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Ilya Kovalchuk

Trade Rumors: Georgiev, Sharks, Canadiens

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On Sportsnet’s “Saturday Headlines” segment last night, Elliotte Friedman made it very clear that trade talks are heating up and teams have begun issuing league-wide statements on where they stand ahead of next month’s trade deadline. The top story belongs to the New York Rangers, who have informed their competitors that they are willing to listen to offers for young goaltender Alexandar Georgiev. The team’s stance has changed in just a matter of days since recalling top goalie prospect Igor Shesterkin from the AHL, who proceeded to win his first two starts, including a 46-save performance on Thursday. Shesterkin, though an older prospect at 24, was actually an established superstar in the KHL before coming over this season and looks like the heir apparent to Henrik Lundqvist. Georgiev, still only 23, has performed well in three seasons with the Rangers, but doesn’t project to be the type of player that Shesterkin is, making him expendable. Both Lundqvist and Shesterkin are under contract through next season and the team cannot continuing carrying three goalies that whole time. Additionally, the Rangers have Adam Huska playing well in the AHL in his first pro season, Tyler Wall dominating the NCAA in his senior year at UMass Lowell, and 2018 second-round pick Olof Lindbom waiting in the wings in Sweden. It’s an embarrassment of riches in net for the Rangers’ organization and Georgiev looks like the odd man out.

With that said, New York will not give him away. Friedman reports that the asking price for Georgiev is a young roster forward or a pro-ready forward prospect. The Rangers are looking to add young building blocks up front and feel they can land one young asset by trading away another. Friedman stressed that the Rangers are just listening right now and will wait for a deal to their liking before moving Georgiev. The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reports that the Toronto Maple Leafs, New Jersey Devils, and San Jose Sharks are the teams rumored to be most interested in Georgiev, but are they willing to pay the asking price?

  • When it comes to the Sharks, the answer may be no. Friedman reports that the Sharks have let it be known that they are not willing to move any core pieces this season. Friedman cites the 2014-15 campaign, when San Jose last missed the playoffs, as management resisted a tear-down in that year as well and ended up going to the Stanley Cup Final the next season. The Sharks have many good pieces in place and believe they can be contenders again in 2020-21, so they will only entertain trade offers for impending free agents this season. Defenseman Brenden Dillon is a name that is very much in the rumor mill, while fellow blue liners Tim Heed and Radim Simek and forward Melker Karlsson will also be for sale. It remains to be seen whether the Sharks would be willing to move future Hall of Famers Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau or backup goalie Aaron Dell. Moving forward, the Sharks will have to address their issues in net, so perhaps the one exception to their rule about only moving rentals this season could be a deal a top prospect for a new goalie, but they could wait until the off-season to make a move.
  • Fans of the Montreal Canadiens don’t want their team to wait any longer to make a trade. The Habs are 2-7-1 in their past ten games and currently in 13th in the Eastern Conference, seven points back of a playoff spot with more games played than all but one of the teams ahead of them in the wild card chase. It seems like all hope is lost for this season, but Friedman reports that the team won’t be making a move any time soon. GM Marc Bergevin is being careful with his next steps, especially when his job could be on the line. He has told potential trade partners that he will wait until after the team’s pre-All-Star break meetings to make a move. Meanwhile, the Canadiens are about to play four games in six nights, during which suitors can see more from potential trade chips, but with those players exposed to the risk of potential injury as well. Montreal will have their “bye week” leading up All-Star weekend, giving Bergevin and company plenty of time to discuss their options, but there is no telling how the trade market could change in the meantime. Eventually, the team will make a decision on their direction in the coming weeks, but there is no expectation as to what that might be. Some have speculated that they could play it safe, opting to deal expiring contracts like grinders Nate Thompson, Dale Weise, and Matthew Peca and recent additions Ilya Kovalchuk and Marco Scandella. Others believe that the team is eyeing a complete rebuild and could move Tomas Tatar, Jonathan Drouin, or Jeff Petry or even ask Carey Price and Shea Weber if they would like to move on. Only time will tell, but that time will come a little bit later than some have hoped.

