Kovy thoughts from the swamp

I'm sitting here still flabbergasted over today's events, not knowing how quite to start this blog. Especially since Derek's already done a good job of summing up the news of the day. In case you haven't been around for the last eight hours, the Devils have retained star winger Ilya Kovalchuk, in what came as a total shock to this blogger for two reasons.

One because the speculation of the last few days had him all but signed, sealed and delivered to Los Angeles. As the cynics pointed out though, if he wanted to go there as badly as some of his actions may have indicated then he would have found a way to take less and sign there. Clearly money wasn't the sole factor though, since Kovy still turned down more from the Thrashers months ago and allegedly turned down lucrative money from Russia to stay in Newark.

Actually the bigger surprise to me was that the Devils' biggest selling point - a winning organization - I thought took a big hit in Kovalchuk's eyes after our quiet first-round exit in this year's playoffs. Not so, in fact our reputation still worked in our favor as did GM Lou Lamoriello's personal touch (especially if you contrast it with Kings GM Dean Lombardi's public bluster), that made a difference according to agent Jay Grossman.

New Jersey remained absolutely steadfast in their interest. They were patient. They were understanding. They didn’t change their viewpoint, their position, anything in terms of their approach throughout the entire time.

“I think Lou, with his college background at Providence College as a recruiter, picked some of the tools out of his bag and he really was able to always call seemingly at the right time, always say the right thing. Again, you go out there and you look at things and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. He had a right to do it and, ulitimately, we realized that we came back to that point.”

Now that the Devils' stunning 17-year, $102 million contract is ready for NHL approval and the yearly salary structure is public knowledge, the speculation will come over what's next. Even with a surprisingly friendly cap hit of $6 million per season, the Devils will still have to move at least one player to get under the cap again before October since they were about $4 million under it before this deal.

Of course people will cry foul over this contract since Kovalchuk's salary takes a dramatic downturn at age 39, leaving room for a mutual buyout at that point to get the cap hit off the books so that Kovy isn't playing for minimum salary. Sure, it violates the spirit of the CBA and artifically lowers the cap hit but it's not like this is unprecedented. Philly did it with Chris Pronger and the Hawks have done it with Marian Hossa. Why shouldn't we take advantage of the rules too? Clearly in the next CBA negotiations this loophole will have to be closed one way or another.

And yes, there is always the inherent danger that Kovy can get hurt early in the deal a la Rick DiPietro and have the contract be a cap-killer but if Kovy was signed to a shorter term deal for more money and gets hurt in the first year, that deal would be even more of a cap-killer. Plus he isn't over 35 at the time of signing the deal so the consequences of replacing an injured player are less prohibitive. You have to pay top money for top talent and there's no disputing Kovy's talent. To put the cap hit in perspective it's less than Wade Redden's cap hit on the Rangers. And just a million dollars more than Brian Rolston on our own team. You have to give up something to get something, which in this case means giving up more money up front to get cap space.

True, $100 million in just over ten years is a lot of money to shell out for owner Jeff Vanderbeek, who's made Grossman a rich man in recent weeks after deals with fellow clients Anton Volchenkov and Johan Hedberg. Not to sound cold, but that's not my concern. I'm just glad we have an owner who's a legit fan of the team and wants to win. Not every owner fits that category.

And a final word about the process, which took eighteen days to sort out from the start of free agency on July 1. Although I've given the media a lot of well-deserved flak for the myriad of speculation, false information and rumors that were utter rubbish you have to give credit to the one guy who did call this - Larry Brooks of the Post, who tweeted this specific contract offer days before it was agreed to by the Kovy camp. I guess a cynic could say if enough people venture a guess, at least one has to be right but you do have to give credit where it's due.

Although Lou didn't manage to keep that offer under wraps, kudos to him as a whole through the whole process. While former protege Lombardi was all over the place grandstanding (and a big haha to the fact he didn't even get Simon Gagne, their supposed Plan B), Lou was in the background, seldom revealing much or negotiating through the media. Granted, he couldn't offer much when the ball was in Kovy's court but I'm glad he resisted the temptation to pull the offer and move on to other things the way a lot of Devils fans wanted him to do. Others have said that we should pull the offer because 'clearly' we weren't Kovy's first choice.

To that I say...so freaking what? As if every free agent automatically signs with their first choice. You think the Yankees or their fans would give back CC Sabathia a season and a half after they were, at best a sixth or seventh choice for him to go to behind the West Coast teams? I certainly don't see Kovy as the type to lollygag it on a winner, maybe he did with the Thrashers as Chico Resch pointed out memorably during one Thrashers-Devils game early last season but it does become hard to get motivated to play on a perrenial loser. He was certainly more motivated last year than a lot of people who will also be Devils this season.

Whatever you want to say about Kovy's defensive deficiencies, his contract, our glut of left wings and the fact that teams don't win Cups in July you can't deny the fact that today's a good day for the Devils Legion. Businesswise despite the high salary it certainly helps Vanderbeek since the Devils sold out fifteen of eighteen games after Kovy came aboard last season. Plus it still leaves us with more than enough room to maintain fellow star Zach Parise beyond next season and on the ice, who wouldn't want to add a perennial 40-goal, 90-point scorer? Teams can no longer key on Parise solely, which should open things up for him in April and beyond.

Now we never have to look back and wonder what might have been with Nicklas Bergfors, Johnny Oduya and Patrice Cormier. For once a big name stayed with the Devils. Most offseasons (other than 2006 when Patrik Elias and Jamie Langenbrunner re-upped) we're lamenting over the ones that got away. Who would have ever suspected that we'd get both the top defensive defenseman on the market - Volchenkov - and retain the top offensive player by far in Kovy?

Kovalchuk Breakdown Plus Why He Stayed Put

Credit the Devils for working with Ilya to get this done. Full credit to Puck Daddy's own Dmitry Chesnokov, who's been a beast during this monstrosity. Here's the breakdown:

-earns $80 million over first 8 years hitting targeted $10 million average
-earns $15 million the next 2 years totaling 95 of 102 million thru first 10 years of contract
-earns $1 million-per-year over the final 7 years

On what Kovalchuk turned down, Dean Lombardi offered 15 for $80 million. By comparison, prior to being traded out of Atlanta, Ilya rejected a 12-year $101 million deal. Winning turned out to be most important to the 27 year-old fiery Russian with the rocket from the point. He gets his chance to do it in Jersey where Martin Brodeur has two years left on his contract and Zach Parise one before he re-signs. And yes, you know Lou will find a way to get it done. Just as he'll somehow find a magical taker for Brian Rolston.

Also of interest is a solid column from Inside Hockey's own Michelle Kenneth. She covers the team and had an excellent take on why Kovalchuk chose to remain in Newark. Entitled, "Ilya to Remain a Devil," it's a fascinating read. A couple of key aspects we liked:

First, building a team around him was a factor. The Devils moved in that direction and signed a couple of free agents to attract him to the team: Anton Volchenkov and Johan Hedberg. Both players are friends of Kovalchuk. Not only do the two signings make the locker room more comfortable for him, but it is also the beginning of a build around him.

Second, while many believe that inking Kovalchuk will create problems in re-signing Zach Parise next year, part of Kovalchuk’s decision to remain with the Devils is having Parise on board. The rivalries that could exist between the two players are merely a myth. It is very important that Parise remain on the team, because Kovalchuk wants his team to win. Parise is part of that design.


Third, Kovalchuk has repeated numerous times that he would take a paycut if it meant remaining with the Devils. He said it not once, but several times. A few weeks prior to free agency, that was still the same story being repeated. Whatever the offer was from the Devils, Kovalchuk’s decision was not purely based on the amount of money they were offering.

The point about them adding two former teammates in Heds and Volchenkov is dead on. Of course, he wants to win. So, retaining Zach Attack is a must even if many will compare the salary No.9 gets to No.17. And finally, he did take a paycut. Even if it's frontloaded with him getting the desired salary he wanted during his remaining peak years, he did good by the team. A couple of other things she touches on that make sense:

In the true dynamics that is the Los Angeles Kings, as luxurious of an item as Kovalchuk would have been for them, their future would have dwindled in the signing. It was not in their best interests to ink Kovalchuk if it meant giving up their future. That is also a future that would effect Kovalchuk being part of a winning dynasty. That, in itself, would have made the offer from the Kings unattractive.

Kovalchuk wants to be part of a winning team more than anything else. Since Day One with the New Jersey Devils, he loved the philosophy of how important it was to win. Losing was such a big thing to the Devils. With Atlanta, he said that losing was not that big of a deal.

For the Devils, losing is a big deal. You don’t want to be on that end of the spectrum in Devils territory. You might find someone throwing a jar of jelly across the room.

