All-Trade Friday: Should the Thrashers deal Ilya Kovalchuk?
This has Marian Hossa written all over it, only in larger letters. The Thrashers dumped their second-best player at the 2008 trading deadline because they knew they couldn’t re-sign him. Their best player is about to enter the final season of his contract, and Don Waddell shouldn’t let Ilya Kovalchuk enter it as a Thrasher.
Kovalchuk was the NHL’s 11th-highest-paid player in 2008-2009, and some club will make him one of the top five come 2010-2011. It would be an upset if that team is the Thrashers. And if they can’t keep him, they should trade him.
Last month Waddell, the Thrashers’ GM, told esteemed colleague Chris Vivlamore he wouldn’t trade Kovalchuk this summer or at the deadline or ever. “[Both parties] will both know where we are way before the season starts, if it is going to happen,” Waddell said. “That doesn’t mean it can’t happen once the season starts. My mission is to keep Ilya Kovalchuk here.”
That, alas, seems a mission impossible. If you knew you’d have better options as a free agent, would you choose to remain a Thrasher? And for Waddell to proclaim he’ll never trade Kovalchuk only sets this franchise up for more disappointment and even deeper failure.
Loading ...Kovalchuk is coming off the best all-around season of his career. He finished sixth among league scorers and grew into his rank of team captain. But there’s no reason to believe a serious hockey player would seriously consider re-upping with the only team in the league that, at season’s end, had a payroll under $40 million — the big boys had payrolls over $60 million — and there’s no reason to believe the Atlanta Spirit is going to start splurging. Not on this sport.
We have to remember that the Spirit owns two teams, and the Hawks are demonstrably the better of the two. The Hawks face an even more momentous offseason: Four of their top eight players are free agents of some stripe, and the chief voices of the Hydra-headed Spirit — the Gearons — care more for basketball.
In an ideal world, Kovalchuk would stay here and everyone would live happily ever after. But this is a niche team in an uncertain market, and he deserves a bigger stage. And the Thrashers need to clear the air and start rebuilding around someone else. Grand as he is, Kovy needs to go now.
Other installments: Should the Braves trade Jeff Francoeur? And also: Should the Hawks trade Josh Smith?
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84 comments Add your comment
Ted Striker
June 12th, 2009
3:10 pm
Man, I don’t know about any of this but I wouldn’t trade Bradley for all the tea in china. (Do they still make tea in china?)
All-Trade Friday: Should the Braves trade Jeff Francoeur | Mark Bradley
June 12th, 2009
3:16 pm
[...] next: Should the Thrashers trade Ilya Kovalchuk? Should the Hawks trade Josh [...]
J-man
June 12th, 2009
3:26 pm
Those salary cap numbers at thefourthperiod.com are wrong because they don’t include Schneider’s salary for more than half a season here, which was between $3-4 million. nhlnumbers.com is a better source.
Kovy wants to win, for sure, but he can be re-signed if the organization is serious about trying to win. I’ve been to the ex-USSR and I’ve got friends there and let me just succinctly say that MONEY is the number 1 factor with these people. As long as Kovy feels like the owners are trying and they pay him enough, he will stay. Hossa didn’t want to stay here at any price. Kovy is not like that, but his motivations are very different than Hossa’s were.
I used to be a partial season ticket holder and I did not renew a year ago over dissatisfaction with the team’s off season moves. All I can say is that trading Kovy for anything is not going to get me to consider renewing my partial season tickets again. I might not even go to any games and I at least went to a few this past season.
Thrashers Season Ticket Holder
June 12th, 2009
3:29 pm
Uh, NOPE.
Please leave the Thrashers articles to RAWHIDE, Bradley.
Hey, here’s an idea: Why don’t you and Schultz go write yet ANOTHER Vick piece ?
Bradley
June 12th, 2009
4:02 pm
I see where you’re going … lazy Friday, got to stir something up for web coverage. But this one doesn’t fit as much as your other two ideas (Frenchy, J-Smooth). Atlanta might as well close the rink for good if you trade Kovy. I can only think of a handful of players that would bring both a name recognition and talent in return. Crosby, Ovechkin, Malkin and maybe Datsuyk, but none of those guys are going anywhere. You need a new GM (sorry Don, it’s time) a new coach and then see what happens. This can be a hockey town. Certainly it starts with ownership, which is non-existent.
Supes
June 12th, 2009
4:03 pm
Unless Ilya says he wants OUT, if the Thrashers deal him I’m done with being a Thrashers fan. Call me more of a casual fan, I attend 6-8 home games per year and watch games starting in January on TV locally. I have Thrashers merchandise, I’ve supported the team by purchasing t-shirts, caps and a jersey.
I will NOT support this franchise if they deal their best player, my favorite player on the team.
That will be like the Braves trading Chipper Jones after the ‘99 season, when he won the MVP, carried the team to the WS and single handedly beat the worms that are the NY Mets.
Ilya Kovalchuck is the face of the franchise. Why trade him? Why not just man up, and sell the team to ownership that will
1. spend money
2. prioritarize hockey
3. actually give a frak about the fans
Brendan
June 12th, 2009
4:07 pm
Everyone knows Kovalchuk could leave. But the time to trade him is at the trade deadline, of 2010, and that’s only as a last resort. Kovalchuk is not Marian Hossa. Hossa wasn’t drafted here and never agreed to sign here. Hossa re-signed with Ottawa. And it ‘may’ be true that Hossa’s intention, all along, was to play in Detroit first chance he got. I don’t know Marian Hossa to know that. But the speculation isn’t entirely baseless, either.
Kovalchuk, I suspect, likes it here*. The asterisk refers to his lifestyle. There’s probably something really neat about being an elite player in the NHL who also enjoys a measure of privacy. Ask a famous person if there was price tag that came with that, and they’ll likely say, “Yes,” citing their privacy and personal freedoms, etc.
Kovy’s next deal … won’t leave him hurting, financially. Ever. Does he really need “endorsement” deals? Shrugs. Well, he’s even got AirTran and others, probably, too. All that Kovalchuk truly needs, honestly, is to play for a team with committed ownership, towards winning Stanley Cups.
That’s the only ‘uncertain’ thing about the Atlanta hockey market. If pressed for an answer, I’d say it’s ‘certain’ that Atlanta’s hockey market hasn’t even started yet. We’ll measure how well Atlanta fans react to hockey in this town (1) when the team is good, (2) when the team is consistently in the playoffs, and (3) by the attendance for those playoff games.