Trade Rumors: Calgary, Baertschi, Sandin

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The Calgary Flames recently opened up significant salary cap space by trading away veteran forward Michael Frolik and his $4.3MM cap hit. The move occurred on Thursday and by Saturday the word was out that Calgary GM Brad Treliving was already on the hunt to fill that space. The Flames would like help up front and now have nearly $5MM to make and addition or perhaps even two. However, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that Treliving and company are not interested in the rental market. The team’s preference is to add a player with term as opposed to using up their newfound cap space on a short-term commitment, especially as they continue to sit outside the playoff picture in the Western Conference. Friedman feels that, if the Flames are comfortable with Elias Lindholm remaining at center, their trade focus will be on adding a right wing. While it is often hard to predict which term players may be available, some top-six right wing options that Calgary can afford and may be available could include New Jersey’s Kyle Palmieri, Montreal’s Joel Armia, Anaheim’s Ondrej Kase, or the Rangers’ Pavel Buchnevich. Of course, the team could also look into negotiating an extension with an available rental prior to making a deal, which would open up options like L.A.’s Tyler Toffoli or Florida’s Mike Hoffman or Evgenii Dadonov.

  • While one might assume that the Montreal Canadiens, currently in 13th in the Eastern Conference, would be sellers this season, the team proved otherwise this week by acquiring defenseman Marco Scandella and signing forward Ilya Kovalchuk. Friedman reports that the team was also considering Vancouver Canucks forward Sven Baertschi before pulling the trigger on Kovalchuk, although continued interest cannot be completely ruled out. It’s easy to forget about Baertschi’s availability, as the Canucks have kept him buried in the AHL for all but six games this season and have performed fine without him, currently riding the league’s longest winning streak in fact. Baertschi, who recorded 106 points in 216 games with the Canucks over the past four seasons, has been slowed by injuries in his career but productive when healthy. He has shown as much this year, scoring at an elite pace in the AHL. The risk-reward winger cleared waivers earlier this season, but as he continues to stay healthy and score in the minors, the Canadiens will not be the only team with interest. If Vancouver is willing to retain part of Baerstschi’s $3.367 cap hit through next season, that will only increase the likelihood that another team opts to take a chance on him.
  • While there has been some speculation that the red-hot Toronto Maple Leafs could turn to the trade market to add depth on the blue line, especially in light of recent injuries, Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston believes that the team may opt to fill the void internally instead. With Rasmus Sandin excelling overseas at the World Junior Championship, Johnston believes that Toronto’s opinion on playing the young defenseman this season has changed. Johnston does not believe that keeping Sandin under ten games of NHL action, so as to allow his entry-level contract to slide one more year, is a priority anymore for the team. He believes that when Sandin returns to Toronto, he will become a viable option for the remainder of the season. Sanin has already played in four games this season, so it would not take much time for him to burn the first year of his contract, but it may be worth it if the Leafs can solidify their back end.

Atlantic Notes: Red Wings, DeMelo, Clifton, Kovalchuk

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Heading into the season, it looked as if veteran defensemen Mike Green and Trevor Daley were going to be two of Detroit’s better trade chips heading towards the trade deadline.  However, as MLive’s Ansar Khan points out, both veterans have struggled mightily this season.  Green hasn’t provided the Red Wings with the offense he once did while Daley has dealt with three separate injuries and hasn’t done much when he has been healthy.  They’re Detroit’s top-paid defensemen (Green at $5.375MM and Daley at $3.167MM) and at this point, they may have to pay down a good chunk of the rest of their deals to find a taker.  They can cover up to half of the contract and have not used any of their three retained salary slots yet.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • Senators defenseman Dylan DeMelo is aiming to return to the lineup on Tuesday from his broken finger, notes Postmedia’s Ken Warren (Twitter link). He sustained the injury back on December 13th against Montreal.  The 26-year-old is in the final year of his contract and could be a potential trade candidate in the coming weeks for a team looking for defensive depth assuming that he’s able to return and stay healthy between now and then.
  • The Bruins have transferred defenseman Connor Clifton to injured reserve, reports Matt Porter of the Boston Globe (Twitter link). The move opens up a roster spot which will be filled by Steven Kampfer who is back with the team per the AHL’s Transactions page.  Kampfer had only been sent to Providence on Friday.
  • While the Canadiens expect Ilya Kovalchuk to arrive in town today, GM Marc Bergevin told reporters including Stu Cowan of the Montreal Gazette that it’s not likely that he’ll be available to play tonight against Pittsburgh as they’re in the process of getting him a work visa. Even though he hasn’t played in nearly two months, it doesn’t sound as if he’ll get a conditioning stint to get back into playing shape and will instead debut with Montreal as soon as the paperwork clears.