Outstanding point on why LA didn't fit. Even if they'd landed the sniper, it would have screwed them in the long run- forcing them to sell off players a la Chicago and Philly. What we saw with Simon Gagne going to Tampa for a bag of pucks was embarrassing. Nice way to treat the longest tenured Flyer, who really should be staying after how heroic he was in miraculous playoff run. Blame Paul Holmgren. We still can't figure out what he saw in Andrej Meszaros. The other points on the Devils being about winning while Atlanta essentially wasn't speak volumes. Nobody was happy with how this past Spring ended. Kovalchuk and the club had some unfinished business. So, he returns.
 
Now, we get to see how creative Lou is at finding takers for Rolston, Dainius Zubrus and perhaps Bryce Salvador. The Devs are built to win now. Will securing Kovalchuk finally translate to some post-lockout success?

Rumored Kovalchuk Numbers False, 17 for 102 Mill

Take it for what it's worth. According to an ESPN report, the Devils' richest star in franchise history Ilya Kovalchuk could be getting 17 years, $150 million when he makes it official at tomorrow's press conference in Newark. Yiiiiiiiikkkkkkesssss.

I want you to repeat this 10 times fast.

SEV-----EN-----TEEN YEARS ONE---HUNDRED-----AND------FIF------TY MILL-----I---ON!!!!!!

There is no other way to describe it as insanity. This from one of the most respected GMs in sports. Woooooow.


UPDATE: Well, no great shock that Scott Burnside was wrong. The official numbers are 17 years for a cool $102 million. At six million a pop, I'd say Kovalchuk took a huge discount just so he could finish the rest of his career in the Garden State. Maybe he wanted to upstage buddy Alex Ovechkin. But there's no way he's worth as much as Ovi and that played out with many teams not even bothering. Is Ilya one of the best pure snipers in the game? Absolutely. Can he put up points in a hurry? No doubt. But what other team was seriously going to give him that much security? Not only did Lou once again score big here but got the exciting Russian at a bargain, which means he should be able to re-sign top priority Zach Parise next summer. Only the Devils could pull something like this off. That's what you get when the GM knows too many loopholes in what's become a flawed system. So much for the cap resolving everything.

How is it good for the league that basically, three teams vyed for his services and one was from the KHL? He priced himself out. Here's one huge question we're hoping a reporter will have enough guts to ask tomorrow.

Q: Were the Devils your top choice?

A: Da!

:as Dean Lombardi chokes up his drink:

Kovalchuk D-Day: Re-signs with Devils For 17 Years

Well, after 16 days of chaos, it looks like Ilya Kovalchuk has finally come to a decision. That is if you can take his American agent Jay Grossman at his word via this tweet:

Jay_Grossman: Ilya Kovalchuk will make his decision today (for sure, this time!).

Personally, I don't care either way. As long as the Rangers aren't involved, we're good. The electrifying Russian sniper is expected to choose LA over New Jersey. Whatever. If the Devils do finish runner-up, we should be hearing from our resident Kool Aid blogger. What if he chooses them after all this drama? Wouldn't that have made these couple of weeks a waste? If he really wanted to be a Devil, he would've just re-signed already.

It would still be nice to get a conclusion so we can get on with the rest of the summer. Just don't hold your breath.


UPDATE: Based on a tweet from the New Jersey Devils, it looks like Kovalchuk is returning.

NHLDevils: HE'S BACK: Ilya Kovalchuk signs with the Devils. Press conference scheduled for Tuesday at the Rock.  

Simply amazing. Honestly, he and his agent teased everyone. Especially the Kings. Leaking the announcement irks me. I wanted to find out from the man himself. But the Devils ruined it. Guess they just couldn't wait to rub it in everyone's faces. Nothing like good PR. Did we just say that about a Lou Lams run franchise? The Devs have changed. Thank Jeff Vanderbeek.

What this does ensure is the Devils must start cutting payroll. Likely candidates are Brian Rolston, Bryce Salvador and Dainius Zubrus. Let the firesale commence.


UPDATE II: Per reliable Puck Daddy Russian reporter Dmitry Chesnokov, it looks like Kovalchuk's deal is for 17 years...

dchesnokov Kovalchuk's mother tells Pavel Lysenkov of Sovetsky Sport that Kovalchuk's deal with #NJD is for 17 years.

Wow. That is insanity. Nobody can ever talk about the Devils being fiscally responsible after this. They just committed 17 years to Kovalchuk, who by the end of the contract, would be 44. I thought these kinda deals were done but apparently not. Even the great Lou has lost it. Anything to justify the means I guess. He does make their club stronger at least on paper. Whether it finally translates to New Jersey going deep in the playoffs remains to be seen. Also up in for debate is how this megasigning affects Zach Parise, who turns restricted next summer. There could be a lot more changes coming to Newark over the next year.

The press conference is tomorrow live at The Prudential Center at 1 ET.


UPDATE III: Per Chesnokov, it looks like the deal is 17 years for over $100 million. Yikes. What lockout?!?!?!?!?! Guess there's gonna be another one. I am mystified.

dchesnokov The 17 years, $100m+ for Kovalchuk is what I stand by.

It should be interesting to see the particulars. I don't know anymore. I now think 2004-05 was a total farce.

Sauer returns

Unlike a Stone Temple Pilots hit song, there was nothing sour the other day for Mike Sauer. The last link to the Brian Leetch trade re-signed with the Rangers Thursday. The 22 year-old St. Cloud, Minnesota native was selected by the club in the 2005 second round 40th overall ahead of Paul Stastny.

For the younger brother of Kurt Sauer, injuries have been the issue. In three pro seasons spent mostly with Hartford, the defenseman's missed 50 games, including 40 in '09-10 which derailed his chances of getting another cameo on Broadway. He previously played three NHL games in 2008-09 registering two shots and posting a minus-one rating before John Tortorella overreacted to a poor second outing. Ironically, that year was his best- going 6-17-23, plus-29 with 35 penalty minutes, 2 PPG and 1 GW in 64 contests for the Wolf Pack.

Despite a strong season, Sauer was passed on the depth chart by impressive rookie Michael Del Zotto, who made the quantum leap from juniors to the NHL. Perhaps he wasn't given a fair shake due to the coach. Aside from that, the issue of Wade Redden didn't help. It looks like the Redden Era Error is about to end. Especially when you consider that the Blueshirts have already taken care of most of the blueline in re-signing Dan Girardi, signing Ryan McDonagh and adding Steve Eminger in the Aaron Voros trade to Anaheim.

With only vital anchor Marc Staal left, it's setting up to be an interesting September. While we're still six and a half weeks away from it, it's never too early to look at where the Rangers are on a D which must improve. Incumbents Michal Rozsival, Staal (once signed), Girardi and Del Zotto are all but assured of the top four. After that, it's anyone's guess as to who makes up the final three. Redden and sophomore Matt Gilroy figure to get  healthy competition from Eminger, McDonagh and Sauer. With overwhelming support for Tinman to be dumped to Hartford, the competition is welcome.

One big question remains. If Staal signs and the kids outshine Redden, does Glen Sather have the guts to finally admit his big error by designating the veteran for assignment? Only time shall tell.

Rangers sign Dupont

The Rangers re-signed forward Brodie Dupont. The former 2005 third round pick played 80 games for AHL affiliate Hartford posting 17 goals and 22 assists for 39 points while racking up 124 penalty minutes. He ranked fifth in goals and points while his two shorthanded goals tied for second on the club.

In bringing back the 23 year-old out of Russell, Manitoba, the Blueshirts are giving a player who netted his 100th career AHL point on Apr.3 at Springfield one more shot. At best, he sounds like a two-way pivot who can provide energy. Maybe he'll compete against incumbent fourth line center Brian Boyle in camp. Otherwise, it's another year in the 'A.'

Just another organizational move as we still patiently wait on Marc Staal. As long as it doesn't evolve into the Kovalchuk $aga.

Rangers sign Jeremy Williams

In an organizational move to bolster Hartford, the Rangers announced the signing of Jeremy Williams. The 26 year-old forward joins his third Original Six after spending the first two parts of his career with Toronto and Detroit.

The original Leafs' '03 seventh rounder signed with the Red Wings last year, spending his time at AHL affiliate Grand Rapids. In 77 games, Williams established new career marks in goals (32), points (63) and shots (210). His 32 markers placed eighth in the 'A' while also notching 14 power play goals (T-4th). Solid pickup for the Wolf Pack who lost Corey Locke and P.A. Parenteau.

Williams has taken part in 31 career NHL games all with Toronto, posting nine goals and two assists for 11 points. In '08-09, the Regina, Saskatoon native played in 11 contests, registering career bests in goals (5), assists (2) and points (7).

Kovalchuk saga nearing resolution?

I've wanted to stay away from the rumor mill for the most part until a decision is announced one way or another, but the news that Ilya Kovalchuk is traveling to Los Angeles for face-to-face negotiations with Kings GM Dean Lombardi tomorrow lead many to believe an agreement is imment, though for his part Lombardi denies this.

``Ilya is coming out to LA,” Lombardi told ESPN.com. ``We’re going to meet face to face. But reports that we are announcing his signing tomorrow are utterly and completely false. We have no deal. We’re not even close. I mean, who knows, maybe we’ll get close tomorrow but we have no deal right now.”

