Not this again... Devils in financial trouble?

[DevilChuk*]

Just speculating here but...

New owner could mean lots of things. Wanting to cut salary and trade Kovy away, there goes the 15 year instability. Team becomes a tanker for the next 10 years as we collect draft picks. Next CBA includes rollbacks again (owner could be very supportive). New Owner might be a jerk, might not fulfill promises made when Kovy signed originally. Kovy could get bought out, compliance.

I could see what him & momma mean, it's def just as uncertain as if your company was bought out by a new owner. Will you lose your job, relocate, will he be cheap, will he be a jerk, will he fire a bunch of employees or what he sees as deadwood.

Just sayin.

Not only did he have a full NTC clause and could've blocked any trade.. but he also STILL WOULD HAVE RECEIVED ALL HIS MONEY.

You're talking about something that COULD HAVE been 10 years down the line OR something that STILL WOULD HAVE PAID KOVALCHUK HIS MONEY.

Kovalchuk wanted to go make bank in Russia. That's the only ****ing reason he left. If you can't see that, you're blind.

If your owner is selling the company, you don't tear up your CONTRACT.. you force the next ****ing owner to honor it or sue their *****.

 

[Mory Schneideur*]

Not only did he have a full NTC clause and could've blocked any trade.. but he also STILL WOULD HAVE RECEIVED ALL HIS MONEY.

You're talking about something that COULD HAVE been 10 years down the line OR something that STILL WOULD HAVE PAID KOVALCHUK HIS MONEY.

Kovalchuk wanted to go make bank in Russia. That's the only ****ing reason he left. If you can't see that, you're blind.

If your owner is selling the company, you don't tear up your CONTRACT.. you force the next ****ing owner to honor it or sue their *****.

Sure, you can stay and be bitter in a environment that is different from the one when originally took the job with the original owner...

Or you can quit and go to better working conditions closer to home for possibly better pay.

It makes sense, I can see why he did if what momma says is true. Don't see why she would lie & knowing Russian & eastern Euro families, you bet your dupa they are close.

 

[DevilChuk*]

Sure, you can stay and be bitter in a environment that is different from the one when originally took the job with the original owner...

Or you can quit and go to better working conditions closer to home for possibly better pay.

It makes sense, I can see why he did if what momma says is true. Don't see why she would lie & knowing Russian & eastern Euro families, you bet your dupa they are close.

Things you should consider BEFORE you sign a 15 year contract.

And, again, why does Kovy or Momma Kovy have any inside knowledge about the Devils finances again?

 

[Mory Schneideur*]

I guess what I'm saying is: If our highest paid star player literally left partially due to ownership and financial issues, if true, maybe it's a red flag, no?

 

[DevilChuk*]

I guess what I'm saying is: If our highest paid star player literally left partially due to ownership and financial issues, if true, maybe it's a red flag, no?

Sure would be.

It's far from true though. You really think Kovalchuk would give up being a star in the NHL because of ownership issues? When he could have asked the Devils to trade him pretty much anywhere..? Oh please..

 

[DevilChuk*]

I could say that Kovalchuk left because of our ownership problems as well.

That doesn't mean it is true.. not everything in print is necessarily the truth.

 

[Mory Schneideur*]

Sure would be.

It's far from true though. You really think Kovalchuk would give up being a star in the NHL because of ownership issues? When he could have asked the Devils to trade him pretty much anywhere..? Oh please..

Well not strictly just ownership issues, but apparently they played a role. You're right and I agree, but looks like these issues were a big part of his decision according to Momma Kovy. At least that's what I'm getting from the article.

 

[DevilChuk*]

Well not strictly just ownership issues, but apparently they played a role. You're right and I agree, but looks like these issues were a big part of his decision according to Momma Kovy. At least that's what I'm getting from the article.

How the **** do you know that?

Because ONE PERSON said it? who MAY OR MAY NOT have any clue what actually happened? who MAY OR MAY NOT have heard any inside information about it?

Ridiculous to just assume that because one person said so, that it must be true.

 

[Mory Schneideur*]

How the **** do you know that?

Because ONE PERSON said it? who MAY OR MAY NOT have any clue what actually happened? who MAY OR MAY NOT have heard any inside information about it?

Ridiculous to just assume that because one person said so, that it must be true.

I doubt she just made it up. And that one person is his mom, who apparently was the last person to speak with Kovy before he called Lou with his decision according to her.

This isn't TG, or some TSN reporter speculating... It's his mom and from what I've read she's pretty straight to the point when she gives interviews.

Next best thing to hearing it directly from the horses mouth if you ask me. Only piece of legit info we have gotten since the announcement.

 

[DevilChuk*]

I doubt she just made it up. And that one person is his mom, who apparently was the last person to speak with Kovy before he called Lou with his decision according to her.

This isn't TG, or some TSN reporter speculating... It's his mom and from what I've read she's pretty straight to the point when she gives interviews.

