Thrashers’ uncertain future may contribute to Kovalchuk’s exit
Odds are that Ilya Kovalchuk will be celebrating goals for another team soon.
There is an undercurrent in the Ilya Kovalchuk negotiations that goes far beyond what most protracted player-management negotiations eventually come down to, which is, of course: “Pay me like I’m great, because I am,” countered immediately by, “You’d be a lot greater if we could find a helmet to fit over your inflated, blimpy head.”
And that undercurrent is this: Hockey’s uncertain future in Atlanta.
If the Thrashers can’t re-sign Kovalchuk – and I now believe the chances of a deal are just this side of dead — it will be at least in part because of the backdrop of ownership’s uncertain long-term commitment to hockey and the possibility of the franchise being sold and moved during the period of Kovalchuk’s contract.
This has become abundantly clear, especially given Kovalchuk’s recent comments about desiring to spend the rest of his career in Atlanta, and Waddell’s contention that these talks are all about money. If Waddell believes that all Kovalchuk cares about is money, he’s failing to recognize that it’s the only thing the player can control.
I don’t blame Kovalchuk if he’s asking for a max contract (annual salary equal to 20 percent of the team’s cap, or currently about $11 million) for probably 10 to 12 years.
I also wouldn’t blame Waddell (or ownership) if they say, “We can’t do that,” and Kovalchuk ends up being traded before the deadline. The real problem is what led to all of this.
Years of mismanagement and/or neglect ran down a franchise in a second-chance NHL market, where commissioner Gary Bettman desperately wants hockey to succeed. Even with matters at the Atlanta Spirit somewhat stabilizing (emphasis on somewhat), the Steve Belkin vs. non-Belkins matter is not yet closed. Ultimately, Belkin likely will be out of the picture. Rumors persist that the remaining owners will be looking to sell the team (something they’ve long denied). Problem: Finding an owner who would keep the team in Atlanta is not going to be easy, especially in this economy.
Back to Kovalchuk. He and his wife, Nicole, have two children and a third on the way. They’re settled. When Kovalchuk says his first choice is to stay here, I believe him. (When Marian Hossa said it, I laughed inside.)
A player can ask for a no-trade clause in his contract. But he can’t ask for a clause that reads, “If the franchise relocates to Winnipeg or Quebec, the player can opt out.” Doesn’t work that way. And I would like to see the look on the face of the next owner when the Thrashers tell him, “Well, we can bring Todd White with us but not Kovalchuk.”
Kovalchuk can’t be guaranteed of anything: 1) That the Atlanta Spirit will keep the team and spend to keep and acquire players (according to NHLnumbers.com, the Thrashers rank only 23rd out of 30 teams in payroll); 2) That anybody who purchases the team will keep it in Atlanta and also spend to compete.
Look at the past. Look at the present. Look at the future. There is no reason for Kovalchuk to feel comfortable.
The only thing he can control is his salary. (And by the way: Do you really believe the difference in him making $9 million and $11 million next season will be the difference in whether the Thrashers are successful or not, given what we’ve witnessed?) Given everything, and the fact he is staring at unrestricted free agency, why would he not ask for the most he can get? Would he get it on the open market? Probably yes. It only takes one big-market team to jump (New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Toronto, or maybe star-crazed Los Angeles).
Even if Kovalchuk’s next deal falls short of the max, he still can control where he signs. He can pick a stable franchise, one that he believes is committed to winning — and staying put.
The Thrashers offer no guarantees. Please excuse Kovalchuk if he wants something more.
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91 comments Add your comment
The first first
December 30th, 2009
2:54 pm
This might be the first first worth mentioning when it comes to hockey in Atlanta.
The first first
December 30th, 2009
2:55 pm
Legitimate chance at the Stanley Cup or easy access to The Varsity?
Decisions, decisions.
Jeff Schultz
December 30th, 2009
3:06 pm
The first first — Would that be the first with a bullet?
GWH Rich
December 30th, 2009
3:13 pm
Spirit should change their names to SPirit Killers, since they’re slowly doing that to this hockey fan.
DanTheMan
December 30th, 2009
3:15 pm
I would forgive Ilya for pursuing his career elsewhere… However i would not forgive him for telling the world he would like to stay in Atlanta and how great the city has been to him etc.
That’s what we call “Pulling a Hossa”. If you’re going to say things like that, better back up your words with some actions. Right now, that’s now what i see. If the rumors are true, asking for the top salary is just basically a disguised trade request. So if they don’t sign him, the blame goes to Waddell and the Thrashers not on Ilya.
CrazyVol
December 30th, 2009
3:15 pm
Hey Schultz!!!!!!!!!! How come every paper in the country is talking about Leach getting canned and you talking about the Thrashers????
Lets get with it your making the paper look bad.
Payner17
December 30th, 2009
3:16 pm
Jeff…what you say is all true. However, although I do not want Kovy to leave, I’d still rather sign 3-4 $3 mill guys than one Kovy for the same price. He can score goals, but the rest of his game is lacking. I understand the “face of the franchise” thing, but I hope to see him moved soon while we can get something for him.
DanTheMan
December 30th, 2009
3:18 pm
[follow up on my post]…. So if they don’t sign him, the blame will go on Waddell and the Thrashers not on Ilya although it was clear from the beginning of negotiations that Ilya wanted to split.