Of course it suits him to say that a deal isn't imminent, since it helps him retain the hammer he currently holds over Kovalchuk in negotiations. With the hundred different rumors out there in the ten days plus that this saga has taken place the one constant seems to be Kovy's interest in LA, given that they've had at least two different discussions that have both ended with Lombardi publicly walking away from the table with a hard-line stance while there's been little information coming out of Jersey. Whether Kovy bends to get a deal now or has to beg for one later it seems obvious that LA's his first choice and one way or another he's going to wind up there.

Personally, if Kovy does go to Los Angeles I'll be more annoyed over the fact that it becomes less likely that sweeping changes will be made if he leaves, since his signing would have forced GM Lou Lamoriello to part with one or two players that the locker room really doesn't need next year. As it is, it looks like much the same team will be returning next season - minus Kovalchuk and defenseman Paul Martin with only fellow defensemen Anton Volchenkov and Henrik Tallinder as major additions, and very little in terms of top quality available in either UFA or the trade market.

Clearly though the cap crunch Kovy would have put us in isn't going to be missed and now - if Kovy's officially heading out the door tomorrow - there's no reason for Lou not to sign Zach Parise to an extension sometime between then and next offseason before arbitration where some team could also throw a wild offer sheet at him. Plus there's little evidence Kovy will be the linchpin on a contending team anyway as judged by his up-and-down results with the Devils. Though he was one of the few to give effort, it was rather disjointed at times and that combined with the lack of backchecking skill...well let's just say the uber-purists can probably rest easy now.

On a personal note, I have to say I'm rather surprised and dissapointed with the way the Kings' GM has conducted a very public negotiation. All credit to him for playing the hard-line and it appears that Kovy's camp might be bending finally and if so Lombardi's won the batttle, that's all well and good. However, the public nature of the posturing is a little distasteful and unneccesary. Going out of your way to say the player's demands are outrageous one day then two days later being back in the negotiations, let's just say it's a bit disingenuous at best and Brett Favre-like attention grabbing at worst. As annoying as Lou's silence can be at least he isn't using the press to negotiatiate or play public games.

Too bad all this will probably accomplish in the end is just strengthen the notion that big names don't want to play in New Jersey. For every Patrik Elias and Martin Brodeur that stay, a roomful of others like Martin, Kovy, Scott Niedermayer, Scott Gomez and Brian Rafalski (though to his credit he did stay the first time he was a UFA) were all too happy to find greener pastures elsewhere. If most of our departing UFA's before the lockout like Bobby Holik and Alexander Mogilny didn't have success after leaving, seeing Niedermayer, Rafalski and John Madden all win Cups with other teams in a very short period of time has been somewhat annoying. Even if I still like Rafalski and was rooting for Madden's team.

And yet with the way this whole negotiation has gone I still wouldn't be stunned to hear that talks have broken off once again tomorrow, especially if Lombardi turns the screws even tighter. All I have to say is Kovy if you're leaving, you better do it now.

Rangers re-sign Girardi, swap Voros for Eminger

Twenty four hours removed from a predictable disappointment of a clown for the other Garden tenant, the Rangers took care of some business by getting Dan Girardi re-signed and swapping Aaron Voros for Steve Eminger.

From most indications, it looks like Glen Sather got Girardi at fair value with it rumored to be two years, $4 million. Not bad considering there'd been talk that the 26 year-old who made the team as an undrafted free agent in '06-07 was said to be seeking three million-per-year. Instead of going to arbitration, the overachiever from Welland, Ontario returns for two more seasons at a friendly price.

UPDATE: Per Larry Brooks of the NY Post, Girardi received four years at $3.325 million-per-season. So much for the more affordable rumor. It's definitely overpayment but more in line with what he wanted. How that impacts unsigned Marc Staal remains to be seen. The cost just went up thanks to San Jose signing Chicago blueliner Niklas Hjalmarsson to a four-year, $14 million offersheet which leaves the Hawks seven days to match. That development certainly isn't positive for the Rangers, who must get Staal done.

In the mean time, Slats has done admirably getting Girardi re-signed along with Vinny Prospal and Erik Christensen while also signing Wisconsin duo Derek Stepan and Ryan McDonagh. If only he didn't break the bank for one-dimensional pugilist Derek Boogard. Well, you can't have everything when you got a senile GM running the asylum. Hopefully, Martin Biron doesn't bomb as Henrik Lundqvist's backup and Boogard protects teammates and maybe miraculously scores a goal.

As much criticism as Girardi received for not standing up for Marian Gaborik in the Daniel Carcillo humiliation, he did learn stepping in for Artem Anisimov against the hated Flyers where this time the culprit was clown Scott Hartnell. Is Danny G perfect? No. Consistency is still an issue for the soon to be fifth year NHLer. He's had good moments where he not only plays steady in his end but also contributes offensively. However, there have also been bad ones where he doesn't get it done and isn't a factor.

Perhaps that's to be expected from a guy who wasn't drafted. Still, this is a top four D who logs big minutes. Whether he's being used in a shutdown role alongside Staal or working with promising Mike Del Zotto, Girardi's been a good team player. He also isn't afraid to mix it up as his 180 blocked shots (6th in NHL) and 178 hits (T-12th among D) demonstrate. Not only does Danny G sacrifice his body but No.5's been durable playing in 280 consecutive games. There were quite a few where he took his lumps and returned. If he can improve on the six goals and 18 helpers produced last season, that would be nice. It's a matter of consistency. He'll certainly be one of the club's leaders. Time to step up.

After getting one order of business done, Slats wasn't finished, sending the popular Voros along with prospect Ryan Hillier to Anaheim for Eminger. The 26 year-old from Woodbridge, Ontario is a former first round pick ('02-12th overall) who's bounced around the league. Originally a Cap, he's moved four different times over two years going from Philly to Tampa to Florida and then Anaheim where he performed decently- registering four goals and 12 assists with 30 PIM while registering 99 blocks in 63 contests in '09-10.

Truth be told, Eminger isn't bad. He can skate and move the puck effectively while also being capable of offense. By moving Voros who earned a ton of respect from teammates and fans alike this past season, Sather fills a void. It's essentially an even swap with Eminger making $1.5 million to Voros' $1.4. Voros' days were numbered once the Ranger Team President/GM committed to Boogard and re-signed Brandon Prust. With Sean Avery also back and possibly Dane Byers or Dale Weise competiting for a spot, it made sense to move Voros, who hopefully will get a better opportunity with the Ducks.

Acquiring Eminger, who's a righty shot means that he'll be in competition with sophomore Matt Gilroy for the sixth slot on the blueline. Figure Gilroy to have the upper hand but he better not take it fore granted. Now, all Slats must do is get Staal under contract. As long as he can, the Wade Redden Era Error should finally end. Here's hoping.

One Blogger's Take On Kovalchuk/Nabokov

It's way late or early depending on your schedule in what's become the hottest, most uncomfortable week of the summer. With temps climbing into triple digits and unforgiving humidity, it ain't easy. Especially for summer activities and sleep. Wherever you are, hope you're keeping cool.

Today, it will be Thursday which means three days have passed since Ilya Kovalchuk was supposed to sign. Instead, all we've gotten is smoke screen after smoke screen with the 27 year-old Russian superstar and his agent Jay Grossman playing a game similar to the biggest ego of them all known as LeBron. As fraudulent as he is with butt buddy ESPN sucking up along the way, at least we'll know where he winds up tonight.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Kovalchuk who apparently is hesitant to re-sign with the Devils as was reported by NY Post's Mark Everson. For some reason, seven years $60 million from a team who traded for him at the deadline and improved already this July hasn't been enough to reel him in. While he's left the Garden State hanging, the former Thrasher has pulled the Kings back to the table. There's also stiff competition back home with the KHL's SKA St. Petersburg chasing him. However, the likelihood that he leaves the NHL for them doesn't make sense. Especially with ex-Shark goalie Evgeni Nabokov signing there for four years, $24 million.

On the subject, what a shame that such a quality netminder ran out of alternatives- opting to return home for what looks to be the end of his career. The soon to be 35 year-old played for one team in the league, helping backstop the Sharks into one of the league's elite clubs. Sure. They never quite got over the hump but it wasn't all Nabby's fault. Joe Thornton is the bigger symbol of San Jose's playoff ineptitude. In Year One, Dany Heatley didn't exactly distinguish himself during the second season. Was Nabokov part of the problem? Yes and no. While he didn't always fulfill postseason expectations, this time he got the Sharks to their first Conference Final since 2004.

A former '94 ninth round pick (219th overall), Nabby established himself as one of the better goalies in the sport. Among the accolades are a Calder, All-Rookie Team, two All-Star selections and one First All-Star Team in '07-08 when Martin Brodeur edged him for the Vezina. The career San Jose leader in almost every goalie category took part in 563 games, posting a 293-178-37 record with a 2.39 GAA, .912 save percentage and 50 shutouts. Including a splending rookie year that saw him win 32 games, Nabokov won 30-or-more half a dozen times, including 40-plus the past three seasons.