Next best thing to hearing it directly from the horses mouth if you ask me. Only piece of legit info we have gotten since the announcement.

People lie. People say **** about **** they don't know. People mishear things. People come to their own conclusions based on speculative knowledge.

To say that you doubt someone would be wrong is ludicrous. Don't be a lawyer because hint: there's pretty much always someone lying on every case.

It's his mom. You don't think she had any reason to try and take some heat off her son? No biases there..?

 

[Mory Schneideur*]

People lie. People say **** about **** they don't know. People mishear things. People come to their own conclusions based on speculative knowledge.

To say that you doubt someone would be wrong is ludicrous. Don't be a lawyer because hint: there's pretty much always someone lying on every case.

It's his mom. You don't think she had any reason to try and take some heat off her son? No biases there..?

I see what your saying, but she does make it sound like she told him to stay in America and he made up his own mind. If she wanted to take the heat off him, wouldn't she blame herself? The answers seem so straightforward from her, unlike the almost cryptic statement from Kovy himself.

 

[Bleedred]

Why would he care about the financial situation? He still would have gotten his money even if the NHL took over the team.

 

[DevilChuk*]

I see what your saying, but she does make it sound like she told him to stay in America and he made up his own mind. If she wanted to take the heat off him, wouldn't she blame herself? The answers seem so straightforward from her, unlike the almost cryptic statement from Kovy himself.

I would reply to this post but my last post literally does the trick:

People lie. People say **** about **** they don't know. People mishear things. People come to their own conclusions based on speculative knowledge.

To say that you doubt someone would be wrong is ludicrous. Don't be a lawyer because hint: there's pretty much always someone lying on every case.

It's his mom. You don't think she had any reason to try and take some heat off her son? No biases there..?

 

[Emperoreddy]

Why would he care about the financial situation? He still would have gotten his money even if the NHL took over the team.

Because he wouldn't, if this is legit, it is only a pointless excuse to shift blame and make him not look like the greedy cowardly ******* that he is.

Team was/is competitive, he was guaranteed his money, if he or his mom actually thought that it is ********...but are we REALLY going to sit here and think he was that naive and dumb to not realize that. Not realize it when his teammates realized it, and were only concerned about UFA's uninformed concerns, not the actual state of the team?

Stop letting him off the hook by attempting to rationalize it with excuses.

 

[manilaNJ]

You know, Kovalchuk might have had ownership questions. So did a few of our players this offseason.

Lou, Elias, Zubrus, and others all said that there were questions and they discussed the situation at hand.

Other than Clarkson, everyone else re-signed. If Kovy had questions, Lou had answers.
There's no reason for 35 year old Zubrus or 36 year old Zidlicky to come back here otherwise.
Even Elias, the one we praise as loyal, needed confirmation from Lou that there was no threat to team stability.

And he got it. So ******** if Kovy was uncertain about his future and just walked away without getting any clarification.

Secondly, if the guy is seriously questioning whether his current team can pay his paycheck, all he needs to do is take a look at the roster and realize that the team just upgraded the pricetag in goal by about $3 million, added another ~$8 million up front and re-signed nearly all of its UFAs with everybody only taking a slight pay cut.

Everything that Lou has done over the past couple of weeks, both with his own players and bringing in new players should have put out doubts in anyone's mind that things were stable enough to a. both compete b. pay its players.

I can't buy that as a reason for Kovy leaving. At all.

 

[Mory Schneideur*]

Maybe he should care. Last team he played for moved to the North Pole. I'm not saying we are relocating, but maybe the uncertainty helped push him to leaving. He signed a 15 year deal for stability obviously. Maybe the team and org was on shakier ground than he thought and the thoughts of having a new owner just meant more uncertainty to him.

 

[manilaNJ]

Maybe he should care. Last team he played for moved to the North Pole. I'm not saying we are relocating, but maybe the uncertainty helped push him to leaving. He signed a 15 year deal for stability obviously. Maybe the team and org was on shakier ground than he thought and the thoughts of having a new owner just meant more uncertainty to him.

See above ^
If he had uncertainties, all he had to do was talk to Lou about it.
And I'm sure he did.

I can't buy the fact that a couple of NY Post articles sent Kovy into utter turmoil.

Especially when it's being said that he had this planned out since before he left Russia.
And, now I'm reading that he was meeting with SKA owners and lawyers prior to his return to the US to try and find a way out of his contract.

I am not buying this ********. Nope.

 

[DevilChuk*]

Maybe he should care. Last team he played for moved to the North Pole. I'm not saying we are relocating, but maybe the uncertainty helped push him to leaving. He signed a 15 year deal for stability obviously. Maybe the team and org was on shakier ground than he thought and the thoughts of having a new owner just meant more uncertainty to him.

There's no ****ing uncertainty.