I still hope the rumors are false and that somehow Waddell and Spirit will find a way to erase any doubts of relocation. As far as money goes, i say pay him what he wants. Clear some cap space with Kozlov and Armstrong and go from there.
DanTheMan
December 30th, 2009
3:25 pm
It’s funny to hear people talking about Kovalchuk’s contract being too big and that it would bog down the team salary in 7 or 10 years when Kovalchuk starts to underachieve. It’s in 7 years!!!! This franchise needs results right now. You can only look ahead for the next 3 to 4 years anything beyond that is a bit stupid IMO. The salary cap might as well be 100 million in 10 years… the average salary might be 8 million in 10 years… so what difference would it make to pay Kovalchuk 10 or 11 million if the cap does get that high?
There are rumors of the cap going down in the short future… If so, then all teams are going to suffer… thing of the Penguins, Blackhawks and the Capitals that have those big names and big contracts on their hand.
PMC
December 30th, 2009
3:27 pm
“years of mismanagement and or neglect” – and yet the guy at the helm Don Waddell is still in the doldrums and still making decisions?
REALLY? If they don’t retain thier best player in the history of this dreadful franchise what’s the point of trying to keep it here???
Darkhorse
December 30th, 2009
3:30 pm
I hope Waddell goes if Kovy does. Might be a small sliver of a silver lining.
Darkhorse
December 30th, 2009
3:33 pm
If the team was a winner on the ice, the relo talk would surface only occasionally. But I guess we would have to live in the twilight zone for that to be reality?
The Real Thrash
December 30th, 2009
3:35 pm
There is no evidence that Kovy wants to leave. What he wants is be paid for his worth which is what we all want! I am still amazed at Atlanta’s so-called hockey fans. They complain about salaries of players while siding with the team being 23th in salary spending. They wonder why we don’t win and it’s because we accept ineptitude by that same management. And we wonder why the team is moving out of town!
matt r
December 30th, 2009
3:36 pm
I so badly wish ajc columnists would stop rewarding the FIRST people. Maybe then they would go away and I wouldn’t have to scroll through ten posts of attention-seekers (which I am certainly not even though I am commenting on a blog… right?).
The Real Thrash
December 30th, 2009
3:46 pm
The team has not won because of the GM and ownership. You have to invest in the team and a core of proven players. The Thrashers have never done that. We compete on a shoestring, and the record of the team shows it.
Hillbilly Deluxe
December 30th, 2009
3:56 pm
Things look a lot like they did in 1979-80. Atlanta has lost one hockey team and I feel like I’ve seen this movie before. If you want to draw, you have to put a competitive team on the ice, at least every couple years or so.
Russ, the Temporary Mascot
December 30th, 2009
4:03 pm
At least they won’t paint his a$$. I say pay him the money and let him remain. Going with a temp is good for no one. They want somebody with a perfectly white a$$ and you just want a little respect. Kovy will be back with the Thrashers and Coach Willie will be coming back to Athens with a raise.
Russ, the Temporary Mascot
December 30th, 2009
4:10 pm
I left a little something Between the Hedges today. It’s payback for painting my a$$ white in Shreveport. I was never so humiliated. Did they do the same thing to the two temporary coaches? What kind of school paints a dog’s a$$? I hope they have to give Coach Willie a raise to get him back. No big time DC is going to be associated with a$$ painting a dog.
ChippersLoveChild
December 30th, 2009
4:43 pm
I’m tired of discussing this. Whatever happens, happens. This topic has been beaten to death among Thrasher fans, time to move on to the next chapter. Either get the deal done or move on. And how about holding the owners more accountable, Jeff? Instead of just writing a piece about how terrible they are, why not go to them and confront them about this? I know it isn’t always that easy, but surely you could get something out of them. I mean Gearon responded to the Forbes piece, I think he might give you something on Kovy, the product they put on the ice, and relocation, no?
sam
December 30th, 2009
4:53 pm
wait a minute…atlanta has a hockey team?
Jeff Schultz
December 30th, 2009
5:09 pm
DanTheMan — It’s called business. He can want to stay here, but should he shortchange his earning potential if he can get something somewhere else? It’s the same in any vocation.
Supes
December 30th, 2009
5:10 pm
Pay Kovy his MONEY and keep him here.
The Spirit Group are the worst NHL owners this side of the Mississippi!
Ilya Kovalchuck is the ATL Thrashers.
Jeff Schultz
December 30th, 2009
5:10 pm
Crazy Vol — Wrote about Leach Tuesday in Countdown. The firing was easy to see coming. And I work for a paper in Atlanta, not Lubbock. Plus, some things are news stories but not necessarily great blog material. I’ve already weighed in on Leach — nothing new to say. Enough?
Mike Vick Kisses Trouser Snakes
December 30th, 2009
5:11 pm
If Ted Turner still owned this beloved NHL franchise, we wouldn’t even be having this discussion.
IF……
[Sigh]
Jeff Schultz
December 30th, 2009
5:12 pm
Payner17 — I understand the 3 $3 million guys argument. But ultimately I think every team in every sport needs a go-to guy. And I think in markets like Atlanta in particular, the hockey franchise needs a face.
Jeff Schultz
December 30th, 2009
5:14 pm
DanTheMan — You make a great point about today, not seven years from now. And I can’t believe the cap is going to go down, regardless of the rumors.