Sadly, he wasn't rewarded by any club with the Sharks opting to go in another direction by signing Antero Niittymaki. Even the goalie starved Caps passed, instead opting to stick with the kids. Amazingly, a durable goalie who's proven is out of the NHL. No matter how you slice it, that's a loss for the league. Just imagine if one of the best snipers joins him. We'd lose a very exciting player who can bring fans out of the seats. How would that look?

With even talk that Kovalchuk wants the cap strapped Rangers, all I can do is shake my head. If he really wants to win and play in the best league, either the Devils or Kings are much better fits. Each should be in the mix for the Cup. Coming to a rebuilding club like ours under intense media scrutiny would be a huge mistake. If he knows what's good for him, he'll wake up before it's too late. We already said Dac Vee Daniyah to Nabokov. Make the right decision Ilya.

McDonagh signs

While our Devil blogger's mind wanders aimlessly over the whole Kovalchuk circus, the Rangers were able to add another quality prospect to their system. Earlier today, Ryan McDonagh signed his first NHL contract, officially joining the club that traded for him last summer as an important aspect of the Scott Gomez salary dump to Montreal.

At 21, the former Habs' 2007 first round pick (12th overall) is expected to compete for a spot on the Blueshirts' blueline this Fall. He played three years at Wisconsin teaming with familiar Ranger teammate Derek Stepan, who also recently turned pro. Listed at 6-1, 222 pounds, the St. Paul native decided to forego his senior year and a chance to captain the Badgers, who lost to Boston College for the NCAA title this past Spring. Now, the solid puckmoving defenseman looks to make the tough adjustment from college to the pros.

"I have so many people to thank," an ecstatic McDonagh said. "I obviously couldn't be here today if it weren't for my parents and all the coaches I had growing up. It's just a credit to my family and all my coaches who helped me develop as a player to get where I am today."

One of the factors in Ryan turning pro was how he fared at Ranger prospect camp where he excelled.

"The camp went really well, and it got better every day. "I just felt great after the camp and felt like this was definitely a spot for me. And they felt the same way as well. It worked great. It was perfect."

Going through it with Stepan is an added bonus.

"Derek and I are great buddies, obviously," he noted. "We are best of friends. We have been playing together at Wisconsin, and we played against each other growing up. Obviously, he was pretty supportive and everything. I bounced a lot of questions off of him, but he wasn't really drilling me too much in terms of asking what I was thinking. He kind of just left that for myself, which was good. Obviously to have seen him make the decision is exciting for both of us to be doing this at the same time."

Now, the two former Badgers will be looking to impress John Tortorella's staff this Fall. Hopefully, that'll include top tandem Marc Staal and Dan Girardi, who remain unsigned. With limited cap space, it's imperative for Glen Sather to get them signed. Just don't expect anything too soon.

Kovalchuk saga now in sixth day with no resolution

No, there's nothing new to report on the Ilya Kovalchuk front yet. Truth be told there's been no legitimate news on the talented Russian since free agency opened on July 1. Sure, there've been a lot of rumors. Maybe one or two of them have even been true, but it seems like for every kernel of information that may be true there's a bunch of stuff that just is not. To wit, let's take a look at the many twists and turns of this saga so far.

Day 1 - It looked like he was headed to LA, they were in on the bidding and we were told they were on the verge of a major announcement...then two days later, they backed out with Dean Lombardi indicating they could not give Kovy what he wanted with further speculation from Calgary and Darryl Sutter that Kovy had priced himself out of the range of 30 NHL teams amidst rumors that Kovy and agent Jay Grossman were seeking over $100 million dollars.

Days 2 and 3 - Just as the LA rumors were fading, the Islanders burst onto the scene with a reported ten year, $100 million offer. A couple of days later, it turns out it was much ado about nothing, oh surely the Islanders have interest but those figures now look like nothing more than PR noise. Not to mention the KHL's reported offer of four years and $36 million got floated around this time, presumably as leverage, as was supposed interest from the Flyers (who have far less cap space than even us) and Avalanche via a Russian newspaper.

Days 4 and 5 - As Derek posted yesterday everyone's favorite journalist Mark Everson reported in the post that an agreement with the Devils was imminent, with the reported contract figure at around seven years, $60 million. Not to mention internet message boards and twitter were buzzing with speculation that an agreement was imminent with similar numbers. Maybe some were piggybacking on the Post, or some got theirs from the same source.

Day 6 - In any case, we're now in day six and still Kovy hasn't put pen to a contract yet...with anyone. While some people have indicated that Lou Lamoriello has put Kovy on hold until he can get his salary cap ducks in order, I'm not sure I buy it.

First of all, the Devils don't technically have to get under the cap until the season starts. We can be as much as ten percent over. Currently, we're around $4 million or so under the cap. Reported figures had us anywhere from $3.4 to $3.9 under, but Lou himself claimed we have a little more than that in a phone interview with the Record's Tom Gulutti this morning.

Plus as quiet as Lou, Kovy and Grossman have been publicly it's still the worst kept secret that we want to re-sign Kovy and need to clear some cap space to do so. Other GM's know this whether we actually move the contracts beforehand or not. Maybe Lou gets a smidge more of leverage if he moves some players (Brian Rolston and Bryce Salvador among the leading candidates) beforehand but I doubt it. Of course I could be wrong too, god knows I know nothing more than anyone else.

Probably my real reason for posting this though is my general frustration with the rumor mill. At this point I give up, nobody knows what's going on, what Kovy and his agent or thinking or why this is taking so long despite the fact that Kovy's number of suitors is basically down to two at this point with one being the KHL. As fast as Twitter and internet message boards do break news and that's fine and dandy - the flip side is the sheer amount of mindless speculation that makes it into the rumor mill is mind-boggling.

It seems to me at this point that everyone's more or less doing calculated guesswork. People have been reduced to pointing out where the Kovy story from two days ago is on TSN's website, or the fact that Kovy's bio has been removed from the Devils' website (which is frequently slow and inaccurate). Even people who have had reliable sources in the past - including one Hockey's Future poster who broke the Kovalchuk trade days before it happened - have come up with incorrect or premature information.

With my luck this thing will finally break tonight when I'm out at the movies seeing Knight and Day, with trades surely to follow. Or maybe we'll be in a holding pattern for weeks. Who would have thought LeBron would have a team (maybe) before Kovalchuk?

Will he or won't he?

Is Ilya Kovalchuk re-signing with the Devils as has been speculated by everyone's fave the NY Post? Or did they jump the gun?

Supposedly, the terms are seven years for $60 million, which would make the electrifying 27 year-old Russian star the highest paid Devil in franchise history. It would average a gaudy $8.57 million. If true, it would be the changing of the guard with penny pinching Team President/GM Lou Lamoriello finally throwing the gauntlet to someone other than key cogs Martin Brodeur and Patrik Elias. The Devils would then become Kovy's team for better or worse even with Zach Parise having a year left at a golden bargain hit ($3.125 M) before being due a significant raise next summer. Zach Attack's '10-11 salary is $5 million.

While that'll be vital to New Jersey's long-term success, getting Kovalchuk to sign on the dotted line hopefully before the night ends would be huge. The Devils would enter this season as one of the favorites to challenge Atlantic rivals Philly and Pittsburgh to come out of the East along with Washington. Along with re-signing David Clarkson ($2.67 M), acquiring Jason Arnott, signing Johan Hedberg ($1.5 M) and adding blueliners Anton Volchenkov and Henrik Tallinder, the Devs would be stacked. However, Lamoriello would also be forced to unload salary with likely candidates Brian Rolston ($5 M), Dainius Zubrus ($3.4 M) and either Bryce Salvador ($2.9 M) or Colin White ($3 M) possibilities.

If Kovy re-ups, that's a problem Lou wouldn't mind because his team should be a serious Cup challenger. The club needs to maximize their chances. Especially with cornerstone Brodeur not getting any younger. The 38 year-old future Hall Of Famer has just two years remaining on his contract. Bolstering the offense and solidifying the D would go a long way to chasing elusive Cup No.4.

The question is when will No.17 finally come to his senses. Unless he's really considering the Islanders or holding out hope some other team comes out of lurking, the Devils are his best option. They have a roster which is built to win now and the rumored terms are more than fair. What's taking so long? Only Kovalchuk knows.

Kovalchuk says Nyet to Kings

On our country's birthday, some surprising fireworks were delivered by Ilya Kovalchuk. The big Russian sniper said, "Nyet," to the Kings turning them down.

Credit LA Times' Helene Elliott who tweeted the update 20 minutes prior. In it, LA GM Dean Lombardi notes:

"We took our best shot to meet his needs and the team's."

So, all indications are that Kovalchuk won't land in Hollywood, leaving little options. A very encouraging development for the Devils, who now look like the frontrunners to keep the biggest free agent who they sacrificed prospects and picks for at last deadline. Unless you believe the rumored Islander offer (10 yrs, $100 million) is legit and enough to sway a player who supposedly wants to win a Cup, it looks he's New Jersey's to lose.