Montreal Canadiens Sign Ilya Kovalchuk

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Another NHL team has taken a chance on Ilya Kovalchuk. The Montreal Canadiens announced a contract for the enigmatic Russian sniper, signing Kovalchuk to a one-year, two-way contract worth $700K at the NHL level. The deal is worth the minimum at both the NHL and AHL level, limiting the risk involved with signing the former Los Angeles King.

Kovalchuk, 36, comes to the Canadiens after agreeing to a mutual contract termination with the Kings that saw him walk away from several million dollars. Getting that kind of money again was never going to be in the cards, but by agreeing to a minimum-salary contract Kovalchuk at least signals that he’s motivated by the hockey opportunity that is available with the Canadiens.

That opportunity is immediate after Montreal announced that Brendan Gallagher is out indefinitely with a concussion. While the two play very different games, Kovalchuk can perhaps help to bring some of the goal scoring the team lost when Gallagher went out. There is reason to believe that even at an advanced age, the former KHL star can still put the puck in the net.

While he never fit with the Kings, clashing with coaches and failing to bring the production expected of a player earning $6.25MM per season, Kovalchuk still does have a wicked shot and nose for the net. In 64 games last season he recorded 16 goals and 34 points, and had nine points in his first 17 games this season before being removed from the lineup in November. That huge gap in playing time will be a difficult one to overcome, though he did stay with the Kings and continued practicing for a month before the termination came to pass.

The simple fact for Montreal right now is that they need to do something to try and get back on track. After sitting in a playoff spot through much of the early part of the season, the Canadiens are now sixth in the Atlantic Division and have lost their last four games. An 18-17-6 record isn’t going to cut it and if they want any sniff of the postseason they’ll have to start scoring more goals.

At this point there is very little risk for the Canadiens, but Marc Bergevin explained the situation from Kovalchuk’s point of view very succinctly at his press conference today (via Eric Engels of Sportsnet):

He has to buy in. It’s his last chance.

Ilya Kovalchuk Now Ineligible To Play In KHL This Season

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While Ilya Kovalchuk is looking for his next place to play, we now know one place that he won’t be suiting up down the stretch and that’s the KHL.  Sport-Express’ Igor Eronko notes (Twitter link) that the deadline for him to sign in that league came and went today without a deal in place which makes him ineligible to play there for the rest of the season.

Kovalchuk has been believed to be seeking another NHL team so the fact that this window has come and gone would seemingly suggest that there’s at least some progress being made on a contract.  The unrestricted free agent is believed to have a few suitors although he’ll likely be looking at a league minimum deal or close to it.  If and when that happens, the Kings will not receive any cap relief on the $6.25MM that remains on their books.

The 36-year-old was relatively productive when he was in the lineup with Los Angeles earlier this season, collecting three goals and six assists in 17 games.  However, with the style of play getting faster and faster, Kovalchuk may not be an ideal fit for a lot of teams as he fares better with a bit slower of a pace.

Although his chance to go back home has come and gone, there’s still a long way to go before he gets into that situation in the NHL.  The deadline for him to sign an NHL deal and be playoff eligible is the February 24th trade deadline.

Five Key Stories: 12/16/19 – 12/22/19

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The days leading up to the NHL’s Holiday Roster Freeze are always full of potential for big moves by teams looking to make a change before a stretch of mandatory inactivity. This year did not disappoint, as the biggest target on the rental market was dealt, highlighting a busy week. Here are the five biggest stories of the past week:

Taylor Hall Traded To Arizona: The week started with a bang, as the Taylor Hall saga came to an end with a trade to Arizona. The Coyotes sent a 2020 first-round pick, a conditional 2021 third-round pick, and prospects Nate Schnarr, Nick Merkley and Kevin Bahl to the Devils. New Jersey retained half of Hall’s $6MM cap as well. Hall was the top name in the rental market this season, but many were left underwhelmed by the trade return. The asking price may have been affected by Hall’s reluctance to negotiate an extension in-season, which he has maintained since arriving in the desert. Nevertheless, the Coyotes’ acquisition could make them the favorite to win the Pacific Division this year as they pursue the franchise’s first Stanley Cup.