Think about it. Have the Thrashers EVER had good ownership? No. Not unless you want to count the beginning of the 2005-06 season’s maxed cap budget. Or it’s eventual cap limit budget of 2006-07. The rest of the time, it was either Time-Warner or the Spirit, LLC. And well, all parties concerned left Don Waddell in charge. And your dog knows what the results were. It’s a symptom of bad ownership. Or ‘non-committed’ ownership.
But I won’t call Atlanta’s hockey market ‘uncertain.’ The only two playoff games ever played at Philips Arena were sellouts. And by not Ranger fans. I counted six (6) jerseys for the opposition at Blueland. And there were not even one (1) chant of “Let’s Go Rangers!” that could be heard in the house. It was packed the rafters with Thrasher fans.
I’ll readily call Atlanta’s hockey fans “bad” if the team is intelligently constructed, with committed ownership, and has a roster that’s competitive with any elite team … while fans sit on their wallets. That’s the moment when we declare Atlanta to be a “bad hockey market.” Not before then. Not before. The Braves couldn’t sell out NLCS games, much less NLDS ones, unless or until the fans of the other team bought up the remaining tickets.
Hockey fans, in Atlanta, aren’t like that. Give them the REASON TO BE THERE … and they will come. What you’re seeing now … is the only form of protest left for the Atlanta hockey fan. Mark Bradley, ask a Thrasher fan to explain why Waddell’s still here. They’ll give you FINANCIAL REASONS, not sports ones. And they’ll give you a tree’s leaves worth of excuses. (Excuses are like leaves on a tree. Every tree’s got them. Some trees more than others. But I digress.)
Kovalchuk should NOT be traded. UNLESS he, flatout, tells the team, “I won’t re-sign. Don’t bother trying to appease me. I’m committed to playing in another market in 2010.” If that’s the case, then the argument becomes, “Will Atlanta get more than a 1st and 3rd round pick this year, plus a 2nd rounder next year, as well as some prospect or conditional 1st round pick NOW as opposed to the Feb/March trade deadline in 2010. (That’s about the going rate for a premier player at the trade deadline, give or take a little.)
If the answer is, “Yes, you can get more now than by waiting until 2010, … ANNNNNNND … Kovalchuk says ‘there’s nothing you can do, I’m leaving,’ then yes, you trade him now. I don’t know what the truth is. If it’s true that Kovalchuk CAN BE APPEASED, by making the right moves, then that’s what they should try to do. If the organization is UNWILLING to try to make concessions to retain Kovalchuk, it’s ALMOST same deal as if Kovy won’t re-sign. Once again, it comes down to “what can we get for him now, as opposed to later.” But BEAR IN MIND, the Spirit is about the money. So, if the return isn’t “wow-worthy,” they’ll hang on to Kovalchuk just to sell as many tickets as they can. And that’s means … Kovy gets traded at the trade deadline.
Any time Kovy gets traded, it’ll be sad. The lone exception, if Kovy’s trade turns into a “rental situation.” In other words, hallucinating now, if Kovy was dealt to a contender at the deadline, for 3 picks and a prospect, then re-signed with Atlanta on July 1st, I think that would make Thrashers fans happy. How likely is that??
Final thought: The “Teflon Don,” a moniker I gave him in 2005, that has amazingly stuck, will lose some of his ‘non-stick’ abilities if he’s the GM who trades Kovalchuk. I really don’t think Waddell wants his legacy, such as it is, to be further compounded by his being known as the GM who sent Kovy packing. That’s a tough sell for Thrasher fans.
Coach
June 12th, 2009
4:08 pm
I think they need to trade Waddell. If they Thrashers win the fans will show up. Get some support for your stars and watch the seats fill up. If the Spirit group doesn’t want the Thrasher then sell them to a hockey owner and show those idiots that hockey can thrive down south.
Darkhorse
June 12th, 2009
4:19 pm
Agree with J-man and others. What’s the point of trading him unless he demands it, or you don’t plan on doing anything to make him believe anything’s changed. I trully believe Kovy wants it to work out here. Let’s see how the offseason goes. If it goes anything like the past, then the article should not be about trading Kovy, it should be about this ownership giving up the business of running a hockey team in Atlanta.
One main ingredient for success for any Atlanta sports team is star power. If you trade your only current hockey star because you’re too cheap to field a competitive team for him, then sell the team. And selling it with him still a part of it would probably help.
I really can’t stand our ownership.
World be Free
June 12th, 2009
4:31 pm
Kovy is the heart and soul of this team.
Are we commited to having a team in Atlanta? If so, Kovy is the man and there is nothing available to replace him unless his name is Ovechkin.
Mark Bradley
June 12th, 2009
4:39 pm
Thanks, Ted.
And Kovalchuk is indeed the heart and soul of the team. But what if he leaves this team? And what if the Thrashers have nothing to show for his leaving? Would that be in the best interests of the franchise?
If they think they can keep him, then they shouldn’t trade him. (Duh.) But I’d be surprised if he stays. At some point a guy wants to win, does he not?
LAC
June 12th, 2009
4:47 pm
You know Mr.Bradley as a regular blogger, this type artical is NOT what we need right now.
What you and others need to do is go after and try to rid the
BIGGEST failure this team has, STUPID don waddell, The Worst GM in professional sports ever.
OR…. These little WIMP owners who have SCREWED everything up because
as they say, There’s too many Chiefs and not enough Indians…
They stink and are ruining the team. Go after the REAL two problems, not saying trade #17, and I also agree…. Leave the REAL hockey stuff to Mr.Rawhide, he does it better than ANY ajc writer could ever come close to !
Steve
June 12th, 2009
5:19 pm
Trade Don Waddell to Detroit for there assistant general manager not Kovy he is the one player who you pay to see play.
All-trade Friday: Should the Hawks deal Josh Smith? | Mark Bradley
June 12th, 2009
5:42 pm
[...] Other installments: Should the Braves trade Jeff Francoeur? And also: Should the Thrashers trade Ilya Kovalchuk? [...]
vanuck
June 12th, 2009
5:47 pm
if u believe kovy is only after the money, then there’s no reason why he wouldnt want to re-sign. the team has as much cap space as any other team out there that might be interested in signing him. so there’s really only 2 reasons to trade him:
1. he doesnt want to play in atl anymore
2. the team doesnt want to pay him
if 2, why wouldnt u trade him? whats the point of keeping him around knowing he’ll walk away at the end of the season for nothing even if he’s the only reason fans are coming to games? at least they’ll get something in return that can hopefully help the team.
but if 1, the question then is why not? if its for non-hockey reasons (he doesnt like the city, he wants to be closer to his family), nothing u can do about that. trade him. if its because he wants a chance to win the cup, then ownership has to step up, commit to winning and give him some decent players to play with. if they’re not willing to do that, sell the team to someone who does want to win. the team doesnt stand a chance of survival in atl if its gonna be a consistent loser.