Unless some other team comes out of the woodworks, it would seem logical for the man who honors Russian hero Valeri Kharlamov by donning his No.17 to return to Newark for unfinished business. Having upgraded their D with solid additions Anton Volchenkov and Henrik Tallinder along with the reacquisition of '00 Cup hero Jason Arnott filling the void at center, it's a perfect opportunity for Kovalchuk to show what he's all about.

Hopefully, we'll finally have a final answer to this drama sometime tomorrow.

Kovalchuk saga goes into Day Three

Well the saga of Ilya Kovalchuk is now getting a little more interesting due to a very public entrance by the New York Islanders into the fray last night. According to a number of sources including Darren Dreger, their offer to the star sniper is in the neighborhood of ten years and $100 million. Yikes, didn't they learn anything from the Alexei Yashin fiasco? Clearly they're desperate to make a splash though, after being rebuffed despite making the highest offer to both defensemen Paul Martin and Dan Hamhuis and given the fact they're still several million under the salary floor they certainly have the cap space to do something ridiculous.

So what of the Kings and the Devils? Information is still sketchy but according to Mark Everson of the Post he's sitting on two similar offers of around $7 million per year from both teams, as well as the widely reported Islander offer. Yet for every five rumors about what Kovalchuk has and hasn't been offered by whom, none have been proven or disproven yet (yikes, now I'm talking like Lou). One thing that does seem certain at this point is Kovy's not going to the KHL. Not if he has a $100 million offer in the States, that would be beyond flaky. To their immense credit, Kovy and his agent Jay Grossman are now just sitting by quietly and patiently waiting for the market to develop.

Seemingly now the choice is obvious, either look like a hypocrite and take a similar offer from the Islanders that he turned down from the Thrashers months ago citing the need to go to a winner, or take tens of millions less to actually go where he wants to go (and whether that's New Jersey or Los Angeles is again, anyone's guess). Honestly at this point I wouldn't begrudge him one bit to go for the money, not when the difference is at least $30-40 million in all likelihood between the contracts. It would really show some chutzpah for him to turn that down and go either here or LA for far less, since leaving that kind of money on the table is basically unprecedented. Especially since neither us or the Kings are exactly the Penguins or Blackhawks in terms of recent success post-lockout.

Still it would be nice if this saga was resolved by the end of the holiday weekend so we can get on with our lives. As hockey fans we've all become conditioned to expect the big UFA's to be off the board within twenty-four hours, in fact the only one who I can think of offhand that took a few days was (cough) Scott Niedermayer. And we all know how that turned out, star Devil free agent bolts to go out west though at least Kovy doesn't have family in LA...well, none that I know about anyway. Plus given Lou's promises for big change, the Devils' precarious cap situation and logjam of stay-at-home defensemen, it feels like we're in a holding pattern now waiting for Kovy to decide.

Of course there's still more than two months to go before camp starts and three before the regular season, not that I think this will drag out anywhere near that long but it's something all of us (me included) need a reminder of as this negotiation drags on and on and the palace intrigue alternates between amusing, boring and exciting. One of the funny parts of the Isles' offer is that it came mere hours after Flames GM Darryl Sutter said that Kovy priced himself too high for 'at least 30 NHL teams'. Just more proof that nobody really knows what the heck's going on other than Kovy, his agent and maybe the GM's of the three teams in question.

Rangers and Prust reach agreement

A couple of days after tendering Brandon Prust, the Rangers wasted little time getting the agitator to agree on a new contract with the two sides settling on a multi-year deal worth $1.6 million. A nice 800 K average for a gritty player who fit in right away after coming over from Calgary in the Olli Jokinen deal which sent Ales Kotalik and Chris Higgins packing last deadline.

Amazingly, Jokinen wound up back in Alberta- reuniting with Darryl Sutter while Prust remains on Broadway where they'll continue appreciating his lunch pail style. It was the rambunctious energy he played with that nearly rallied the Blueshirts to a fifth consecutive postseason. As it turned out, he could do more than use his fists, which ranked third in the league with 25 majors. Prust also scored and set up important goals down the stretch before Brian Boucher outperformed Henrik Lundqvist in the shootout, ending the Ranger run at four.

Now, Prust gets a new deal and will be expected to play that same role as the energizer who gets the team going while getting underneath opponents' skin. Kinda sounds like Sean Avery, who no doubt will have to be more consistent next season if the Rangers are to challenge for a playoff spot. Something which won't come easy with Atlantic powers Philly, Pittsburgh and New Jersey continuing to improve yesterday. The Rangers' chief rival the Islanders also got better today.

Thanks to the botched Derek Boogard move, Glen Sather has backed himself in a corner, leaving a shade under six million to get Marc Staal and Dan Girardi re-signed. It looks like it could be a while before anything gets done. Not to worry though. We have the 1.65 million slug for four years.

Islanders bolster D with Jurcina, Eaton, add 2 more

Following a quiet first day, the Islanders had a strong Day Two adding four to their roster. Garth Snow bolstered the D by adding physical blueliner Milan Jurcina and shot blocking specialist Mark Eaton.

The 27 year-old Jurcina, who's spent most of his time in D.C., got a one-year deal worth $1 million. He should help take care of the front of the net along with 33 year-old vet Eaton, who has always flew under the radar. The former Predator played the past four seasons with Pittsburgh, helping the club win its third Stanley Cup last year. Signed for two years, $5 million, he's solid stay at home defenseman who gets in the path of shots making it difficult on the opposition. In '09-10, he finished with a career high 16 points (3-13-16) in 79 games while blocking 135 shots, which ranked 36th among all blueliners.

Both should bolster an Islander defense that still includes anchor Mark Streit, Bruno Gervais, injury plagued Radek Martinek, youngsters Jack Hillen, Andrew MacDonald and Dylan Reese. Adding depth to a shaky area is wise. But they also got experienced players who can make the blueline tougher.

Speaking of tough, the club also addressed a need by reaching agreement with former Bolt enforcer Zenon Konopka on a one-year deal. Last season in St. Pete, the rugged 29 year-old from Niagara, Ontario played his first full year achieving career highs in games (74) and penalty minutes with his 265 pacing the NHL, including a league-leading 33 fighting majors. Seven better than Ian Laperriere and eight more than current Ranger Brandon Prust. Team toughness was an issue for the Islanders with teams taking runs at John Tavares. With Konopka aboard, that should no longer be the case.

The Isles weren't done also adding former Ranger P.A. Parenteau. After spending much of his pro career in the AHL including three seasons with Hartford, the 27 year-old from Quebec finally got a shot faring alright on Broadway. In 22 games, the shootout specialist registered three goals and five assists for eight points. Three of the points came on the power play. Possessing decent speed and hands, Parenteau just might be a surprise for the Long Island club. He certainly knows how to finish as evidenced by a couple of memorable shootout winners, including one at Ottawa with his family in attendance. For P.A., it's a chance to show what he can do.

There are rumors that both the Islanders and Rangers may be interested in Alexander Frolov. Our nickname for him is Russian Enigma. Buyer beware.

Kovalchuk Still Deciding: As far as Ilya Kovalchuk, nothing new on the surface. Looks like it's a two horse race for the exciting Russian who overvalued the market. Will it be Hollywood which is much closer to Russia or Newark for the sniper? Much like LeBron in the NBA, we probably won't know until this Fourth of July weekend is out.

Prospal Re-ups

In between all the chaos of Glen Sather's latest folly that left all of TSN's panel throwing darts at our patheticness, it at least ended with some sanity as our teflon GM quietly re-signed Vinny Prospal. Supposedly, the 35 year-old versatile Czech forward who saw time with Marian Gaborik in his first year on Broadway took a discount. He's expected to earn over a million with added bonuses that could put him over two million.

Whatever the case, it's a sound move by Slats bringing back a good team guy who became one of its vocal leaders. Reunited with John Tortorella, he performed admirably finishing second in team scoring with 20 goals and 38 helpers for 58 points over 75 games. The fact he missed only seven speaks to his toughness as he played through pain. Prosp should return as an alternate captain. A spot he earned due to his strong relationship with the media. Win or lose, No.20 was always at his locker to answer questions.

For the Blueshirts, it concluded an interesting first day in July. One that saw Slats do everything right except the giant Derek Boogard blunder, which came in direct response to Jody Shelley bolting for Philly. Even off the ice, the Flyers still somehow push us around. Sad. If you can ignore the Boogard panic move, it actually was a good day with Sather filling a void by getting Martin Biron on the cheap to backup Henrik Lundqvist. He also re-signed Erik Christensen and got top prospect Derek Stepan under contract. A real key to the club's future. Hopefully, they won't put too much pressure on the 20 year-old playmaking pivot out of Wisconsin.

Perhaps it'll convince Stepan's college teammate and blueliner Ryan McDonagh to turn pro. He was the important piece acquired in last summer's Scott Gomez salary dump. It would be nice to get him signed. Sather must still re-sign Dan Girardi and key RFA Marc Staal. Failure to do so would only make things more bleak in what looks to be a strong division again.