Jeff Schultz
December 30th, 2009
5:14 pm
PMC — agreed.
Jeff Schultz
December 30th, 2009
5:14 pm
Matt R — Reward? It’s not like I’ve written anybody a check, ya know?
Sonny Clusters
December 30th, 2009
5:16 pm
Jeff, we was wondering if there is any Braves news we can blog about? Clusters never played hockey or basketball (can’t jump) but Clusters played a lot of baseball. We was noticing they is some talk about trading Melky Cabrera and we think if they do they should try and get a strong armed corner outfielder with a local following.
Jeff Schultz
December 30th, 2009
5:16 pm
Russ — There’s a certain consistency to your posts. I admire that. But maybe a painted a– could be an alternate third jersey?
Jeff Schultz
December 30th, 2009
5:18 pm
ChippersLoveChild — I’ve confronted AS several times about issues, including Thrashers’ payroll. I have all of their answers memorized if you want to ask me a question.
Jeff Schultz
December 30th, 2009
5:20 pm
Sonny — We wuz thinking the Thrashers have never had a player named Melky. Can he skate?
lanier
December 30th, 2009
5:21 pm
if i was kovy i would run from this situation. like hockey and having a home team but this has been a disaster both from record and ownership since 1999
Russ, the Temporary Mascot
December 30th, 2009
5:27 pm
Well, Jeff . . . Damon has already said there’d be no more uniform surprises but a bunch of painted a$$es running out there on the field might be just what this team needs. If they’d done that against Kentucky you can bet the results would have been different. Nobody’d want to tackle somebody with a painted a$$. I am just sorry the a$$ painting story broke on my watch. I was never so humiliated on regional television yet. There must have been several hundred people watching that game on tv and all they’re talking about is painting a dog’s a$$. If my a$$ unpainted isn’t good enough to sit over there on the sidelines with all those other temps then they need to find themselves a new dog more comfortable with a$$ painting.
lanier
December 30th, 2009
5:28 pm
also i had tix for 1st 3 years and i knew what would happen when they started with a minor league gm and coach but it was too late to quit
lanier
December 30th, 2009
5:29 pm
$42 grand flushed away i am an idiot
Jeff Schultz
December 30th, 2009
5:51 pm
Russ — how do you type with paws? And do you type with two paws or four? Front or back? Do you hold one back for scratching? These are the questions that have to be answered.
Jeff Schultz
December 30th, 2009
5:52 pm
Lanier — Thanks for sharing. Losing fans like you speaks volumes.
KevyGo
December 30th, 2009
6:00 pm
Trade him — he is selfish if he wants max money esp with the cap set to go down a bit.
Russ, the Temporary Mascot
December 30th, 2009
6:01 pm
Paw typing is something dogs with pure white a$$es probably aren’t going to give you. Those dogs are inbred and probably can’t use a cell phone, either. I paw type and do so flawlessly. I also communicate better than most UGA graduates represented on this blog even with emotional distress brought on by having my a$$ painted before game time. I’m only a temp so I know it’s the end of the road for me and now that I’ve spoken my mind about the a$$ painting I’m sure there will be no more mascot work for me. I may become a professor.
Has to be said
December 30th, 2009
6:50 pm
Isn’t it pretty safe to assume that, even without a formal assessment of his skating ability, Adam James isn’t hockey material?
Craig James on the other hand, has a stellar future in aviation, as his actions as a helicopter parent indicate.
Tiger's Love Child (at least that's what momma told me)
December 30th, 2009
6:52 pm
The team draws flies with him in the lineup and at his current $6.75mm salary. Ain’t know way the Spirit are going to pay max salary. Plus, anyone see the Jay Fester column in HockeyNews? He wrote that while in TB Khababulin had the same agent as Kovy and his negotiations were all about money. Nothing more nothing less. Off to Chicago went Khababulin. Too bad DW didn’t trade Kovy last trade deadline and give a team nearly two seasons with him. We would have gotten a lot more than we’re going to get now.
That can't possibly be true
December 30th, 2009
7:00 pm
I missed the epochal event known as the, whatever the name of the bowl was in Shreveport. But what I’m hearing cannot possibly be true. There is no way in he!! they painted Russ’ @ss white is there?
Seriously, they painted a dog’s @ss and PETA didn’t descend on them like a pitbull on a cube steak?
Zulu
December 30th, 2009
8:00 pm
The Thrash cannot risk being left with nothing if he leaves. They need to keep saying all the right things and get the most that they can at the deadline.
At least Waddell is finally making some good moves(Kane,Bogosian,Peverly,Afinogenov,Pavelec)after 8 years of bad moves.
The Future Of Hockey In Atlanta May Be An Issue When Talking Kovalchuk | Today In Hockey
December 30th, 2009
8:21 pm
[...] continued [...]
LAC
December 30th, 2009
8:39 pm
I believe he will depart, only thing we ALL know how STUPID waddell and these owners, will they have the guts to trade him or let him leave for nothing, I say the latter, not the former.
Lastly this paper spends WAY TOO much time on WORTHLESS college football,The Most BORING thing ever, tennessee has football teams, WHO GIVES A $HIT ! Hell they cannot even spell in athens… Worst sport EVER, go all you “football fans” go rant with that STUPID IDIOT bill king, who is THE WORST blog writer I ever saw, completely STUPID !
tom
December 30th, 2009
9:50 pm
Kovy should call a news conference and announce he will sign a long term contract if Wadell resigns immediately. Why stay here with a loser in charge. Fired the only winning coach they had. He would not still be in charge in any other organization.
d
December 30th, 2009
9:50 pm
I frequently tell people if football played more than 20 games a year, it would be worth watching.