Hillbilly Deluxe
June 12th, 2009
5:48 pm
I wouldn’t blame Kovalchuk if he left. I’m sure he wants his name on the cup like everybody else. If he does leave though they might as well just go ahead and move the team cause it’s done.
Hockey Biltong
June 12th, 2009
6:20 pm
You are muckraking, sir…..
Bill
June 12th, 2009
6:31 pm
Brendan — On behalf of all Thrashers fans, let me say “thank you!!!”.
PUTTING ON THE FOIL
June 12th, 2009
6:57 pm
Mark Bradley
“And Kovalchuk is indeed the heart and soul of the team. But what if he leaves this team? And what if the Thrashers have nothing to show for his leaving? Would that be in the best interests of the franchise?”
And when, pray tell, has this organization thought about the best interests of the franchise? Trade the only player that keeps me coming back and I’m outta here for good.
The Truth
June 12th, 2009
7:23 pm
They won’t trade Kovalchuk. They traded Hossa because he was causing trouble on the team, and didn’t like the coach. Kovalchuk is an actual leader, and they need him to keep the Thrashers together.
Smoothie
June 12th, 2009
7:24 pm
Our esteemed regular blogger Brendan has explained the Kovalchuk situation as thoroughly and intricately as possible. To summarize: Kovalchuk IS the Atlanta Thrashers and it is solely up to him if he is going to stay or not. Kovy holds all the cards and Donnie W knows it.
Even the ASG isn’t stupid enough to low-ball Kovalchuk (assuming of course that they plan to be the owners of this going-concern for any length of time). However, if they are simply “holding on for dear life” until their 8 year “promissory note” — the owners signed a covenant with the NHL that does not allow them to even consider selling / relocation of the franchise — runs out in four years, then all bets are off.
But the Thrashers are so intrinsically tied to the arena by virtue of the Philips naming rights deal that selling the Thrashers would be damned near impossible. Having said that it becomes quite clear that the ASG would ruin themselves financially (in my opinion) if they fail to offer Kovy fair market value or attempt to trade their most valuable asset prematurely (in other words before the 2010 trade deadline).
The fans may not even tolerate a deadline trade because there is so much passion tied to the “face of the franchise”. But based on every quote I’ve read — Russian media included — from the man himself so far, there is no indication from Ilya that he has nothing less than every full intention of staying in Atlanta long-term.
At the very worst I think we’ll see a “temporary stay of execution” in the form of a 2 year deal worth $8.5 – 9.25 M per season so Ilya can further evaluate the direction and progress of the team before committing for the long haul. In this scenario, Ilya would still be 29 y/o in 2012 at the end of a 2 yr contract with plenty of suitors begging him to leave Atlanta.
pond scum
June 12th, 2009
7:32 pm
Mr. Bradley and all other fellow fans,
Do any of you happen to remember the 2nd half of this past season? Any at all? We actually had a team GOOD ENOUGH TO CHEER FOR!! I’m VERY excited from what I seen in those last 3 months of the season……. am I alone?
The Thrashers competed and beat on a regular basis good teams,beat the teams they in some folks opinion “should” beat. We all know that NHL games are much tougher to win in those last 2-3 months of the season due to teams trying to make the postseason. It showed that DW ACTUALLY made a good choice for the coaching position IMHO. Reasoner was just quoted in the paper when he resigned that he “BELIEVED” it would be FUN to be a part of a team that goes from a doormat to a winner. That is also proof of good coaching,it’s obvious Anderson has won him over to feel that he should stay 2 or more seasons with this team,that it’s going in the right direction.He could’ve very easily waited a couple more weeks and got offers then bolt,but he didn’t and it wasn’t just over mere money.
No, I’m certainly NOT DW’s biggest fan….. but we did see some real progress. Instead of going for the “name” coach,he went and got Anderson. That looks like a real good choice,as he implemented his style and system with HIS CHOICES of assistant coaches except Weeks. Think about this, Anderson himself was a “rookie” NHL head coach,and even though this team stumbled out of the gates and by midseason was ready to pull it’s own hair out at times……. the coach actually instilled some pride,dedication,passion and want in a team that by it’s record and previous showings,could’ve easily tanked the rest of the season and not gave a care of winning some “FOR THE FANS”. I know,i know,some of you say “well, that’s what they are paid to do.” But c’mon folks,this is PRO sports we are talking about here.
This teams achilles heal has always been it’s lack of defense. While MANY fellow fans wanted to send Coburn packing for a PP QB in Zhitnik from Philly to help get the team into the postseason FINALLY,they now wished they hadn’t wanted it so badly. Lightning is trying it’s best to strike twice in the same place with the pick last summer of Zach Bogosian,and IMHO feel he’ll be a better all around player anyways. Just think if he hadn’t missed the majority of the season with that broken leg? Man, I’m EXCITED to see #4 suit up for next season right now and hope we get a healthy season for him to really show what he’s capable of. Speaking of defenseman with some upside,what about Boris Valabik? Some fellow fans are ready to toss him aside very easily just like Coburn. But if this ENTIRE franchise,including the fans don’t learn from past mistakes….. we MIGHT miss out on a possible Chara reincarnation. It did take a COUPLE seasons for him to start showing what he could do,primarily due to his lanky frame and skating ability. He was drafted in the 1st round(Valabik),why not give him a “real” chance? Then Toby Enstrom finally got out of Havelids shadow,paired with Bogo, and showed alot of promise as well. Hopefully he is healed up, and from sitting around doing so,fattens him up so he can take the punishment it takes to go into the corners and win. Almost forgot about Anssi Salmela,who as his icetime grew also showed good upside promise. Excelby too played much better this season compared to the previous one and then Hainsey our big freeagent signing last summer put up some good numbers except that +/- rating,which could be helped by the NEXT D-man signing in just a few more weeks.