There was also talk the Blueshirts may have interest in veteran Bill Guerin, who if he signed here would turn the trick having already played for the Devils and Islanders. If they add him, it wouldn't be bad because he's got plenty of experience and can aid the power play. Especially in front. Something this team's been devoid of for years.

We'll have to see what Day Two brings, including whether Ilya Kovalchuk chooses LA over New Jersey. Well, at least there could be some drama before Fourth of July weekend.

Devils sign Volchenkov, Tallinder and Hedberg

Well this certainly has been a busy day for the Devils so far and not all in the negative. Yes, I had the torch lit ready to descend on the Prudential Center when leading defenseman Paul Martin walked seemingly without much of a fight from the Devils to keep him - to the Penguins of all teams, for a reasonable salary of $5 million a year for five seasons to boot. Clearly our HOF general manager Lou Lamoriello had to make multiple moves to fill the gap.

Admittedly I wasn't too thrilled with ex-Sabre Henrik Tallinder when I first heard of his signing at four years and nearly $3.5 million per, especially given the fact he isn't a great puck-mover. However hearing that he was such a big influence on Calder winner and future Norris candidate Tyler Myers certainly helps, though I'll defer to our Sabres expert as to how good Tallinder actually is, but if he helps tutor at least one of our young guys (either fellow Swede Alexander Urbom or puck-mover candidates Tyler Eckford and Matt Taormina) I'll be okay with that.

Our big move (at least as of now) was yet to come and by big, I mean Anton Volchenkov from Ottawa, to the tune of six years and just over $4 million per, with the seemingly standard NTC. Volchenkov thrills me for two reasons, he's a big hitter and as good a shot blocker as they come. True the latter attribute hasn't always been appreciated by goaltender Martin Brodeur, who would rather not have his defensemen screen him to block shots.

However, given Brodeur's age and Volchenkov's obvious skill I do have some hope that the 'Brodeur rules' will be relaxed at least to an extent when the big Russian's on the ice. Somewhat amusingly Volchenkov's signing completed an odd, unofficial three-team 'swap' between the Devils, Penguins and Senators where the Penguins got Martin from us, we got Volchenkov from Ottawa and they got the aging Sergei Gonchar from the Penguins.

Another slight eye-opener was the signing of former Thrasher Johan Hedberg as Brodeur's latest caddy. Not only did the 37-year old Hedberg have a better year last year than you normally see from someone that signs here to be a sacrificial lamb on the bench but he also signed a $1.5 million deal (with incentives and a NTC of his own). So perhaps now that we have a veteran goalie who isn't making the league minimum, maybe just maybe Brodeur isn't going to play 77 games this year? One can only speculate.

And what of Ilya Kovalchuk, who's still on the market? While it's true the Devils have only around $5 million in cap space as of this moment, they can exceed the cap by a few million more until the regular season starts, and odds are at least one of our slow and slower defensemen (since Colin White has a NTC, Bryce Salvador's the more likely candidate) will have to be moved even if we don't need the cap space since it would be odd to have a defense with White, Salvador, Volchenkov and Tallinder - none of whom have any offensive skill to speak of.

While the smart money still favors the Kings among others in the Kovy sweepstakes it's interesting to note that Volchenkov and ex-Thrasher buddy Hedberg are both represented by Kovy's agent Jay Grossman. My interest is piqued, and no I don't believe the rubbish that signing Kovy means that we won't be able to re-sign Zach Parise in two years. First off, one way or another we'll have Brian Rolston's contract off the books by then, combine that number with Parise's current salary and we'll have more than enough room to sign him. Plus it's not exactly unprecedented for a team to have two highly paid offensive stars and still be able to ice a competitive team around them - see the Capitals, Penguins, Hawks and Wings for examples.

Either way I suspect we'll have an answer shortly as most of the big names do tend to sign on Day One of free agency and we're only at 6 PM on July 1.

Martin signs with Pens, Boogard a Ranger

The Devils worst fear has been realized. Paul Martin is a Penguin. While that might not seem as bad as say signing with us or the Flyers, just imagine No.7 playing alongside Cindy and Geno. It's enough to make you cringe.

After Pittsburgh landed Zbynek Michalek agreeing on a five-year, $20 million deal, it looked like Martin would still be available. Especially after a mix up on Twitter with some having Martin done when it was really Michalek. However, the Pens must've been desperate to replace Sergei Gonchar, inking the former Devil to a five year contract worth $25 million. Stunning to say the least. Not so much the money as it was in line with what the market was set at thanks to the Sens overpaying Gonchar. But that Martin landed in the Steel city to play for a bitter rival.

Just imagine what those games are going to be like next year. Yikes. I can only wonder what's on Hasan's mind right about now. I'm sure we'll get the particulars fairly soon. Mean time, I'm still in a state of shock over Glen Sather's latest boo boo, handing one-dimensional pugilist Derek Boogard a four year contract worth a reported $1.65 million-per-season. Are you freaking kidding? Appalling doesn't even begin to describe this monstrousity.

A year after Donald Brashear, our senile GM does the unthinkable. Signing a guy who can't skate a lick and hasn't scored a goal in four years. Only Slats could turn a promising start to July 1 into a sour day. Panic move much after Jody Shelley got three years at $1.1 million per from the Flyers?!?!?!?!?! At least the vet can take a regular shift.

I'm at a loss for words right now. Excuse me while I go to the park for a long walk to recover. In related news from a prior tweet:

BREAKING NEWS: #NYR just clinched last place in the Atlantic Division. When asked about it, Dolan and Slats laughed at the bank with LeBron.

Rangers sign Biron, Stepan, Gonchar A Sen

As the clock struck noon kicking off today's Free Agent Frenzy, the Rangers addressed backup goalie by signing vet Martin Biron. The former Sabre/Flyer/Islander agrees to a multi-year deal worth less than a million-per-season according to TSN's Bob McKenzie. From TSN, the 32 year-old netminder is said to be earning $875,000 each year.

Not bad as he comes cheap. Hopefully, Biron bounces back from his one season spent on Long Island in which he struggled as Dwayne Roloson's backup, going 9-14-4 with a 3.27 GAA and .896 save percentage. The former Sabre No.1 pick who once took the Flyers to the Conference Finals in '04 has plenty of experience and should be capable of filling in when Henrik Lundqvist needs a night off. He can certainly get into 20-25 games, making Henrik's life a little easier.

Considering how John Tortorella coaches, he has to feel totally confident in the backup to play him. Hopefully, Biron will make the decision easier. It does fill a void and also allows Chad Johnson to get another year at Hartford in the 'A.'

Blueshirts sign Stepan: Also of interest to fans wanting to see the club commit to youth, the club came to terms with prospect Derek Stepan. The 20 year-old former Badger who the club drafted 51st overall in 2008, had a big year for Wisconsin tying for the NCAA lead in assists (42) while netting 54 points in 41 games to establish career highs across the board.

In between leading his school along with Nashville prospect Blake Geoffrion and Ranger property Ryan McDonagh to the Frozen Four before falling in the championship to Boston University, the Hastings, Minnesota native captained Team USA to a WJC gold medal- leading all scorers with 14 points (4-10-14) while being tabbed a tournament All-Star. Now, Stepan looks to make the giant leap from college to the pros. Tortorella has hinted that he wants to give serious looks at the playmaking pivot, Evgeny Grachev and Dale Weise. We'll have to wait and see.

For the Rangers, it's a promising start to the summer. Now, they should turn their attention to getting Marc Staal and Dan Girardi re-signed. If Jody Shelley who rejected a two-year deal worth a reported $825,000 average per Larry Brooks bolts, the NY Post Ranger beat writer speculates that they could go after tough guy Derek Boogard. While I'd like to have Shelley back, Boogard would certainly fill the bill on toughness. Plus fan favorite Brandon Prust was tendered. Another possibility could be Adam Burish, who aside from dropping the gloves, can contribute a little as he proved on the Cup champion Hawks. Chicago continues to lose players, dealing away Kris Versteeg last night to Toronto in a five-player deal that included Viktor Stalberg. Looks like the Blackhawks could have a very different look this Fall.

Christensen Re-ups: Just coming over the wire, center Erik Christensen re-signed with the Rangers for two years after turning down a similar deal the other day. It isn't known what he received. We'll update.

A solid move bringing back the surprise waiver pickup who performed adequately. In 49 games, he netted eight goals and 18 helpers totaling 26 points. The 26 year-old from Edmonton decided it was best to stay put with the club that gave him a second life. Nice to see.


Gonchar A Sen: In other news, the first big name to sign was Sergei Gonchar, leaving Pittsburgh for Ottawa- agreeing to a three-year deal worth $5.5 million-per-season. Pretty pricey for the 36 year-old Russian vet who's started to break down. However, in just 62 contests last year, the power play QB registered 11 goals and 39 helpers for 50 points with more than half (30) coming via the PP. He should give the Sens' 22nd ranked power play a boost, re-teaming with former Pen 'mate Alex Kovalev.