That aside, everyone knows Kovy is the face of the Thrashers. I can only imagine DW will be filing for unemployment if he doesn’t make this deal. Why not work in a no moving the team clause? If Spirit is being half honest about not wanting to move the team, then that wouldn’t be a problem. Finally, with all the trouble the league and Bettman went through to keep the Coyotes in Phoenix, I don’t see them jumping on the move a team out of a non-traditional market that quickly, or am I just being overly optimistic?
Arthur Blank
December 30th, 2009
9:57 pm
Pacman is clean. Screw Monkeyweather! Of wait, sorry, wrong sport!
ksiujgth
December 30th, 2009
10:09 pm
bundle kovy and letemin and get a few guys that want to win every game
Matt C.
December 30th, 2009
10:41 pm
Arthur Blank, we need you now!!!
The Boss
December 30th, 2009
11:14 pm
Kovy is gone. There is no way he gets signed here. The Spirit cannot, and should not pay him the kings ransom. He is not worth it. As long as money is spent on team players, we will be a better team without him. The real issue is can and will the Spirit hold onto this team long term when the non core Hockey fans abandon all interest once he is moved. Not signing Kovy is the best move DW has never made!
uberVU - social comments
December 31st, 2009
12:54 am
Social comments and analytics for this post…
This post was mentioned on Twitter by JeffSchultzAJC: Ilya Kovalchuk’s impending exit from Atlanta not all about money. #Thrashers #NHL http://bit.ly/5866jD…
Curious George
December 31st, 2009
2:22 am
Is it possible the AJC hates the Thrashers even more than its collective group of employees hate Sarah Palin?
Pinball34
December 31st, 2009
4:52 am
The Boss, Payner17…You guys are correct. Besides that, Kovy isn’t playing with any passion now. I think he is already gone. Waddell, send him to a team like Toronto or Montreal and see how long those fans will put up with his career -88. If he wants to stay, get it done now. He’s only hurting the team by dragging this out. Is there anyone else out there that can see how he is holding this franchise hostage?
Dawg Foot
December 31st, 2009
7:00 am
Wake up – Atl Spirti does not have enough money to pay Kovy his money. DEAL WITH IT per Bruce “Idiot” Levinson.
Thrashers’ uncertain future causing Kovalchuk extension difficulties | sportsblasts.com
December 31st, 2009
7:12 am
[...] to a contract extension since the season got underway this year and the talks are believed to be pretty close to dead, according to the Atlanta [...]
Thrashers’ uncertain future causing Kovalchuk extension difficulties
December 31st, 2009
9:17 am
[...] to a contract extension since the season got underway this year and the talks are believed to be pretty close to dead, according to the Atlanta [...]
B. Thenet
December 31st, 2009
11:21 am
It is rather sad that a POS ownership group, and a way out of his league GM will likely cost this town a sports franchise.
At this point, the only thing left to consider is that the owners are intentionally keeping an incompetent boob in charge of the franchise to alienate more STH and give the owners a legitimate excuse to sell the franchise.
It took 9 years of idiocy for DW to shrink the Thrashers STH base below that of the Hawks. Funny how a GM change is what it took to turn the fortunes of the Hawks, but for some reason the great moron in charge of the Thrashers is safe in his job.
When will the owners start caring about the hockey franchise?
ChippersLoveChild
December 31st, 2009
11:28 am
Ha, I didn’t mean it as a shot at you, but you just wrote a similar piece about a week ago. Do you really think the Thrasher’s are going to relocate? I don’t see it. I don’t really think this would be a sticking point. The NHL did everything to keep the Coyotes in Phoenix, we are a better market than Phoneix. I just don’t see them moving this team. I doubt that is truly a sticking point to this deal.
askip32
December 31st, 2009
12:46 pm
It is time to trade #17, he will be the only player I will not “boo” when he comes to visit. I will cheer when he gets a hat trick when they whip up on the Thrashers, if the Thrashers are still around..Time to jump ship and be a Predators/ Hurricans fan. Wait we still have the Gladiators!
Wayne stuck in AL
December 31st, 2009
1:07 pm
Sorry if you’ve read this on other posts, but:
1. Eel-ya will NOT re-sign with the Thrashers.
2. Many blacks and white Southerners can not warm up to a Euro/Russian who is the face of a team in a sport that they are unfamiliar with. Could anyone support a European/Russian who is the face of the Braves, Falcons or Hawks?
Tom
December 31st, 2009
1:46 pm
It is truly a shame that the most talented athlete on any Atlanta sports franchise…compared to the rest of their league…is Ilya Kovalchuck. The man is a top-5 NHL scorer, and deserves a max contract. Don Waddell certainly had enough money to overpay Ron Hainsey and Nik Antropov the last 2 offseasons, and amazingly we’ve been a better team when we’ve invested in our talent.
Don Waddell is truly a moron. Yes, what he got for Hossa might have been great, but look back to the trades for Keith Tkachuk and Alexei Zhitnik (where he literally gave up the farm) and all along it looks like all he ever did was get credit for a short span of “being in Detroit” while they were champions…means Waddell must have been good right??