I don’t think anyone could be upset at the offensive output this team had for the season either. Bryan Little bustin out with 30+ goals or Todd White having a solid season (hmmm,wonders what gettin out of a trap/defensive minded system in Minnesota can do for a player), a rejuvenated and healed up Kozlov, a waiver wire pickup buried on the depth charts center in Rich Peverley, the “real” return player for the Hossa deal Armstrong having also a good season and showing promise of “yet to come”,the “players player” award winner Marty Reasoner having a solid season as well (and FINALLY a new deal in place), the display of some of our other forward youngsters in Stuart,Crabb,Machachek(my spelling sucks sometimes,sorry!),Bolts throwin down and doing his job respectably,and a Jim Slater finding his “real” role,as well as a decent all around game of Chris Thorburn making our 4th line one of the best in the entire NHL. Still some work to do with these forwards,and hopefully putting in another forward some where in the top 6 to enhance the scoring prowess of our team.
Then, you have a still very young,maturing Kovy being named the captain and truly leading by example midway thru the season. He also, a rookie at wearing the “c”, took the role very well and showed us some passion we haven’t seen from him in awhile. As was pointed out above,he had his best “all-around” season to date. He is after all NOW ,the voice of this team. He was man enough to say what was on his mind, let’s keep adding pieces to the puzzle and plug away at this and build it as a winner. Not a “flash in the pan” hope of fools gold, but a team ready to take steps forward to win alot more than it has in the past.
Hossa and Kovy ARE 2 VERY DIFFERENT people. A VERY good point being that Kovy was drafted by us and has sipped alittle postseason with ONLY this team. That does bold well for the team. He’s asking for help,instead of like Hossa….. being quiet about it and just waiting for his flight out of here. Hossa wants his cake and eat it to,which he may get later tonight. But Kovy IMHO,isn’t no where even close to that same kind of mentality towards this franchise……. yet. He is the face of this franchise,the captian,the leader. Hossa NEVER was. He’ll be reupped (Kovy) and we’ll move on. Kovy has FAR more REASONS to actually stay,but they can be cemented alot more by getting more help that we all agree he needs. Isn’t that what a member of a team should want or feel? To have the “best” chance to win?
Instead of beating ourselves up,throwing pity parties and needing some mental therapy over whether or not he stays…. how about putting your focus on the up coming entry draft and free agency,the places where u can get help for Kovy,this team,us fans. Bradley,you have NO business writing about sports what so ever,as you have NO clue to it’s concepts.
Your merely the “Jim Jones” kool-aid maker who stirs the “bad,sad” half empty glass of negative,downtroding,depressing kool-aid that too many of my fellow fans are drinking. There is MUCH to be excited about with the Thrashers and I’m very proud to say I’m one who feels this very way!
Ogie Oglethorpe
June 12th, 2009
7:46 pm
You guys write too much. I need to print your “War and Peace” pieces and read them in the can.
TheAntiMe
June 12th, 2009
8:23 pm
No, Kovy can’t leave the Thrahers. Not now, since they made him the team Captain. That was a brilliant move by the big brass. So clever, in fact, that it probably came directly from the ASG.
StateBird
June 12th, 2009
8:38 pm
This negotiation should be simple. Sit down with Kovy and his agent and let them know what amount ownership is willing to spend on total team payroll. Then let Kovy choose what percent he would like. If he really wants to be on a competitive team he will pick a reasonable percentage recognizing that a competitive team requires a balanced payroll. Call it the Tom Brady approach.
Mark Bradley
June 12th, 2009
8:54 pm
Wonder if Leo Tolstoy had a blog, Ogie.
And StateBird might be on to something.
Nil-nil in Detroit after the first period, FYI.
An Old Flame
June 12th, 2009
9:02 pm
I thought Ilya Kovalchuk was a character on The Man From UNCLE?
I watched it as a kid. It was more fun than ice hockey.
Mark Bradley
June 12th, 2009
9:26 pm
I loved “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.” — United Network Command for Law Enforcement, as I recall. And now I’m older than Mr. Waverly.
Two-nil to Pittsburgh, and I’m excited. I haven’t cared for the Wings since Alex Delvecchio and Frank Mahovlich split up.
LAC
June 12th, 2009
10:15 pm
Pond Scum, do YOU remember what 76 points ???
We cannot go into next season with the same players we had LAST season it will be MORE of the same !
If want the same type season next year ? No Me !
Since professional sports came to Atlanta in 1966 we have had ONE Championship, ONE, Braves could havehad a couple more, Falcons made it to Superbowl once, butour indoor teams are at or near the bottom of the league on a consistant basis.
The people who have owned teams here have never shown, I’m speaking Hockey & basketball, a willingness to put the type team needed to produce a championship.
Wehave had worthless GM after worthless GM and don waddell sits at the top of the list. Until the Thrashers get ONE COMMITED OWNER they will NEVER win under these crybaby owners who are off sucking their thumbs and a GM who cannot zip up his pants !
pond scum
June 12th, 2009
11:03 pm
I hope that kharma tastes well Hossa,you got what you deserved in the end LMFAO!!!
Lac- it’s gotta START somewhere…… nobody starts at the top of the mountain.
Your right,76 points isn’t nothing to write home about. I also said that some pieces needed to be added here and there. Last seasons second half team is no threat to win it all. But when was the last time you felt any kind of real “progress” was made and it was sustained for more than just 5-6 games with this team? C’mon man,try to look at the positives some also instead of always doom and gloom.
B. Thenet
June 12th, 2009
11:23 pm
It is too depressing to talk about the Thrashers the night another team wins the Stanley Cup.
Brendan
June 12th, 2009
11:46 pm
Bill, you’re welcome. Hope you enjoyed Game Seven tonight. Congratulations to the Penguins. Mark Bradley, the Pittsburgh Penguins just a few years ago were in bankruptcy, and there was a very real chance the team could have moved. Look where they are now? They drafted 1st overall, then 2nd overall, then 1st overall, then 2nd overall. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Pittsburgh fired coaches and “ate” contracts, including former Coach Michel Therrien’s, this year. Guess what else they did, Mark Bradley? They fired their GM during that building process, bringing in Ray Shero.
Tonight, Pittsburgh went into Hockeytown and won the Cup. Even more impressively, they won four of the last five (4/5) games in the series to do it. When the Red Wings won Game 5, 5-0, I think, it looked “over.” But remember the rule, either (1) you win, or (2) you don’t. Up 2-0, you have to keep winning. Or you lose. It’s going to be a frustrating offseason for Detroit. But really, they had a fantastic year.