Ilya Kovalchuk Leaves Kings: Veteran Ilya Kovalchuk is on the move as well, but his destination is yet to be determined. He and the Los Angeles Kings came to a mutual agreement on a contract termination on Monday, with Kovalchuk clearing unconditional waivers on Tuesday. The former superstar never fit with the Kings after returning from the KHL and could be tempted to return to Russia after this failure. However, he is reportedly willing to sign a minimum deal to remain in the NHL as he too is pursuing his first Stanley Cup, without much time left in his lengthy career.

Eric Comrie, Stefan Noesen Claimed: Three players entered the waiver wire on Wednesday and two emerged on new teams. Both goaltender Eric Comrie and forward Stefan Noesen were claimed on waivers. For Comrie, he returns to the Winnipeg Jets, the team with which he began the season, after making stops with the Arizona Coyotes and Detroit Red Wings. Meanwhile, Noesen only signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins a few weeks ago, but is already on the move to the San Jose Sharks. Austin Czarnik, the most accomplished player waived on Wednesday, but also the most expensive, was not claimed and remains with the Calgary Flames.

The Injury Bug Bites: Injuries are not exactly an uncommon occurrence in the NHL, but this week in particular took a heavy toll across the league. Just how bad was it? Here is the list of players who were announced this week as being out long-term: Josh Anderson, Danny DeKeyser, Troy Terry, Derek Grant, Andrew Peeke, Ryan Murray, Darcy Kuemper, Jason Zucker, Josh Leivo, Brandon Saad, Cal Clutterbuck, Anthony Mantha, and Oliver Bjorkstrand. 

Chris Snow Diagnosed With ALS: Calgary Flames Assistant General Manager Chris Snow has been diagnosed with ALS, as disclosed by his wife in a public letter. As Snow begins this difficult battle, we here at PHR wish he and his family the best this holiday season.

 

Ilya Kovalchuk Leaves Los Angeles Kings

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Tuesday: Kovalchuk has cleared unconditional waivers according to LeBrun, meaning he’ll now see his contract terminated and become an unrestricted free agent. Igor Eronko of Sport-Express reports that Kovalchuk wants to join an NHL contender and is willing to take the minimum salary of $700K. The Boston Bruins, who were one of the teams that pursued Kovalchuk when he was returning from the KHL, are said to have some interest.

Monday: Now that his final signing bonus chunk has been paid, Ilya Kovalchuk is expected to leave the Los Angeles Kings, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. The veteran forward would then be in breach of his contract, leading to a termination. That series of events would not remove the $6.25MM cap hit from the Kings’ books for this year or next, but would mean they don’t have to pay him the rest of his $700K salary this season, or the $4.25MM due in 2020-21. As LeBrun explains, a termination would leave him an unrestricted free agent able to sign with any other NHL team.

Kovalchuk, 36, was removed from the Kings’ lineup more than a month ago and has played in just 17 games this season. Once a brilliant goal scorer and one of the elite offensive weapons in the NHL, he has just 19 goals and 43 points in 81 games since returning from the KHL in 2018. Those totals have come along with a -36 rating and poor defensive play, though could now still drive interest around the league as a potential mid-season addition.

Given that he has already earned a huge portion of the three-year, $18.75MM deal he signed with the Kings in 2018, Kovalchuk could potentially sign a much more inexpensive contract for the rest of this season. As a powerplay option and scoring threat on a cheap deal, he could provide some excess value to a contender this year.

It is important to note that the KHL has also made a significant push to bring Kovalchuk back to Russia, though it has been reported that he wishes to stay in the NHL if possible.

Latest On Ilya Kovalchuk

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After the Los Angeles Kings removed Ilya Kovalchuk from the lineup a month ago, the rest of the hockey world has waited to see what would happen to the veteran forward. With a signing bonus payment due on December 15th, there should be some clarity coming this weekend. Igor Eronko of Sport-Express tweeted today that the rest of Kovalchuk’s contract could be terminated after that, and even with considerable interest from the KHL, the forward wants to stay in the NHL.

Even after the bonus payment this weekend, Kovalchuk’s contract is still significant. The deal stretches through the 2020-21 season and still has more than $4.25MM on it. His cap hit of $6.25MM meanwhile will stay on the Kings’ books even with a termination, thanks to the contract being signed after he was 35. All of this makes a termination a messy conclusion to a marriage that simply hasn’t worked.