It’s absolutely comical that no one at Spirit Group has ever asked the question…what has Don Waddell done to deserve our trust moving forward? What’s more of a shame is that they are not reinforced by 2 recent excellent drafts building around players like Zach Bogosian and Evander Kane. To keep his own job safe and make it look like he’s “committed to winning now”, would it really surprise anyone if he dealt either one of those young studs for another overhyped superstar who’s lukewarm at best about playing in Atlanta?
Spirit Group: If you want Kovy to stay, get someone other than Don Waddell to lead your negotiations and make your hockey decisions. Otherwise move the team if you’re not committed to building around one of the best players in the NHL.
ChippersLoveChild
December 31st, 2009
1:52 pm
Wayne stuck in Al, you’re ignorant.
B. Thenet
December 31st, 2009
2:00 pm
The return on the Hossa trade seems to be pretty awful right now: Army has been much better than expected, Christensen was a dismal failure, Esposito seems to have hit a dead end in his career with back to back season ending knee injuries, and the 1st round pick seems safely on his way to bustville with the MSU Spartans(being outplayed by every single other player on the team that has been drafted)
Tom
December 31st, 2009
2:10 pm
I hear you Thenet…although all of those things were better than losing Hossa to free agency and getting nothing in return. Pascal Dupuis was an underrated player though, it would still be nice to have him. I would argue Pittsburgh lost more on that deal, even though they won the Cup, in 2-3 years they will be hurting once they lose vets like Gonchar and Sid and Geno’s contracts get pricy. It’s still Pittsburgh, they can’t afford to pay these players in their primes.
Our defense is the best its ever been in our history, we need to get better talent on our 3rd and 4th lines to bring that +/- more into our favor. It can’t always be the Peverly-Kane line giving our team a jumpstart once we go down 2-0 IN EVERY GAME!!!
B. Thenet
December 31st, 2009
2:23 pm
What is the point of having talented defenseman when you have a GM and coach who don’t believe in playing defense? We might as well have terrible defenseman when you look at how they are being used.
The problems the Thrashers have are organizational. They have a GM who wants to play run and gun hockey, who hired a coach to play run and gun hockey, and players to play run and gun hockey. The problem is that you cannot win playing run and gun hockey. You have to play defense, you have to hit people, you have to have players with intestinal fortitude, you need to have some players that play mean(something DW avoids like the plague).
When your architect knows nothing about how to build a house, your house is going to be a piece of crap no matter how talented the rest of the crew is.
Horsetoothedjackass
December 31st, 2009
5:07 pm
Relocation of the Thrashers IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. The sponsorship deal with Philips is tied in with the Thrashers. No Thrashers, no Philips Arena deal. That’s $9 million a year in FREE money that they would be losing out on. Plus the NHL is not going to let a team in a top 10 TV market move. Phoenix is a more hard luck case than Atlanta, and the NHL stepped in to keep the team there. They would more than likely do the same to keep the Thrashers in Atlanta.
In this day and age it will be a bit difficult to find a corporation that is willing to shell out the money to splash their name on an arena or stadium. Case in point, the Gwinnett Braves stadium. It was expected that the revenue from a naming deal to help revenue and unfortunately, they can’t find anyone willing to buy the naming rights. Do you really think the Miami Dolphins really wanted Landshark Lager has the sponsor of their stadium? That’s the best they could do in the current market. Venue naming deals are something that companies are trying to avoid signing in the current environment.
Yes the Kovalchuk issue is the 800 LB gorilla that has the potential to affect the team in a major way. If Kovalchuk does not re-sign with the Thrashers, then it should definitely be time to finally show Don Waddell the door in order to bring someone in to right the ship. Could this be the reason why Rick Dudley was brought in, who knows?
When Atlanta Spirit LLC bought the team from Time-Warner, people thought that we’d finally have ownership that was willing to take some risks and splash some cash. What has that gotten us, a four game sweep. Atlanta Spirit almost seems as though the Thrashers were a throw-in in the deal. Look at all of the huge promotional banners for the Hawks and Hawks players inside of Philips Arena. The Thrashers get a few less noticeable ones that if you weren’t looking for, you’d miss them.
One thing that may be keeping folks away from games is having to walk through the gauntlet of scalpers around the Philips Arena area (in clear violation of the law banning such activities). That sort of activity makes the area seem a bit seedy.
Curly
December 31st, 2009
8:17 pm
Jeff – What do you think about this?… Could Kovy be pulling a Tkachuk?
Could this contract “Snag” be a ruse? Meaning that Waddell and Ilya have already reached a tentative agreement on a 10 year deal. Let’s assume that Kovy is telling the truth that he wants to stay in Atlanta and stay with the same team his whole career. And let’s assume that he really want’s to win a cup at some point in his career. He knows that the Thrashers are not capable of winning a cup this year (or even playoff material). Why not get traded at the deadline for a top prospect(s) and first round pick? Would this not improve the Thrashers future for the next 10 years along with some of the young talent already in the system? On July 1st he then formally signs with the Thrashers. Maybe this is why he is somewhat “dogging” it of late (saving himself for the playoffs this year – on another team, as well as the Olympics). Don’t forget that Tkachuk was somewhat of a mentor to Ilya when he was here. Maybe Ilya learned something from him.