AGTFan
June 12th, 2009
11:50 pm
It’s simple. Resign Kovy or sell the team. No one is going to consider the Thrashers to be serious about competing if they lose Kovy.
Supes
June 13th, 2009
12:48 am
Hossa…Karma is a biatch! Prove that you can’t “sell your soul to so called top tier teams” to chase some elusive dream, you go from ATL, to PIT to DET and nothing.
scottbravesfan
June 13th, 2009
2:27 am
They trade Kovalchuk there will be no reason to watch this team. They should just move the team to another city if they are going to trade Kovy. God I hate the Atlanta Spirit.
Kevin
June 13th, 2009
6:28 am
Well don waddell should be now the pens won lord stanley last night and hossa watch as another team wins his stupid fault he was offerd what pens said but he went to detroit to watch pittsburgh win…..ha ha as for Don(i gave half team to pittsburgh) waddell. He should get a ring n a thank u note from the pittsburgh owner thankin him for bein a loser n givin pittsburgh there stanley cup 2009 chanps
willie
June 13th, 2009
8:45 am
If Waddell determines that Kovy will choose to go elsewhere, then absolutely we should trade him. However, the first option has to be trying to re-sign him….the sooner the better.
Heather
June 13th, 2009
8:45 am
Can we put Waddell up on the trading block instead? Why the hell this franchise has kept that idiot all this time I will never know. But I do know that the Thrashers would be in a much better place without him.
Ogie Oglethorpe
June 13th, 2009
8:58 am
AGT sez it well-just resign the guy and let’s move forward. I have no interest in talking about how bad this team has been in the past.
The 2nd half of last season was great. The team played hard for a LEADER (Kovy). They beat playoff teams and teams that were trying to make playoffs.
Ya’ll can sit around and talk about Heatly, Mary Ann Hossa and the past as much as you want. The future is here and now, players WANT to play her (Marty and others). Now let’s use our advantage (cap space) and go get the players, so we can stop sitting around watching other teams go deep into the post season. Our seasons have been too short.
And please do not mention Jeff Francoeur in the same article as Kovy. One is a leader, the other a loser.
Get The Puck Out
June 13th, 2009
9:05 am
HELP!! NEW OWNERS WITH MONEY!!! HELPPPP……
Sam
June 13th, 2009
9:44 am
ya well if they named him team captian then hes probably gonna stay and i mean like COME ON y would u trade ur captian and who would be the new one??? i mean no one else is good on our team.
Midfield
June 13th, 2009
9:59 am
Bradley, I’ve been reading yesterday’s posts. What strikes me is that after Brendan posted his business case exactly laying out the existing situation and what may lay ahead at 4:07 PM, about 30 minutes later you posted your rhetorical questions yet again – completely ignoring what Brendan pondered on Lord knows for how long just to write it here. Perhaps, as in that joke, you’re just a writer, not a reader. But I suggest – just to favorably contrast yourself against ASG suits – for you to show some respect toward some very knowledgeable hockey followers. The description you’ve yet to earn, you know.
gttim
June 13th, 2009
10:08 am
The Spirit Group proved they knew nothing about hockey when they let Savard go. Why would Kovy want to remain here? He will never have a good team around him. I like the Thrashers, and want Kovy to stay, but I just do not see it happening. Kovy knows he deserves better!
Dwayne
June 13th, 2009
10:08 am
I print these long winded, same ole same ole blogs, by the same ole same ole people, take them to my “throne” and wipe my rear end with them.
Dwayne
June 13th, 2009
10:10 am
Heather, no one else wants the job because the ASG is the worse owners ever, in all of sports, badmiton included.
Mark Bradley
June 13th, 2009
10:33 am
Let’s say Kovalchuk doesn’t sign a new contract this summer. How much conversation next season regarding the Thrash will hinge on will-he-or-won’t-he? Sixty percent? Seventy-five percent?
As much as the Thrashers might say, “It won’t become a distraction” … how could it not? Was Teixeira a distraction to the Braves last summer? Absolutely, and he’d been here only a few months. Kovalchuk is the face of the franchise, a lifer.
I say again: If it’s going to happen — him leaving, I mean, and I contend it is — make it happen now. (And I know Waddell is trying to find another first-rank forward to pair with Kovalchuk, but I also recall that a similar hunt in 2007 yielded Todd White.)
ATL SPORT
June 13th, 2009
10:42 am
What’s needed in this town is new ownership of the Thrashers and Hawks. These guys are pathetic and a complete embarrassment with their legal disputes, their infighting, their miser-like approach to business… I mean, I understand it’s a business and you have to keep costs down, but owners of sports franchises are also suppose to maintain the public trust. The Spirit couldn’t care less about building two top-notch franchises… they just want to turn a decent profit. Sad…
Supes
June 13th, 2009
11:15 am
ATL SPORT,
Right on with your post about the ASG.
NEW OWNERSHIP IS NEEDED! NOW!
Only if Arthur Blank liked the NHL and Hockey…we’d set!:)
Horsetoothedjackass
June 13th, 2009
11:31 am
Why don’t we trade Mark Bradley for a columnist to be named later who actually has a grip on reality. It’s columns like this that give the hockey folks in the “traditional markets” ammo in which to “justify” their dislike of teams in “nontraditional markets”. These sort of columns hurt more than they help.
B. Thenet
June 13th, 2009
11:32 am
Mark, you are right.
No matter what DW says, if Ilya does not re-sign this summer his status will be the first thing anyone talks about when discussing the Thrashers. He will be in the middle of a trade rumor frenzy that will dwarf anything we saw during the Hossa saga. To imply it will not be a distraction for the teams captain to be in the middle of trade rumors all season long is insanity, and it is hard to believe that any serious hockey executive can convince themselves that is the case.
The only problem is that if we do want to trade him, we have Don Waddell and his “brain trust” calling the shots. Let’s hope we don’t target any more useless bums like Erik Christensen IF these guys try to trade Ilya.
It is lose lose for Thrashers fans. We trade Ilya, we lose him. We trade Ilya, and we have to live with whatever scraps Don Waddell can get for him.
My hope is that due to the financial crisis, Ilya will settle for a 2-3 year deal and then look for a long term deal once the cap goes back up so he can get an even larger payday.