A couple of other quick hits:

-Cgy signs F Alex Tanguay for 1-yr, $1.7 million
-Phi acquires D Andrej Meszaros from TB for a 2nd Rd Pick
-Phi re-signs D Braydon Coburn for 2 yrs, $6.4 M


Nothing new on Ilya Kovalchuk but Paul Martin is said to have a drawn a significant offer from an unnamed team.

July 1 Eve Musings

In less than six hours- well at least on the East coast, July 1 will finally arrive. What should be expected? By now, you know the drill. Expect the unexpected. Some mad team will overpay Dan Hamhuis, who at least won't have the dubious distinction of being Wade Redden. Best "first passer in the game" my ass. I hate you Slats! Tell ya one thing. Tinman better be off the roster this Fall. No ifs, ands or buts.

Mean time, those can toss darts on possible destinations for Ilya Kovalchuk. Picture logos involving the Devils, Leafs, Flames (yes, since they waived Dawes and bought out Ally), Kings along with half the KHL. No Rangers cause they're quite limited and must give bumps up to Marc Staal and Dan Girardi while searching for a backup goalie. Johan Hedberg is our wish. If Derek Stepan is signed, that also could be an encouraging sign for Wisconsin teammate Ryan McDonagh, who the club acquired a year ago today in the Scott Gomez deal. That would also mean taking our senile GM at his word along with Tort about giving kids a shot instead of following NYR tradition.

What will Lou Lamoriello decide? He's locked up David Clarkson for three more years at an average cap hit of 2.67 million. A good investment on the gritty do everything right wing. Tho the price could be classified overpayment. Clarkie must stay healthy which means less fights and continued increased offensive improvement. The real dilemma for the Devils is who they want back? Kovalchuk or D anchor Paul Martin? One won't cost a fortune but the other likely will be in the same market as Hamhuis, who's hoping someone gives him $5 million. Good luck buddy. If I'm Lou, I re-sign Martin and possibly target another D who can clear the crease. Defense has been an issue in recent playoff ousters. Perhaps it's time for the Devil architect to revamp a blueline that too often gets pushed around in primetime. We'll see what he's got up his sleeve.

The Devs bid adieu to Jay Pandolfo, who asked to be bought out so he could start fresh. The popular checking/PK forward had a superb career in New Jersey, helping the club win two Stanley Cups. That included a more prominent role in their most recent during '03 when Pando teamed with John Madden and Jamie Langenbrunner to form a dominant checking line that not only limited the opposition but also scored big goals that Spring. While it's true he's not what he once was, it's still sad to see a loyal teammate leave the only team he's known. Best of luck Jay.

What will the Islanders do? After surprisingly letting go of Sean Bergenheim, perhaps Garth Snow will look for more offense to help support John Tavares and Kyle Okposo. They did tender '09-10 revelation Matt Moulson along with Rob Schremp. Both again will be keys to the Islanders' success. However, much hinges on Tavares' improvement and whether Nino Niederreiter and D prospects Calvin de Haan and Travis Harmonic are ready. Captain Doug Weight returns along with youngsters Frans Nielsen, Josh Bailey and Blake Comeau. How much change will we see? Another scorer certainly couldn't hurt along with a bruising D to help protect the front of the net. Martin Biron likely departs with his former team Buffalo figuring to be in the mix. That could force Snow to go get another goalie. Especially with the continued uncertainty of Rick DiPietro. Possible targets are Alex Auld, Chris Mason and Patrick Lalime.

Meanwhile in Western New York, Darcy Regier is under the gun to re-sign Henrik Tallinder. Toni Lydman clearly was the weakest link and replaceable, which means Slats should be knocking down his door any minute. Are the Sabres bringing back Matt Ellis along with gritty vet Adam Mair? I probably would. Maybe Buffalo gets Ellis done and decides to go younger. Given what they saw from Tyler Ennis, figure the mini-dynamo to be a regular this Fall. Does Drew Stafford need a change? Can the Sabres contend with Derek Roy and Tim Connolly leading the charge? If Regier were smart, he'd get help for Thomas Vanek. And no. Not Raffi Torres. If they really wanted to cure their problems, they'd sign long-time killer Kovalchuk. But that's not in their budget and would tie up too much space. Perhaps someone under the radar like disappointment Patrick O' Sullivan might work. The 25 year-old went from a potential 30 goalscorer to being bought out by Phoenix after they acquired him from Edmonton for Jim Vandermeer. At 25, he's still young enough to turn it around. His career high in goals is 22 along with 53 points and 82 games- all achieved with LA in '07-08. Instead of building off it, he plummeted to 37 and 34 points respectively. He was due $2.925 million this season. Buyer beware.

So, what else is going on? Well, it looks like you can forget Evgeni Nabokov donning Halloween Flyers black and orange after they re-signed Michael Leighton for two years, $3.1 million. With Brian Boucher still around and prospect Johan Backlund waiting in the wings, the Flyers are all set. Likely destinations for Nabby are Washington or Atlanta. We think he'd prefer to play on a Cup contender, teaming with fellow Russians Alexander Ovechkin and Alex Semin. It would make sense. ... The Pens blueline could have a different look much of their corps on the market including vet anchor Sergei Gonchar. He showed some signs of slowing down last year and was nicked up. Committing long-term would be a mistake. The Pens also acquired Hamhuis' rights from rival Philly but the likelihood of it getting done are about the same chance you have of steering Megan Fox away from former 90210 star Brian Austin Green. She couldn't do better? ... In other news, the Preds acquired Sergei Kostitsyn from the Habs for Dan Ellis and Dustin Boyd. A deal that seems logical for both sides. Nashville needed scoring while Montreal a vet goalie who could help Carey Price. They still must sign Ellis. ... The Oilers let go of vet Ethan Moreau, who was quickly scooped up by Columbus, who'll assume the final year of a four-year contract at a cap hit of $2 million. The aging vet is a nice locker room presence who can serve as a fourth line energy guy. After a nice Oiler career, he moves to Ohio. ... Also of note, Mike Van Ryn announces that he will skip another season while Ottawa buys out Jonathan Cheechoo. In related news, crickets could be heard at their homes. ...

Finally, Rod Brind'Amour calls it a career moving into the Candy Canes' front office. Congrats to the classy 21-year vet pivot on an outstanding career that saw him finish with 452 goals and 732 assists for 1,184 points in 1,484 games. A tremendous worker who got the most out of his talent, developing into a two-way second line scoring pivot who finished his career with 28 shorthanded goals, winning consecutive Selkes in '05-06 and '06-07. Best remembered for the Keith Primeau deal, Brindy sure did well for himself in Raleigh helping turn Carolina into a Cup champ. While probably not a Hall Of Famer, he was easy to admire. Kudos to No.17. ... Meanwhile, Mike Modano just can't seem to make up his mind. A day after Dallas denied one more year for Mr. Star, they re-signed Krys Barch and Francis Wathier. Ouch. Maybe Modano will return to St. Paul where it all started. That'd be fitting. Personally, I feel he should retire a Star. Him in any other jersey wouldn't look right. No.9 will always forever be a Minnesota North Star/Dallas Star.

Devils re-sign Clarkson, waive Pandolfo and Peters

With just under eighteen hours left before the start of NHL's free agency, the Devils started the process of making over their roster by locking up RFA David Clarkson to a three year, $8 million deal. At face value the $2.66 million cap value seems a little high considering Clarky was coming off a down year, but when you factor in his obvious 20-goal, 100 PIM talent and grit on a team lacking in it, he was essential to keep. Plus Clarkson would have been a UFA after next season so buying out two UFA years does have its price.

Admittedly, a fractured right leg contributed to the 26-year old Clarkson having a bad stretch run and playoffs after his return from missing nearly half the season, but unlike some of the players who put on the jersey and skates last year you could still tell Clarkson wanted to play and do well. Going UFA wasn't something that appealed to the fan favorite, who expressed his desire to get a deal done on more than one occasion and was more than satisfied with the contract.

“I’ve enjoyed wearing the Devils’ jersey and to be able to come back for
three more years is exciting,” he said. “Me and my girlfriend really like
being there. It’s the place that gave me my first opportunity. I’m happy to
go back for three years.”

While general manager Lou Lamoriello ensured Clarkson's immediate future, he was saying goodbye to a couple of other members from last year's team - waiving enforcer Andrew Peters (who did not work out last season, to put it mildly) and long-time vet Jay Pandolfo, who will say goodbye to the only organization he's ever played for during a thirteen-year career with two Stanley Cups. According to Pandolfo, he requested to be let go and wasn't coerced into accepting a buyout.

“Definitely, it’s a sad way to end it,” Pandolfo said. “Obviously, it’s not the
way I wanted it to end, especially the way everything went down last year.
Having it end like this is really sad, but I guess that’s part of this business.
You can’t do much about it.”

