Contract Termination: Ilya Kovalchuk

[Tender Rip]

Because your team outbid every other team a year and a half ago accepting the risk that he would not perform to the contract offered. That’s the risk you take.

Wiping it clean might be fair between LA and the NHL, but it wouldn’t be fair to the other 30 teams.

What utter tripe. As if the punishment of carrying that cap-hit was not enough.
Just lucky for LA coffers that Kovy has made enough money for this to be feasible for him. Most other players would have obviously collected the dollars whether playing or not.

 

[TrufleShufle]

Because your team outbid every other team a year and a half ago accepting the risk that he would not perform to the contract offered. That’s the risk you take.

Wiping it clean might be fair between LA and the NHL, but it wouldn’t be fair to the other 30 teams.

The risk was Kovy would want the contract honored. And he could have said, nope, pay me. But he was ok with terminating it. How can two people mutually ending an agreement be punished?

 

[Dirty Dan]

wouldnt mind him on the 4th line, leafs need a good point shot on the PP

 

[unicornpig]

a coaches nightmare. .5 points a game as a top 6 winger is nothing to be proud of for a 6 million dollar guy. He's probably ignoring the coaches system. I will be surprised if any tea is dumb enough to take a shot on Kovy.

yup, he think's he's still in atlanta.

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

The risk was Kovy would want the contract honored. And he could have said, nope, pay me. But he was ok with terminating it. How can two people mutually ending an agreement be punished?

It just sets a bad precedent.

In an era where every team has to weigh their options as far as where they spend money on personnel, you can’t set any sort of expectation that if you outbid 30 other teams on the richest contract that you can wiggle out later on. Good for them for saving the actual cash, but letting them get completely out of it wouldn’t be right.

 

[TrufleShufle]

It just sets a bad precedent.

In an era where every team has to weigh their options as far as where they spend money on personnel, you can’t set any sort of expectation that if you outbid 30 other teams on the richest contract that you can wiggle out later on. Good for them for saving the actual cash, but letting them get completely out of it wouldn’t be right.

There is no expectation. It's how contracts work. If Panarin decided tomorrow he hated hockey and wanted out, and Rangers agreed, they would terminate the contract. The expectation for this was set with the invention of contracts.

If Kovy wanted to fight it, he could have. Kings don't have to play him, but they sure as hell have to pay him. If Kings still wanted Kovy to play, but Kovy was over it, Kovy wouldn't get paid and wouldn't be allowed to play anywhere else.

But again, they both agreed. It doesn't matter that you want the team to be punished. It's not how contracts work.

 

[Filatov2Kovalev2Bonk]

Wouldn't mind him in Ottawa, tbh.
We need more Russians and even admitting he's not a 40-goal guy, he could bring some needed swag to the room.
Plus local media yobs could make some kind of connection to Heatley and so on.

 

[BigKing]

It just sets a bad precedent.

In an era where every team has to weigh their options as far as where they spend money on personnel, you can’t set any sort of expectation that if you outbid 30 other teams on the richest contract that you can wiggle out later on. Good for them for saving the actual cash, but letting them get completely out of it wouldn’t be right.

They aren't completely out of it: his cap hit remains.

The player could have stayed and the Kings would have just payed him the full amount and not played him. Only difference now is that they saved some actual dollars but they are still "penalized" with the cap hit.

They haven't wiggled out of anything. Terminating the Richards contract was wiggling out of something. This is a mutual agreement between team and player.

 

[ziggy7716]

My guess is Boston, Washington or NYI. Maybe St. Louis

 

[Dr Pepper]

Dallas barely has any cap space (LTIR gives 'em just under $5 mil), but a shot in the arm offensively wouldn't hurt.

I get that Kovalchuk wouldn't necessarily be a cure-all, but maybe it'd give the team a much-needed boost seeing as how he'd come in as the leading active scorer on the team - by about 60 goals.

Dallas so far has only managed one more goal scored than the Kings have.....if not for their defense and goaltending the Stars would be right at the bottom of the West alongside LA.

Maybe he'd fit in as a middle-six option.

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

My guess is Boston, Washington or NYI. Maybe St. Louis

Perfect.

 

[ViD]

Would be shocked if the Pens are not after him

 

[ViD]

Wouldn't mind him in Ottawa, tbh.
We need more Russians and even admitting he's not a 40-goal guy, he could bring some needed swag to the room.
Plus local media yobs could make some kind of connection to Heatley and so on.

Is Ottawa a contender ?

 

[Yog S'loth]

The usual Kings poop sandwich would be that Kovy signs with Boston, dresses tonight, and scores a hat trick.

With the winner in overtime.






Short-handed.

 

[Evgeny Oliker]

Kovy could do well in Boston. They have a ton of forwards who play well defensively so Kovy won’t have to.

another option could be Pitt if they want to try him with Malkin.

 

[PuckItUp27]

Kovy playing next to Barzal instead of Ross f***ing Johnston please thanks.

 

[xECK29x]

My guess is Boston, Washington or NYI. Maybe St. Louis

I'd be all in for this

 

[KevinRedkey]

Is Ottawa a contender ?

For Lafreniere, yes.
For the cup in 2020, no.

 

[lorwood]

My guess is Boston, Washington or NYI. Maybe St. Louis

Will take a pass thank you very much.

 

[Henkka]

My guess is Boston, Washington or NYI. Maybe St. Louis

Won't that need waivers after signing him?

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

They aren't completely out of it: his cap hit remains.

The player could have stayed and the Kings would have just payed him the full amount and not played him. Only difference now is that they saved some actual dollars but they are still "penalized" with the cap hit.

They haven't wiggled out of anything. Terminating the Richards contract was wiggling out of something. This is a mutual agreement between team and player.

That is what I am arguing about. I am saying what is going on now is fair and making it so the Kings faced no cap hit upon contract termination wouldn’t be fair.

 

[BigKing]

That is what I am arguing about. I am saying what is going on now is fair and making it so the Kings faced no cap hit upon contract termination wouldn’t be fair.

Did someone say they should have no cap penalties for this? It is an over 35 contract.

 

[kilowatt]

Interesting, didn't know this was legal.
LA should be punished.

Punished how? And why?

Because your team outbid every other team a year and a half ago accepting the risk that he would not perform to the contract offered. That’s the risk you take.

Wiping it clean might be fair between LA and the NHL, but it wouldn’t be fair to the other 30 teams.

Wiping what clean? The Kings are carrying a $6,250,000 cap hit next year for a player not on the roster. As mentioned previously, this probably benefits Kovalchuk more than it does Los Angeles.

 

[Vikke]

Won't that need waivers after signing him?

No, he's already played in the NHL this season.

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

Did someone say they should have no cap penalties for this? It is an over 35 contract.

Yes, that’s where my original comment started. Someone claiming “both parties terminated the contract” so it should be wiped away completely.