Smoothie
June 13th, 2009
11:43 am
Bradley, Tex was a mercenary and we all realized quickly he wouldn’t be staying. If u think his presence was such a distraction and ruined the Braves chances of a post season, you’re delusional. Their lack of production from the outfield, poor relief pitching, injuries to hudson, smoltz and glavine are what ruined the braves.
Kovy is NOT Teixeira and its insulting for you to compare an 8 year vet with a mercenary FA who was only interested in driving up hid price tag to satisfy his inflated ego.
Stat Man
June 13th, 2009
11:43 am
I actually thought we should have traded him last year, when we could have gotten a TON in return for him.
For any Thrasher fan that disagrees, I’d just like you to give me ONE solid reason that he would stay given the fact that (a) there is no way Atlanta will make him the highest offer and (b) there is no way a team closer to winning the Cup won’t equal Atlanta’s offer. Period – end of discussion.
The only thing that stinks worse than a Hossa type deal is NOT doing a Hossa type deal and having somebody walk and get nothing in return.
Keep in mind – even if you trade somebody, you can always re-sign them after the season, as what happened with Tkachuk in St.Louis. This, to me, is the clinching argument to trade him this year (barring the team being in the playoff hunt at the deadline). Why? Because the ONE thing Kovy has indicated is a “must” to stay is to build a winner. Well, if you could trade him to get a big piece to accomplish that, then if you make the same offer, wouldn’t Kovy be more inclined to return since you would have a better team after trading him heading into the next year?
Anyway, I fear the ASG group isn’t even going to make a big enough offer regardless of other moves – so it will all be pointless.
Final thought speaking of Hossa leaving. That was the only reason I cared about the Finals – I was for the Penguins. Hossa is a great player and was my favorite while he was here – but in back to back seasons he TOTALLY spurned any level of loyalty wanting to be on a Cup winning team. The ulitmate “me” player. I was so glad that the team that offered him a multi-year contract was the team that denied him yet again. So Marian, now that you’re a FA again, you going to see if the Penguins want you again since you’re lack of any loyalty (4 teams in 5 years – and NEVER coming up big in playoff crunch time) prevents you from being anything but a front runner? Passing on the Pittsburgh offer last year was your biggest mistake you will ever make and unless you ever are on a Cup winning team – that move, thanks to last night (another Cup Finals pointless game for you) will haunt you forever.
Mark Bradley
June 13th, 2009
12:06 pm
I should also note there’s a greater precedent involving taking less money to play for a better team in the NHL, where there’s a salary cap and a maximum salary, than in baseball, where there is neither. Almost nobody in baseball ever takes less when there’s more available.
polskidawg
June 13th, 2009
12:18 pm
Succinctly put – I’ll not be surprised if/when he leaves, whether by trade or free agency, and regardless how it happens I’ll first puke, then cry.
Kovy is a top 3 ATLANTA team sports performer for me (Larry Jones and ‘Nique).
Ted Striker
June 13th, 2009
12:48 pm
I’ve read lots of comments over the months saying “The Thrashers need new ownership,” “ASG needs to sell,” “The ASG is a disgrace to Atlanta,” etc.
It’s naive to believe ASG can sell a team without a legitimate buyer willing to pay the money for the team. Have there been reports of a buyer coming forward to pay the big bucks for the team — so THEY can incur the losses being incurred by ASG?
ASG isn’t perfect but without them — right now — Atlanta would have neither a pro basketball team nor a pro hockey team.
World Be Free
June 13th, 2009
1:56 pm
Kovy is going to sign.
Let’s move on the the next point of business and that’s bringing in some players to help him. The 2 work hand in hand and will be pivot in keeping Kovalchuk.
This habit of trading Kovy is a waste of time, at least for right now.
Brendan
June 13th, 2009
2:51 pm
Ya know, rubbin’ my chin, I reject this argument that says Kovalchuk will be “lowballed” by the Spirit, LLC. I highly doubt that. Quite on the contrary, I think they’ll pay WHATEVER IT TAKES to keep him here. His departure reflects a very serious blow to the team’s ability to sell tickets in the future. I’m hoping, like B.Thenet pointed out, that Kovy is amenable to a 2-year deal, just to put a band aid on the on-going ownership dispute situation and to see how this all plays out.
Stop for a minute, okay? As World Be Free says, who the organization brings in goes hand-in-hand with Kovalchuk’s re-signing. No? Okay, then. Wouldn’t Kovy’s ability to go recruit players be a lot stronger with him having this 2-year contract in hand? I think it would. In other words, Kovalchuk helps out his own cause, in terms of making Atlanta a better contender, if he can show he’ll actually be there for the players he’s trying to recruit to Atlanta. Kovalchuk did say he’d be willing to help Waddell bring in players. But it’s Waddell’s unenviable task to pry open the Spirit’s purse strings for persons NOT NAMED KOVALCHUK. Good luck with all that.
Waddell doesn’t set the budget. The owners do. Waddell probably has “some influence” over that budget. Let’s just say, he says, “Instead of $45 million, with hopes of waiver wire acquisitions, and overachievement by draft picks, we could seriously compete for the playoffs with $48.5 million?” Well, the Spirit would have to buy that argument. They may not have the money. And that’s the end of that, I suppose. (Or, they aren’t confident enough in Waddell’s ability to design a playoff roster for the additional $3.5 million.)
And, sadly, that’s the HEART of the Kovalchuk dilemma. Kovy’s not stupid. He knows that there’s a revenue problem in Atlanta. I’m sure it didn’t go UNNOTICED by the Kovalchuk camp that the team went 76 games, in 2008, without naming a Head Coach. It didn’t go UNNOTICED by the Kovalchuk camp that there were “no sweeping changes” after the team got swept out of the playoffs in 2007. Kovy is acutely aware that Waddell is still the GM, despite 28th and 27th place finishes, at 76-points each, for the past two seasons. I’m sure it didn’t go UNNOTICED by the Kovalchuk camp that when Marian Hossa’s contract came due, that the organization didn’t make the moves to keep him (Todd White, Eric Perrin, etc.) I’m sure Kovalchuk would prefer that Atlanta be a larger market, whose ownership had untold cash reserves, to be at almost maxed cap, on opening night, EVERY BLESSED YEAR. That’s not the case here. And won’t ever be, is my guess. So, Kovalchuk has to take stock of how well the team drafts, trades, hires Coaches, etc., as these all bear EXTREME RELEVANCE for a smaller market’s ability to contend for the Cup, on a limited budget. Kovalchuk can’t come out and say, “Your problem is Don Waddell. Fire him.” That’s NEVER going to happen. It’d be career suicide. So, now what?