Leaving the KHL to return to the NHL in 2018, Kovalchuk was pursued by several teams and eventually signed a three-year, $18.75MM with the Kings. When he scored 14 points in his first 14 games while averaging nearly 19 minutes a night, it looked like the old Kovalchuk was back and ready to take over the NHL once again. Things quickly went south however when John Stevens was fired and Willie Desjardins took over the coaching duties, with the winger going scoreless in an 11-game stretch and finding himself on the fourth line playing just a handful of minutes each night.

Kovalchuk ended with 34 points on the season last year in 64 games, and has nine in 17 before being removed this time around. The 36-year old has remained with the club through it all though, attending practices and sitting in the press box to watch the games he wasn’t in.

If the contract does get terminated, you can bet that someone else will at least take a chance on Kovalchuk on a short-term, low-money deal. The Boston Bruins and San Jose Sharks showed interest in him during the free agent process, but it is not clear who will be after him this time around.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Pacific Notes: Coyotes, Ritchie, Nugent-Hopkins, Kovalchuk

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With hints that the Arizona Coyotes are interested in acquiring New Jersey Devils star Taylor Hall, The Athletic’s Craig Morgan (subscription required) confirms that the team is interested, but general manager John Chayka also has made it clear that he likes his roster as would prefer to keep his roster in tact. However, if the team continues to perform well, the GM might be willing to make a big splash.

“I view each season as sacred,” Chayka said. “Any time you get a chance to make a push, you have to look to do that. When players have earned that right and are serious about making a push — if they’re doing their job then I’ve got to do my job. If these guys keep playing hard and playing well, then yeah, I think it’s going to force us to make some additions to this team.”

Chayka might prefer to move picks and prospects in a deal for Hall rather than break up the team. However, Morgan does add that there are a few prospects that are off limits, including Barrett Hayton, Victor Soderstrom and Jan Jenik.

  • While there is nothing official on the severity of his injury, Anaheim Ducks head coach Dallas Eakins said that the injury that forward Nick Ritchie sustained Friday against the Washington Capitals “does not look very good,” according to The Athletic’s Eric Stephens. Ritchie injured his knee after sustaining a late hit from the Capitals’ Radko Gudas and Ritchie had trouble putting weight on his leg as he left the ice, suggesting the injury could be long-term.
  • The Edmonton Oilers look to be getting back a familiar face as the team announced that forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will return to the ice Sunday against the Buffalo Sabres. Nugent-Hopkins has missed the past six games with a hand injury. Nugent-Hopkins has five goals and 16 points in 25 games.
  • Little has changed for the Los Angeles Kings Ilya Kovalchuk, who has not appeared in a game since Nov. 9, according to The Athletic’s Lisa Dillman (subscription required). Regardless, Kovalchuk has continued to practice and travel with the team and has maintained a positive attitude despite sitting in the press box. “The situation with Kovy is a tough one for everybody,” Kings head coach Todd McLellan said. “I can tell you that he’s been outstanding. Kovy’s situation has nothing to do with him as a person or his work ethic or anything like that. He’s outstanding. He works as hard as anybody right now.

 

Snapshots: Hathaway, Zykov, Kovalchuk

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It’s not clear what punishment if any Garnet Hathaway will receive from the league for spitting at Erik Gudbranson last night, but Washington Capitals GM Brian MacLellan told reporters including Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet that a suspension is possible. (Update: Hathaway will have a hearing on Wednesday morning) The Capitals are preparing to make some roster moves to accommodate the potential discipline.

Hathaway was involved in a fight with several Anaheim Ducks players after Brendan Leipsic landed a big hit, and ended up spitting at Gudbranson while the officials separated them. The incident came with a match penalty that includes an automatic review of the situation and potential suspension. For a team like the Capitals that are pushed right up against the salary cap ceiling, even losing a player like Hathaway (who carries a $1.5MM cap hit) creates a tricky situation.

  • There was a familiar face at the Vegas Golden Knights morning skate today, as Valentin Zykov re-joined the group after serving the first part of his suspension. Zykov was suspended 20 games for testing positive for a banned substance, but is allowed to return to practice ten days before the end of it. He is eligible to return to game action on November 29th against the Arizona Coyotes.
  • It has been widely reported that Ilya Kovalchuk is due a portion of his signing bonus on December 15th, and Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic clarifies exactly how much will be paid out. Kovalchuk will earn another $2.65MM that day, at which point there will be less than $5MM total remaining on his $18.75MM contract.

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