StateBird
December 31st, 2009
8:32 pm
Jeff – why can’t the Thrashers provide Kovy with an option to void the remainder of the contract in the event that the franchise relocates? I’m not aware of any restriction preventing such a clause.
bugman
January 1st, 2010
12:22 pm
I smell leftover meatloaf…
David
January 1st, 2010
12:53 pm
so it seems like it’s time to blamed the Atlanta Spirit.
it is time to sell both teams and Philips Arena…
Bradley
January 1st, 2010
1:23 pm
I will have to say I disagree with parts of this article and comments. First off, Jeff Schultz, good article and made me do some thinking. I think hockey can and will survive in Atlanta. I am from South Georgia have no hockey roots. I am the only real fan in my family. I love it though and have turned it on to several friends and family. I do not feel the ASG or Don Waddell is to blame. The team may move but if it does it is 100% the players fault. For those of us who have started following the Thrashers here, have done so with no other hockey experience (original Georgians that is) and feel that the Phillips Arena experience is wonderful. My disgust with this team is their lack of energy and heart. This year they simply have the talent to contend. They gave us a great product at the beginning of the year and have turned it off. The Captain hasn’t been resigned. So what he is payed to play until the end of the year, or he is traded. So I blame him for his coasting. It is not the contract or lack there of, it is not the coach, the GM, it is his fault. The coach can coach but he can’t make you give a darn. I have read the memorable moments about Kovy that’s been posted lately. The top ones are pointing at Sid the kid on the PP goal, the fight with McCabe, and the charge on Ian White. Yall remember that Kovy. Passionate, tough to play against, and would fire the crowd and his team up like no other captain. Now he ain’t doing it. Whose fault is it……his. It is not all him the whole team needs a fire lit under their behinds, but what if his first shift he just lit that fire with a bone crushing hit or a fight from the team captain for no other reason than because he is pissed off to be loosing. I hope he gets with the program or they bring someone else in to do the trick. I wish, and I know it probably will not happen but I again wish the blogs would turn to an accountability for the players and coaches and would stray away from the GM and the ASG. If I was Don Waddell I would be pissed off. I pay this kind of money and all yall do is go out there and skate in circles around the blue line while the other team blast pucks in our net. He needs to start selling the tickets to the players because of late all they amount to is spectators. Just my thoughts I am know expert just a fan that wants hockey to survive in Georgia.
David
January 1st, 2010
3:15 pm
it is time to sell both teams and Philips Arena…
Brendan
January 1st, 2010
11:17 pm
Jeff, apologies for being late to your hockey blog. I want to float this idea: You say that hockey in Atlanta needs a face. I agree. But why can’t that face be, “A team concept?” In other words, that in the post-Kovalchuk era, the best player on the Thrashers … is THEIR WHOLE TEAM.
I realize, I should clarify that. Suppose, for the sake of argument, Atlanta actually got a real GM who knew how to build a playoff team, capable of advancing DEEP into the playoffs? Still with me. And let’s just say, that the IDENTITY and STRATEGY of the team were “Team Speed and Team Toughness, with an emphasis on playing defense.” And that the 12 forwards were essentially puck battlers/grinders, who were all capable of potting 16-22 goals a year, each being paid at an average of $2.75 million apiece?
Would that be a “problem?” I mean, in terms of the FACE of the franchise not being ONE PLAYER named KOVALCHUK? It would be a DEPTH strategy. And from that point forward, the point of the draft would be to find more of the players who “fit the system” of “Team Speed/Team Toughness/Team Defense.” And that, also, would be the focus of waiver wire claims, trades, and free agent signings.
I’m really interested in your reply. And I’m sorry I missed this blog when it first posted. I’ve been traveling.
Brendan
January 2nd, 2010
12:08 am
One more thing, Jeff. Once SURE FIRE WAY to NOT be where you WANT to play … is not sign to play there.
Huh?
Kovy says he wants to play here. Well, how is he SUPPOSED to do that, if he doesn’t re-sign here? Some crickets chirp, off in the distance a coyote howls, and some tumble weeds roll by.
Isn’t the solution what I’ve posted a dozen times now? Back on July 1, 2009, Kovy should have signed a ONE YEAR DEAL. If a “one-year deal” doesn’t ANNOUNCE to the World that this season is for EVALUATION purposes, then what does or would? Would a “one-year deal” cripple Kovalchuk’s career, sidetracking it in an irreparable way? Certainly not.
Alllrighteee then. That’s what should have happened on July 1. And if Kovy is still uncertain about the Thrashers moving forward, he can sign ELSEWHERE on July 1, 2011. Or demand to be traded at either the 2010 or 2011 deadline. Or the 2010 Draft or 2011 Draft. What’s a YEAR in “the big scheme of things.” And if this ownership debacle just cannot get resolved to Kovy’s satisfaction, he wouldn’t be required to be here past April 2011, anyway.
Bygones.
Smoothie
January 3rd, 2010
1:30 pm
Very late to the party (some party serving crapball sandwiches), but Jeff, aren’t you being a wee bit irresponsible by buying into this myth that the Thrashers may be sold?? Unless there is an “out clause” allowing them to sell to someone who is willing to pay back the $90 M in lost naming rights revenue from Philips when the team is moved. Perhaps you should polish up on the subject by consulting your old pal Craig Custance, who has been one of the few adamant voices that the Thrashers are not and will not go anywhere anytime soon! And besides, Kovy could sign a 3 or 4 yr deal for $10 M + per year and still have time to get a new deal with a contender before his career ends. Too bad his agent probably won’t let him pull a “Tkachuk” like an above poster stated.