Well, perhaps the first, most immediate answer is to return to the topic of this lawsuit. Good GAWD! Has it really been 4+ years now that the Spirit has been unable to successfully ‘buy out’ an estranged partner? This has transcended ‘ridiculous’ now. Once this lawsuit ends, I think the Thrashers budget can BEGIN to move forward. That’s why this concept of a 2-year deal with Kovalchuk is actually starting to grow on me. Presummably, this lawsuit will be over by 2011. If Kovy reupped for 2-years, he’d hit the open market in 2012, as a UFA. Thennnn, perhaps, he could go for the ‘lifetime’ contract, at max dollars, wherever he chooses. If you were Kovy … what would you do? Would you blame him for saying, “Look fellas. I’ve seen enough of the way you do hockey business to know … that you’re not the pony to bet on, for winning Stanley Cups. And you’ve done nothing to show me ‘you could change.’ At least firing Waddell would be a demonstrable step towards ANNOUNCING that “status quo” will not do. Any of that goin’ on?
Mark Bradley
June 13th, 2009
3:14 pm
Let me get this straight: The Thrashers are so dumb they still have Waddell as their GM, but they’re so smart they’ll never let Kovalchuk leave. Maybe it’s me, but I see a disconnect therein.
Brendan
June 13th, 2009
3:50 pm
The Spirit, LLC doesn’t hold the cards on Kovy’s next deal. ‘Never letting him leave’ is not their option. If all it took to keep Kovy … were the dollar amount of his next contract, he’d get re-signed, at the league max. Is it only about money?????? Or, is it something more.
What I’m getting at here … is that Kovalchuk can’t make MORE than the league maximum. The Thrashers do have the budget and CAP SPACE to make a league maximum contract happen. Would Kovy accept the league maximum to stay in Atlanta?
I don’t think Atlanta will attempt to ‘lowball’ him. If anything, they’d be forced to ‘front load’ the contract for him. I just don’t see Kovalchuk’s re-signing contingent upon dollars and cents. He’ll get whatever the market will bear.
Hockey Biltong
June 13th, 2009
3:55 pm
Le Thrash threw a bunch of money at Brian Campbell. He turned us down. Le Spirit will choke out some change for a UFA who is deemed a good fit by coach and gm alike. Kovy will resign and we will make the playoffs next season. The crystal ball is now too hot to touch , so I’m taking a nap….
Sage of Bluesland
June 13th, 2009
4:49 pm
Mark Bradley is a mere puppet–and a pitiful one at that–for Don Waddell, folks. It’s so easy to read between these lines it’s not even funny.
What our bumbling, lisping, promise-making and defaulting-on GM (Waddell) has given Bradley I’d love to know. Mark’s price (for selling out) mustn’t be very high, I’m thinking.
The ‘foundation’ is thusly laid ahead of time by Mark Iscariot.
Folks, stop being such sheep and stop subsidizing the utter incompetence in Thrashersland.
indybravesfan
June 13th, 2009
5:47 pm
Who cares about soccer on ice???
Marian Hossa
June 13th, 2009
6:10 pm
“Soccer on ice?” Are you liberal??
O'brien
June 13th, 2009
6:59 pm
Mark, the Thrashers are on the way to irrelevance, and Waddell is leading the way (or is it the Spirit group?)
I am not a hockey fan, but I root for all the Atlanta pro teams. Even I know there is no reason for Kovalchuk to stay in ATL. Except for when the Thrashers made the playoffs (and subsequently got swept), they have been perennial losers, and consistently cheap. The GM (I thought he had a 5 year plan) sucks, and ownership sucks.
Kovalchuk can make more money and have a better chance to win somewhere else. Why would he stay here? My only concern is will Teflon Don get more for him now, or at the trading deadline?
World Be Free
June 13th, 2009
7:34 pm
The key here is the the fact that our star player, Kovalchuk called out the organization on the ice after the last game. “Let’s get some players in here” was his request (call it a demand) for an improved lineup that will compete on a nightly basis.
Nobody can deny what the star requested; he’s telling us what it will take to keep him in Atlanta. Can it be any clearer?
Management has to decide if they care about the long term viability of this franchise. The player is not the issue. Any decision to improve the team is a business decision, Kovy or not. Not caring means losing more money (less fans) and less value in their franchise-a double wammy. Kovy long-term will be a signal of commitment and improvement, or the franchise’s long term demise.
One more thing Mark – Frenchy and Josh Smith should not be mentioned in the same article with Kovy. Kovy is a star, captain and leader. I ragged on Frenchy in my last post. Josh Smith cannot hit a 15 foot jumper! If it were the 70’s (the era of real NBA Basketball) he wouldn’t even be in the NBA. Today, these clowns cannot pass, shoot or play defense.
Brendan
June 13th, 2009
8:37 pm
I have to toss this question out there … for ANYONE’s reply. “In your estimation, what’s more important to the longterm future of the Thrashers, in the EYES of the OWNERSHIP: (1) retaining Waddell as GM or (2) retaining Kovalchuk, as Captain and player?
Obviously, I think they’d like to have both. But I suspect, ownership values Waddell moreso than Kovalchuk. Speaking frankly, the time to make a move to KEEP Kovalchuk was after the 2007 playoff sweep. That was the time to ‘clean house,’ fire Hartley, fire Waddell, fire Dan Marr, etc. What we’ve seen since then have been something close to league minimum payrolls, resulting in lottery draft finishes.
Allright then. Kovalchuk has been “doing what the little slip of paper says he must” during these past two seasons. He’s going to honor his contract, so he’d also like to have better players in the final year, I’m sure.
For my $0.02, I think the reason the Spirit, LLC likes Waddell so much resides in his ability to adhere to budgets, while bargain hunting for players like Reasoner, Metropolit, Sim, White, and Perrin. Perhaps they also think it will be difficult to attract another GM to this market, in this situation (lawsuit), so why ditch the one guy who’s willing to sacrifice his reputation, to deliver the lottery draft finishes, that allow the team to reload and make it very attractive for re-sale? If the goal really is re-sale, loaded with high-end draft picks and low payroll, to attract a buyer, does a league maximum contract for Kovalchuk make that sale easier or harder?