Clearly Pando was past his prime, and the fact he was scratched for the majority of games after the Olympic break and - somewhat contreversially - for every playoff game as well reflects that. And his $2.5 million cap hit was surely something that was going to have to be dealt with one way or another. Perhaps he read the writing on the wall and took the classy way out. Some will believe Lou did coerce him despite the player's public denials, whatever the case hopefully the 36-year old will be able to catch on somewhere else and help another team...so long as it isn't against the Devils!

Almost forgotten in this wave of news was the Devils completing their coaching staff with a surprise hire of former great Adam Oates a couple of days ago. With Larry Robinson having returned for the five hundred and forty-second time to handle the defense and Chris Terreri remaining as goaltending coach, John MacLean alluded to wanting to hire an offensive coach as well. Enter Oates, who was one of the all-time great passers and faceoff men to play the pivot in the NHL and will surely help us in both categories, which were at or near the top of our weakest areas last year.

My last memory of Oates as a player in fact, was him whipping our butts on faceoffs and being one of the Ducks' best players in the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals despite being forty years of age by then. More recently he served on Rich Tocchet's staff in Tampa last year and oversaw a power play that finished in the top ten in the league. Johnny Mac alluded to not wanting to spill the beans over who he was looking at for assistant coach because of a fear some other team would scarf him up, and it turns out he wasn't just blowing smoke since for a rare time we went outside our own alumni (or the Montreal Canadiens') for a coaching hire and imo a good one at that.

Granted all of these moves are nice but what happens starting noon tomorrow will really be paramount in shaping the immediate future of the franchise. While I fully expect star scorer Ilya Kovalchuk to walk, particuarly after our first-round exit (I thought he might have been sincere enough to take a bit of a discount to win here if we showed we were still a top team last year, which we didn't) the status of Paul Martin is what looms largest. With the contracts middling defensemen have received, Martin with his talent can almost write his own check at this point - especially in a weak year for UFA's in general - and that's trouble for the Devils.

Especially since we didn't do him any favors last year by our mishandling of his injury that caused him to miss most of his walk season, not to mention the Olympics. Will that come back to haunt us tomorrow? If so, expect Lou to have to make a move to shore up our defense. Whether it's by signing Dan Hamhuis or Sergei Gonchar, which is unlikely - or trading for a Tomas Kaberle or Sheldon Souray (unfortunately it's far more likely we take on the injury-prone ex-Devil), either way Lou can't go into next season with a defense that has Andy Greene and Colin White as his top two. Not if we're going to try to win one more Cup with Martin Brodeur instead of starting the rebuilding process early.

Whatever happens stay tuned tomorrow, the history of NHL free agency since the lockout is that a whirlwind of activity happens in the first few days. Our sport's free agency is more entertaining than the far more ballyhooed free agency period in the NBA, which I've been sick of hearing about for the last few weeks. Late tomorrow night in fact, MSG will have a one-hour Hockey Night Live special between 11 and 12, recapping the first day of free agency. Not to mention for those of you with the NHL Network, you get a lot more coverage.

Islanders improve at Draft

It was a good weekend for one Battle club. While the jury is out on the Rangers' Dylan McIlrath gamble, Islander fans had to be pleased with what Garth Snow added to a mix that features John Tavares and Kyle Okposo.

Picking fifth overall in an unpredictable first round that saw both American defensemen Cam Fowler and Derek Forbort slip out of the top 10, the Islanders opted for offensive help by taking Swiss prospect Nino Niederreiter. The talented right wing teamed with Portland linemates Ryan Johansen and Bradley Ross to form a top scoring line that lit up the Western Hockey League (WHL) for 88 goals, including Niederreiter's 36 ranking second among rookies and tied for first with six game-winners. He finished with 60 points (36-24-60 in 65 GP) and 68 penalty minutes, earning 2nd All-Star Team WHL honors in the Western Conference.

Most notably, the 18 year-old who's listed at 6-2, 201 scored big goals, getting the winner to oust Russia in the WJC that advanced Switzerland to the semis against Canada. His six tallies and four helpers for 10 points paced all Swiss, earning a place on the All-Tournament team alongside Jordan Eberle (Edm) and Ranger prospect Derek Stepan. Not surprisingly, Nino also fared well in the WHL playoffs pacing Portland with eight goals while his 16 points ranked second.

No question the rising Swiss is a talented player who should please Islander fans for years to come. He combines strong skating with good skill and grit. This was one of my favorite players during the WJC because of how hard he competed. Ironically, I almost predicted Nino to the Isles figuring it would make sense to get Tavares support. Guess not everyone can be as psychic as good Ranger buddy Scotty Hockey, who nailed the McIlrath pick at 10. Props there.

"I'm trying to be a scorer one day. At the moment I think I'm a two-way player with some skills and also defensively. At the end I just want to be a goal scorer," Niederreiter expressed Saturday while also sounding genuinely excited about being the newest Islander.

"I think it was just great. I think the whole company is fantastic. Even the place where they play, and Long Island, I think it's just so great."

It's that kind of enthusiasm that should endear El Nino to Long Island.

Not only did Snow land Niederreiter but also went for potential by grabbing skilled Russian Kirill Kabanov with the club's third pick, tabbing him 65th overall. Once considered a lock to go in the top 10, the 18 year-old left wing plummeted due to uncertainties about his future. Firing your agent prior to the Draft ain't the wisest thing. With the KHL also a distinct possibility, that along with character issues is why he lasted so long. Will the 6-2, 173 pound Russian make other teams pay the price? He certainly has talent even if a month long negotiation for his release and a broken wrist limited him to only 22 games with Moncton of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). In his first 11 games, Kabanov totaled 14 of his 23 points (10-13-23).

In 2009 at the World Under 18 Championships, Kabanov tallied 11 points (4-7-11), placing third on Team Russia. He also once finished third in scoring at the World Under 17 Championships played in London, Ontario, which featured Matt Duchene, Evander Kane and Ryan O'Reilly. It's not a question of ability. The Islanders are banking on their potential third round steal to silence doubters with his play. When and if he signs, that day gets much closer.


The Islanders spent their other four picks on two centers, a defenseman and another goalie. Here's the breakdown:

2 (30th overall) C Brock Nelson  US       6-3 205
4 (82nd overall) C/LW Jason Clark US   6-2 180
5 (125th overall) D Tony Dehart US        6-2 187
7 (185th overall) G Cody Rosen CA        5-11 180

Bye Bye Sangs

Bobby Sanguinetti has found a new home. Maybe Raleigh will treat him better than how our team did. Showing the usual lack of patience after superhyping the kid from Trenton who they once took in the first round a few years ago. Though it may as well seem like a decade the way his stock plummeted in the organization.

Apparently, there was no chance to recover from Michael Del Zotto beating him out at camp last year. And Matt Gilroy impressed, giving Ranger fans false hope only to disappoint during his first NHL season. So, Sangs goes bye bye and hopefully, gets a real shot with the Candy Canes. The deal was consumated a short while ago while I was watching USA trailing Ghana at the half in World Cup play. The particulars:

NYR receive '10 Car 6th Rd Pick, Wsh '11 2nd Rd Pick
Car gets D Bobby Sanguinetti


Can anyone say dump much? To think that yet again, our organization went ga ga over another kid and then soured due largely to Tort to the tune that this was the best they could get back. Simply amazing. What did Sangs play in? All of 2 games? Actually, it's five. Well, that's an improvement over Hugh Specimen. Best of luck to Bobby. Here's hoping his first career goal comes against us at MSG. Oh. And you know it will. It's a Ranger Tradition.

Ahhh

Okay. I'm cool now. Me and Pop went for a four mile walk and it helped clear my head. All I can say is this kid better turnout good. It's true our D is softer than molasses and could have Hostess sponsor it. And he does sound/look tough. He says they won't regret it. Hey Rath, if you don't, the Ranger org will be feeling ours. :P I have to put a little faith in Gordie Clark, who's done an admirable job with our recent drafts.

Before I hop in a cold shower and change to head out, I just hope they know what they're doing. This was only Round 1. Tomorrow's a new day and a chance to continue addressing holes like the lack of offensive firepower. Let's see what Saturday brings.

Yeesh

How in the world did they pass on Cam Fowler? I can't believe he fell like a rock. It was all setting up to be a homerun. Imagine a blueline with Staal, Del Zotto, Fowler, McDonagh and Girardi (assuming re-signed). Heck. They could've traded the pick down and taken Tarashenko or Kuznetsov.

Instead, like a pile of bricks that is the Ranger franchise, they select Dylan McIlrath?!?!?!?!?! I could care less how tough he is. I don't care about his 19 fights. When you get a chance to take a Niedermayer-type who now oddly enough gets his Ducks jersey from him at the podium as No.12 overall, you take him! There was the familiar Pierre McGuire going ga ga over poor Fowler for sliding and praising the Ducks while ripping our loser team and other GMs who obviously forgot to take their med or had way too much scotch. I am flabbergasted.

Another example of NYRFail. Hence my tweet.


The magnitude of this royal suckage is too much. Arrrrrgh.