The team just spent 15M+ FOR THIS UPCOMING YEAR in the past week. They don't do that if they are struggling to make 3M loan payments or posturing themselves to look better for a buyer. If you're selling the team and are worried about it, you cut salary.. we did the opposite.

 

[Emperoreddy]

You know, Kovalchuk might have had ownership questions. So did a few of our players this offseason.

Lou, Elias, Zubrus, and others all said that there were questions and they discussed the situation at hand.

Other than Clarkson, everyone else re-signed. If Kovy had questions, Lou had answers.
There's no reason for 35 year old Zubrus or 36 year old Zidlicky to come back here otherwise.
Even Elias, the one we praise as loyal, needed confirmation from Lou that there was no threat to team stability.

And he got it. So ******** if Kovy was uncertain about his future and just walked away without getting any clarification.

Secondly, if the guy is seriously questioning whether his current team can pay his paycheck, all he needs to do is take a look at the roster and realize that the team just upgraded the pricetag in goal by about $3 million, added another ~$8 million up front and re-signed nearly all of its UFAs with everybody only taking a slight pay cut.

Everything that Lou has done over the past couple of weeks, both with his own players and bringing in new players should have put out doubts in anyone's mind that things were stable enough to a. both compete b. pay its players.

I can't buy that as a reason for Kovy leaving. At all.

Exactly!!! If he had concerns he would of got answers, and there was NEVER enough real concern clearly to justify bolting to ****ing Russia, especially when you had Zids holding out to resign here, Zubs and Elias resigning, Clowe and Ryder signing here as well.

It is a ******** excuse to hide the real fact he wants to be the man and super rich in Russia.

 

[BenedictGomez]

I don't buy that at all. 17 was still entitled to his 100M no matter who the owner is.

something that STILL WOULD HAVE PAID KOVALCHUK HIS MONEY.

Do either of you know that for a fact? What if the "new" owner is post default restructuring?

Because I can assure you that if it were to proceed as a standard Chapter 11 Bankruptcy proceeding you would be wrong. The contract would be voided and the player(s) would be SOL.

This is a question I've probably asked 10 different times over the years on this board and have never gotten an answer from someone who claims to know. I dont know if there is a special provision whereby the NHL proper takes backing over "bankrupt contracts" and makes them whole or not. It's never happened before, and I'd love it if someone knew the answer.

 

[DevilChuk*]

Do either of you know that for a fact? What if the "new" owner is post default restructuring?

Because I can assure you that if it were to proceed as a standard Chapter 11 Bankruptcy proceeding you would be wrong. The contract would be voided and the player(s) would be SOL.

This is a question I've probably asked 10 different times over the years on this board and have never gotten an answer from someone who claims to know. I dont know if there is a special provision whereby the NHL proper takes backing over "bankrupt contracts" and makes them hole or not. It's never happened before, and I'd love it if someone knew the answer.

Ask in the BoH but I cannot imagine the PA agreeing to a CBA that did not explicitly address this issue.

 

[Wingman77]

Who cares?

He left, theres nothing we can do, it is what it is, doesn't matter how or why it's done

Looking forward

 

[Bleedred]

I'm not buying anything about the finances having anything to do with Kovalchuk. I'm also not sympathizing with him over taxes and escrow like the other guy was. How come none of the other guys with the big contracts have left the NHL to go overseas? They're losing 70% or whatever of there paychecks too aren't they? You gonna tell me there's no market for players like Hossa, Luongo, Parise, Suter, Dipietro laugh and those other guys? Any of those guys would be given big money overseas or in the KHL too. Okay aside from Rick I guess.

 

[Richer's Ghost]

Why would he care about the financial situation? He still would have gotten his money even if the NHL took over the team.

was just going to say this. "ownership" issues have no bearing on him getting paid.

GM and Coach have FAR more impact to his day to day happiness than ownership. The NHL would have to fold before his salary was the real issue (outside tax rates and escrow).

So go off to Russia and the ever so stable and never changing cast of characters that make up the KHL.

 

[Devils86]

I'm not buying anything about the finances having anything to do with Kovalchuk. I'm also not sympathizing with him over taxes and escrow like the other guy was. How come none of the other guys with the big contracts have left the NHL to go overseas? They're losing 70% or whatever of there paychecks too aren't they? You gonna tell me there's no market for players like Hossa, Luongo, Parise, Suter, Dipietro laugh and those other guys? Any of those guys would be given big money overseas or in the KHL too. Okay aside from Rick I guess.

Because they are already playing at home..your arguement using those guys is specious , That logic would only apply to players like Ovie and Malkin. Non russians no matter how good would not demand the $$$ russians do and a HUGE point is being missed in all this, He his going back to play in St Petersburg , my SIL who has traveled he world said its the most gorgeous city shes ever been to, He is not playing for Minsk,

All these players you list would go thru huge culture shock, not unlike playing baseball in Japan,I'd take a mil here over 10 mil in russia but then again I am not Russian