The Morning Skate: Will the Thrashers Trade Kovalchuk? - Slap Shot Blog - NYTimes.com
January 4th, 2010
12:22 pm
[...] weeks ago as a 10- to 12-year offer and it has been speculated to be worth $10 million annually. Jeff Schultz of The Atlanta Journal Constitution believes it is likely that Kovalchuk was asking for the maximum allowable under the salary cap, [...]
Section119
January 4th, 2010
8:25 pm
Those demanding that Ilya be signed for all the money he wants will most certainly be the same ones heard screaming when the salary cap decreases and the team is financially “tied-up”, with 20% of the team’s salry going to one player.
Skippy McPants
January 4th, 2010
11:36 pm
I love how folks point at the arena naming deal as the end-all be-all that the Thrash ain’t movin’. Sorry, but that’s about as dumb as an argument as you can make.
Let’s say ASG gets $XXX each year in revenue for the naming rights. Let’s say they’re losing $YYY for running the thrashers. If $YYY is greater than $XXX, then they come out ahead by moving the team.
And I’ll tell you right now, they’re losing waaaaay more than they’re getting in naming rights.
Mike
January 5th, 2010
6:22 pm
I said it before and I’ll say it again – trade ‘em. If he wanted to sign he would have. Waddell and the owners will really prove their worth when we see the roster of players we get on the other side of the trade.
I don’t buy the notion pushed by this columnist and others that the team needs to win now. What they do need to do is show ‘relevance’ like Smith and Dimitroff are trying to do with the Falcons.
We have a very skilled young nucleus. Package Kozlov with Kovalchuk and get 4 players, 2 young NHLers, 1 minor leaguer and a draft pick or 2 draft picks and say thank you very much.
I know you think I sound like Don Cherry but again, mark my words – hockey is the ultimate team sport. If you have the perception that a ‘me guy’ is your leader – you’re cooked. You’re kidding yourself if you think you can put 20% of your compensation on 1 player and have a healthy team environment.
Mike
Curly
January 9th, 2010
4:37 pm
Mike makes a good point. Due to Kovy’s liability on defense, I wouldn’t mind seeing him traded to a team like the Flyers for a Jeff Carter type player.
Pucks n Snot
January 9th, 2010
7:39 pm
I’ve told you people for years that this franchise would not succeed in Atlanta, and no one believed me. Well, believe this……..Ilya Kovalchuk will be traded within a matter of days, and that, combined with the worst GM and ownership in the history of the league, FINALLY spells the end of the NHL in Atlanta. NO WAY in heaven OR hell does that franchise survive another year down there once Kovalchuk is gone. My GOD, they don’t draw any fans as it is, what will that place look like when the only player worth paying to see is no longer there??? Look at the talent that has bolted from this team…….Heatley, Savard, Hossa….now Kovalchuk. True hockey superstars DO NOT want to make their living in Atlanta, Georgia! And for those of you saying the Phoenix situation means Atlanta keeps their team, too? WRONG! Bettman won that war, but was severely wounded in the process. He has powerful enemies that are building in number with each passing day. If he wants to remain commish, he will inevitably have to cave and admit that certain markets – such as Atlanta – are completely unstable and therefore unsustainable in correlation with the NHL. He’ll never admit it, of course…..and will spin the Thrashers move to KC, Seattle, or Canada as something for “the good of the league”, but he WILL step aside and let the moving trucks back up when Kovalchuk leaves and the ASG has ZERO marketing power remaining for this franchise………a franchise that was doomed to failure from the first faceoff forward. The NHL in Atlanta will once again be a nostalgic trivia question by the 2011-12 season.
Section119
January 10th, 2010
1:19 pm
Pucks-
You forgot to tell us the sky is falling!
Derrick
January 11th, 2010
3:32 pm
Bradley, your South Georgia non-hockey roots show like a blonde’s at Phipps. I’m not a Trashers fan, but it’s clear that the problem with this team is organizational. It does not matter how talented or skilled your roster is (in the Trashers’ case, it is neither). If your ownership is dysfunctional, your entire infrastructure is flawed, like building your house on a foundation of sand. It all trickles down from there.
Ownership believes that the correct GM is in place in DW, yet he makes boneheaded move after boneheaded move. Is this franchise rebuilding, or is it trying to contend? You can’t do both simultaneously, yet DW wants to try anyway. As mentioned by others here, he has drafted some pretty good pieces to build upon (Bogosian, Kane, et al), yet he overpays for free agents who supposedly are going to put this team over the hump and into the playoffs, and trades away other critical building pieces (Coburn).
Then, the incompetent GM hires an incapable coach, and you wonder why the players play with no heart? It all starts from the top. This is the culture they’ve cultivated, and without a change in philosophy, it will continue regardless of who plays for it.
This team needs to decide what direction they want to go, and commit the resources necessary to follow it through. If you want the team to win now, you’ve got to get the coach and the players to get that done, and OWNERSHIP must be willing to spend the money to enact it. Saying you want to win now, yet spending at the bottom of the league in salaries is disingenuous and a slap to Atlanta hockey fans. Of course, by going this direction, you compromise your team’s future.
