CJ Matthews Posted July 11, 2013 Report Share Posted July 11, 2013 I swear I'm not even kidding. Official press releases from the Devils and everything. New Jersey Devils @NHLDevils Official press release on #Kovalchuk's retirement: ow.ly/mSwLM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pattyy130 Posted July 11, 2013 Report Share Posted July 11, 2013 Well..NJ are gonna be lucky to have a high draft pick...Oh wait they don't haha. Feel bad for them. Steve Lloyd @Steve_Lloyd2m According to http://www.capgeek.com/recapture-calculator/?contract_id=2795&player_id=339&recapture_submit=set&retirement_year=2013™=0&acquiring_team=6&in_season_trade=-1&in_season_traded_year=2012&season_percentage=1&off_season_traded_year=2013 … the Devils will be dinged 250,000 in cap space until 2025 thru the new cap recapture rules in the CBA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDevilsGreg Posted July 11, 2013 Report Share Posted July 11, 2013 Here I was looking forward to next season and how well they would be playing, and then this bomb drops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cygnus X-1 Posted July 11, 2013 Report Share Posted July 11, 2013 Good riddance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DropkickMurphy8 Posted July 11, 2013 Report Share Posted July 11, 2013 LOL WOW! I literally just got the alert about this on my phone, and the first thing I did was taunt my friend who's a Devils fan. I can't believe this, that's insane. As a Rangers fan I'm happy the Devils are going to suck for a long time, but as a hockey fan? I can't say that I'm happy to see one of the best players in the league leave to go back to the KHL, and I also kind of feel bad for Devils fans because this toolbox waited until after the draft to announce his retirement, and that first rounder they traded for Schneider was essentially wasted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebiggoalie Posted July 11, 2013 Report Share Posted July 11, 2013 W T F?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenAnnesRevenge Posted July 11, 2013 Report Share Posted July 11, 2013 WTF!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flyers845 Posted July 11, 2013 Report Share Posted July 11, 2013 That's insane. Can't trust those Russian players Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DropkickMurphy8 Posted July 11, 2013 Report Share Posted July 11, 2013 That's insane. Can't trust those Russians Fixed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Girouxsalem Posted July 11, 2013 Report Share Posted July 11, 2013 Was so surprised to hear this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devilsguy Posted July 11, 2013 Report Share Posted July 11, 2013 As a Devils fan, Kovalchuk is now on the level of hatred being shown on twitter and FB by other Devils fans is beyond Avery, Parise, and even Mark Messier. Dark day for Devils fans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsl135 Posted July 11, 2013 Report Share Posted July 11, 2013 I also kind of feel bad for Devils fans because this toolbox waited until after the draft to announce his retirement, and that first rounder they traded for Schneider was essentially wasted. They get no pity from me on that front. They should have given up #29 last year. The only way they could give up a worse pick would be to win the Cup either this past year or next year. That was insanely stupid management on their part. Now they'll forfeit a good pick. It sucks for the fans though, that's for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenAnnesRevenge Posted July 11, 2013 Report Share Posted July 11, 2013 I'm am annoyed but I think there's more to this than just kovy retiring. He wanted to go home, and maybe Lou wanted to get rid of the contract (penalties etc excluded ) and saw an opportunity. It's stings more with the recent loss of parise, but depending on who we get to replace him this may not be as bad as it seems right now. I'm gutted as he's a great player but if your hearts somewhere else that hard to fight. I've learnt to always trust Lou. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thelonious Sphere Monk Posted July 11, 2013 Report Share Posted July 11, 2013 Kovalchuck = ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DropkickMurphy8 Posted July 11, 2013 Report Share Posted July 11, 2013 I'm am annoyed but I think there's more to this than just kovy retiring. He wanted to go home, and maybe Lou wanted to get rid of the contract (penalties etc excluded ) and saw an opportunity. It's stings more with the recent loss of parise, but depending on who we get to replace him this may not be as bad as it seems right now. I'm gutted as he's a great player but if your hearts somewhere else that hard to fight. I've learnt to always trust Lou. I have a strange feeling that he just didn't want to play for the Devils for the rest of his career and this was the way to get out of it. I feel like he'll spend a year in the KHL only to come back here and sign with the Kings or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenAnnesRevenge Posted July 11, 2013 Report Share Posted July 11, 2013 I have a strange feeling that he just didn't want to play for the Devils for the rest of his career and this was the way to get out of it. I feel like he'll spend a year in the KHL only to come back here and sign with the Kings or something. He does that...... Then full hatred. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScotiaCygnus Posted July 11, 2013 Report Share Posted July 11, 2013 More Russian prejudice... What a surprise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsl135 Posted July 11, 2013 Report Share Posted July 11, 2013 I have a strange feeling that he just didn't want to play for the Devils for the rest of his career and this was the way to get out of it. I feel like he'll spend a year in the KHL only to come back here and sign with the Kings or something. According to a post on Twitter, all 30 teams will have to approve him coming back. I'm sure at least one team (likely the Devils) would take issue with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lafountain Posted July 11, 2013 Report Share Posted July 11, 2013 As one of the bigger non Devil Kovalchuk fans that I know, just read this and was completely surprised. Though before the lockout ended, he did express an interest in staying in Russian but the agreement between the NHL and KHL pretty much prevented that from being an option this past season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DropkickMurphy8 Posted July 11, 2013 Report Share Posted July 11, 2013 According to a post on Twitter, all 30 teams will have to approve him coming back. I'm sure at least one team (likely the Devils) would take issue with that. I don't know how accurate that is, I remember when Nabokov came back he had to pass through re-entry waivers which is what caused the whole thing with him refusing to report to the Islanders. He had agreed to a deal with the Wings, but the Isles claimed him. Even if something changed with the new CBA, I can't see the Devils preventing the guy from playing here and earning a living because he decided to retired. I think they're happy to be out from under that contract. That deal was the hockey equivalent to the A-Rod deal with the Yankees, and I wish he would retire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brilliant! Posted July 11, 2013 Report Share Posted July 11, 2013 RDR²!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guam64 Posted July 11, 2013 Report Share Posted July 11, 2013 The Devils just rid themselves of a boat anchor contract paying a minimal penalty. They made out like bandits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redmosquito Posted July 12, 2013 Report Share Posted July 12, 2013 The Devils just rid themselves of a boat anchor contract paying a minimal penalty. They made out like bandits. Besides the lottery pick they are going to lose in the upcoming draft and their now anemic offense Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ConcreteCharlie Posted July 12, 2013 Report Share Posted July 12, 2013 Some Devils fans may be upset now and of course the anti-Russian xenophobes are going ape, but this is the best thing that could have possibly happened to the Devils. That contract was an increasingly heavy weight around their neck between the new CBA, the cap lowering, their individual financial situation and Kovalchuk's performance. Tremendous break for the Devs. Did it even really affect their plans this offseason? Perhaps they would have shelled out for Clarkson and not signed Clowe. I doubt it though, I mean they gave Danius Zubrus an extension that chewed up more than the annual gap between Clarkson and Clowe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYIJM29 Posted July 12, 2013 Report Share Posted July 12, 2013 According to a post on Twitter, all 30 teams will have to approve him coming back. I'm sure at least one team (likely the Devils) would take issue with that. I don't know how accurate that is, I remember when Nabokov came back he had to pass through re-entry waivers which is what caused the whole thing with him refusing to report to the Islanders. He had agreed to a deal with the Wings, but the Isles claimed him. Even if something changed with the new CBA, I can't see the Devils preventing the guy from playing here and earning a living because he decided to retired. I think they're happy to be out from under that contract. That deal was the hockey equivalent to the A-Rod deal with the Yankees, and I wish he would retire. I think it is if you retire and want to come back less than a year later the 30 NHL teams need to vote. Though, Im not 100% sure. Not even 50% sure. Didn't Lemieux comeback after retiring and everything was ok? I remember Brandon Sugden, a fighter, retired because his father was sick, and then the Isles invited him to the 07-08 or 08-09 camp. He needed all 30 teams to vote Yes so he could comeback and the RANGERS blocked it, eventually they worked it out and Sugden was invited to camp. The Isles cut/released him from the tryout and the rangers signed him. Nabby is a completely different animal. He didn't retire from the NHL. He just signed in the KHL. In the CBA, if you play overseas and try to comeback during a NHL season, you are subject to re-entry waivers. Same thing happened with Ryan O'Reily in Colorado. He was playing in the KHL and the NHL season started and he was still playing. If Colorado didn't match Calgary's offer sheet, ROR would have been subject to re-entry waivers. But since he remained on his same NHL team, he was not subject to waivers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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