would know better.

You're crazy, I'm loving it!

 

[JayMan82]

Not a fan. This reeks of a Sather-era signing. Thought Gorton would know better.

I think it's more to that than just signing Kovy. There are deep ties with our prospects (including Buch) and other possible pieces where having him here would influence things positively for the Rangers. If we have cap space to burn anyways, why not?

 

[iamitter]

Cool with it as a two year deal. Could even come in very handy in the case of an expansion draft.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Not a fan. This reeks of a Sather-era signing. Thought Gorton would know better.

Yeah its a Sather era signing, just 8 years and 80 million dollars short.

 

[haveandare]

Oh, btw, two days into the offseason and we’ve;

Fired AV
“Allegedly” signed Kovalchuk

Buckle up buckaroos, finna be a wild ride these next few months

Good! As painful as this season has been, it sucks it's already over because it's so long until next season starts. How do fans of perpetually crappy teams do this long offseason every year?

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

Good! As painful as this season has been, it sucks it's already over because it's so long until next season starts. How do fans of perpetually crappy teams do this long offseason every year?

Just watch baseball

 

[haveandare]

Just watch baseball

No offense if you like baseball, but the list of things I'd rather do than regularly watch baseball is a mile long. Too slow for me. Way too much time where nothing of any consequence is happening.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

No offense if you like baseball, but the list of things I'd rather do than regularly watch baseball is a mile long. Too slow for me. Way too much time where nothing of any consequence is happening.

Go on a Connor McGregor coke binge.

Baseball will seem much faster then.

 

[haveandare]

Go on a Connor McGregor coke binge.

Baseball will seem much faster then.

Yeah the only time it was bearable was during college when we were drinking way too much. Baseball is okay as something on in the background while you slowly get toasted - not great as something to just sit and watch for me.

 

[McRanger]

You're crazy, I'm loving it!

Are you going to change your name to BenedictKovie?

 

[DanielBrassard]

If this is accurate, I am totally on board with the signing. 2 year deal is perfect.

 

[ThirdEye]

I'll cry tears of joy if Gusev ends up here, but aren't his rights owned by Vegas?

 

[ThirdEye]

I think in this case fans and management probably have varying definitions as to what a "rebuild" is. To the NYR, acquiring the two extra firsts and additional picks and prospects might be the entire rebuild right there. They're probably banking on the players we get with these picks eventually turning this team into a contender, hopefully sooner than later. This in addition to the promising young players we already have in Andersson and Chytil.

I just can't see the Rangers wasting away another year in the hopes that they get another top 10 pick and then again hoping that the player they pick with that pick is going to be a game changer. Even with Hank getting up there in age there is very little chance we will have a legit shot at Hughes.

 

[Fitzy]

I don't think this is somehow going to put us in the running to bring over Shipachyov, Gusev, or Voynov, tbh. One is, of course, inclined to wonder what kind of level players those guys would be in the NHL right now, however. Based on what I saw of Gusev in the olympics he looked like he could be a real star.

Kovalchuk as a NY Ranger is just something that always seemed destined to happen.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

I think in this case fans and management probably have varying definitions as to what a "rebuild" is. To the NYR, acquiring the two extra firsts and additional picks and prospects might be the entire rebuild right there. They're probably banking on the players we get with these picks eventually turning this team into a contender, hopefully sooner than later. This in addition to the promising young players we already have in Andersson and Chytil.

I just can't see the Rangers wasting away another year in the hopes that they get another top 10 pick and then again hoping that the player they pick with that pick is going to be a game changer. Even with Hank getting up there in age there is very little chance we will have a legit shot at Hughes.

I doubt it.

Regardless, Kovalchuk doesn't signal "REBUILD OFF" anyway.