If the team decides it wants to build a long-term winner, which is the correct direction for the franchise at this time, then you need to follow the blueprints used by the Blackhawks, Penguins and Capitals (Go Caps!) among others. First, you need OWNERSHIP to understand that the team will be a losing one for the next several years. Fans are already used to this anyway. Then, ownership needs to hire a GM who knows how to build an organization (and that includes building a winning minor league farm system, something most people overlook), and can identify talent. Someone like Ken Holland comes to mind. You stockpile draft picks and develop your talent. Install a coach that players respect and buy into. You’ll lose plenty over the next 2-3 years. You’ll have top-5 draft picks for those years. You pick up a potential franchise player or two. In years 4-6, you’ll start competing for the playoffs, the division, and perhaps even the Cup. You strategically sign free agents to bolster your team. And because you’re still developing your talent in the minors, you’ll enjoy continued success for the next decade and beyond.
IMO, the latter scenario is the path that the Trashers need to take, especially if it wants to draw fans and keep the team in the city. In order to take that path, you cannot shell out for Ilya. He needs to go make his money elsewhere. He’s worth a couple of higher draft picks and a top prospect, if not a bona fide NHL star who isn’t as expensive. This is a good way to start your rebuilding. If you sign him to the money he’s asking for, he’ll cripple the rebuilding effort, and thus the future of this team.
The NHL is full of examples of this blueprint in action, just in the Southeast Division alone. It’s how Tampa and Carolina won their Cups. It’s how the Caps will contend for one. However, the NHL is also full of examples of teams that just don’t get it, and they frustrate their fans to no end. Toronto and the Rangers, for example.
It’s not the players’ fault. They’re riding on the Titanic captained by Bozo the Clown. Until a specific course is charted and successfully navigated by a capable skipper, this boat is headed straight for the iceberg (Blueland??) and the only thing the players can do is sink with it, or jump ship.
Pucks n Snot
January 11th, 2010
3:51 pm
Poetic, Derrick. But you too seem to think this franchise survives in Atlanta if Kovalchuk leaves. Not gonna happen. The arena will be emptier than a bank on a holiday. No one is going to go. Even the die-hards will stay home. All these other towns looking for teams are going to shift their focus from Phoenix, Nashville, and Florida directly to Atlanta. I truly think ASG is looking to unload this franchise as a first step toward resolving their self-imposed debacle, and that the whole “We’re really hopeful of getting something done with Ilya” is a smokecreen meant to appease the already tiny fan base and keep the media wolves at bay. Everyone and his dog knows that guy is not going to sign to play the rest of his career with the Atlanta Thrashers. He’ll get his money no matter where he goes, and he knows it….and so I have yet to hear anyone rationally explain to me why one of the biggest superstars in the sport of hockey would want to spend the few peak years of his career he has left playing for a franchise in a non-hockey region that’s rooted in incompetence and apathy ? Anyone?
Derrick
January 11th, 2010
5:12 pm
Pucks, this is why I said that ownership must be committed to a rebuilding. The franchise will survive if ASG commits to it; that is, if they know that no one will show up for several years until the team turns the corner. They need to know, up front, that they’re losing that money for long-term gains.
I don’t know, and don’t pretend to know, what the f**k ASG is thinking. If they truly wanted to move, then I have to believe they’d do it with or without 17. If the Trashers staying in the ATL depends on 17, then by all means, sign the pig and resign yourself to life competing for the 8th playoff spot. It would be the wrong move, but I would be in support of the greater good of having a team here so I can continue to watch the Caps when they come to town.
I have seen this movie before in Washington. No one there gave a rat’s patooty about hockey. Once the salary dump took place and guys like Bondra, Jagr, Lang, Gonchar, Grier, Oates, etc. were shipped off, The Phone Booth looked like Philips on a good night. And yes, rumors circulated of an impending franchise move.
No one knew who Ovechkin was when he was drafted, but I literally shed a tear when the pick was made because I knew it was the start of something special. He then tore up the league, we drafted guys like Green, Backstrom, and USA hero John Carlson, and developed guys like Semin and Laich. Now The Phone Booth is sold out nightly, and the Caps are the toast of Washington (doesn’t hurt that the Wizards are thugs and the Redskins are putrid).
Leonsis is the best owner in hockey behind Ilitch, and behind his leadership, has built a perennial contender and an outstanding farm system. ASG is no Ted Leonsis.
You are absolutely right that Kovy shouldn’t “want” to stay in Atlanta. Many rumors have him going to Toronto — that would be poetic because they are mired in incompetence, with the added fun of being under the most powerful microscope in the NHL — he’ll wilt under the pressure when he can’t turn the team around by himself. The irony is delicious!
atlanta $pirit
January 12th, 2010
4:10 pm
23rd in pay and 24th in the standings. NUMBERS ARE SOOO AMAZING
trueBlue
January 15th, 2010
3:59 pm
I would say, if Kovy is gone the same way Waddell let Hossa go – for nothing, Waddell should be gone too. There is no way flap after flap he can keep his job. I am puzzled, how Waddell survived this long as a manager.
ujhrf
January 22nd, 2010
12:29 pm
pants on the ground, pants on the ground, you look like a fool with your pants on the ground
ujhrf
January 22nd, 2010
12:32 pm
trade kovy and letemin while they are still woth something