I don’t Waddell’s going anywhere.
Mark Bradley
June 13th, 2009
8:51 pm
If I owned the team, I’d keep Kovalchuk over Waddell. As calls go, Brendan, this one would be — to borrow from John Ward’s radio call on Tennessee’s goal-line stand at Kentucky in 1987 — “not … even … close.” I’m reasonably certain the Thrash can find a general manager at least as good. I’m reasonably certain they’ll never find another Kovalchuk.
But I’m guessing the Thrashers will wind up losing Kovalchuk for nothing because they’re the Thrashers. And I’d rather get something in trade than have zero to show for the loss of the best player in franchise annals.
World Be Free
June 13th, 2009
9:15 pm
Let’s be more positive Mark. I just don’t think they can afford to lose Kovy, via trade or for nothing. There’s my 2 cents Brendan.
This is the critical stage of the franchise; they have run out of Mulligans.
Other owners, like Mike Illitch have proven that you can get back on your investment if you are willing to spent. This IS a hockey town, look at all the suuport visiting teams when they come to town. If these people all come out for the Thrashers, with a good product this franchise will be fine.
But hockey fans are no dummies. They want Kovy’s wishes fulfilled.
Ogie Oglethorpe
June 13th, 2009
11:10 pm
Eklund questions why hockey fans always boo Gary Bettman. Detroit has GREAT hockey fans, but they booed Bettman to death last night. What do Wings’ fans have to be pissed about? Why Bettman?
Very silly to me.
Brendan
June 14th, 2009
12:13 pm
Mark Bradley, I’m going to go ahead and declare you SMARTER than this ownership. If I owned the team, Kovalchuk would be my ‘no brainer’ answer, as well. But since none of us are Levenson, Gearon X2, Peskowitz, Turner or Seydell, we’ll endure what this ownership hath wrought. Waddell, I suspect, isn’t going anywhere. What I EXPECT … is Waddell to be re-signed and Kovalchuk to maybe not be.
You, me and World Be Free make 3 votes for Kovalchuk over Waddell. But is that what will happen? Any moment now, (poster) Sage of Bluesland will appear to tell us “we can get Waddell fired.” Well, in counter-viewpoint, “What WOULD get Waddell fired?” Can’t be the results. (I won’t rehash them; your dog knows what they are.) Can’t be the lack of team identity. Can’t be the dwindling fan attendance. Can’t be that Tier I free agents like Campbell turn down LESS GUARANTEED TOTAL CONTRACT money when presented with contracts to be in Atlanta. So, what gets him fired, then? You’ll never see less than 6,000 fans in attendance. That’s the 4,000 “diehards” and an absolute mininum of 2,000 fans of the opposing team. Can’t be WHATEVER Hossa might have told them. Can’t be the losses of free agents like Kaberle, Savard, Hossa, etc. We’ve seen the answer to that, and yea, the answer to the potential loss of Kovalchuk already “explained away” with this statement from Waddell, “This is going to be happening all the time (now), referring to Jay Bouwmeester leaving Florida with ZERO compensation back to the Panthers. We can’t go trading players just because they’re in their contract year.” That’s paraphrased a bit.
Nothing gets him fired, Mark. Nothing. I don’t know Don Waddell, but I’m willing to wager he’s not a violent alcoholic, likely to commit vehicular homicide, in some drunken rage. He’s not a crack user, likely to be caught in a crack house, with a crack “damsel,” while doing crack. He’s not a child molestor, either. In fact, I doubt there’s a violent bone in that man’s body, towards anyone. These, perhaps, would get Don Waddell fired. But barring something of this impossibly outrageous magnitude, Waddell is here so long as this ownership is. And Kovalchuk … will probably be the odd-man out, if he’s not willing to re-sign out of the goodness of his heart. For whatever it’s worth, I think Kovalchuk likes playing in Atlanta; he just wants the team to be Cup competitive, every year. Well, who could blame him for that? But how likely is Kovalchuk’s wish … to become true?
Either the ownership must experience an epiphany, or they must sell to someone who CARES about player retention and fan retention, and winning Championships. I called Vegas. They wouldn’t even give me odds on that one.
Brendan
June 14th, 2009
12:23 pm
Ogie Oglethorpe, I think fans in Detroit “boo” Bettman because they see him as an impediment to their future successes. Strange, considering that Detroit has been in the CF for three years running, and the last two Cup Finals. But here’s what I suspect Detroit fans want: $70 million cap limit.
Why?
Well, obviously, so they can sign up all the top free agents they need, as well as keep their own players under contract, and continue to stockpile Championships.
Gary
June 14th, 2009
4:05 pm
Maybe we should trade Bradley?!?!
WC
June 14th, 2009
7:56 pm
Enter your comments here Bobby Cox is the biggest problem the Atlanta braves.all these player been thur Atlanta they only have one championship why.because of Bobby Cox managing close game he don’y know how bigs leads he bring the wrong pitcher in. Kelly Johnson who a third string period just gave him a job. jeff hitting got him here they done tickle with it til he don’t know what to do.Chipper
worried about batting avg but not RBI.how many time a player make a mistake and get bench check out Kelly ,Chipper how many played they have to bosh before they sit none.but if i call it racist then y’ll got something to say ypu tell me what is it.
World Be Free
June 14th, 2009
10:01 pm
Check out this piece I found on the net. Here are 6 good reasons why the Thrashers should not get stupid on July 1. 3 of the 6 are ex-Sabres, I guess Darcy Regier isn’t as stupid as we thought-
In an era when the salary cap will flatten this year and shrink next year, one man’s view of the 10 worst contracts in the NHL right now.
1. Wade Redden, Rangers: His six-year, $39-million contract would not have been unreasonable compensation for an in-his-prime Redden who – for a five-year period between 2001 and 2006 – was a cumulative plus-123, while playing 25 minutes or so per night. But Redden’s play fell off dramatically in his final two years with the Senators and everyone imagined he’d be looking at a hefty pay cut, until Rangers’ GM Glen Sather came along. Don’t these guys scout any more?
2. Scott Gomez, Rangers: Gomez’s annual salary-cap charge of $7.357-million is ninth-highest in the NHL – he will earn $8-million in each of the next two seasons, before the numbers drop off to $7.5-million, $5.5-million and $4.5-million in the final three years of the contract. The Rangers signed Gomez, who led the league in assists in ‘04, to act as a set-up man for Jaromir Jagr, but the two never found any chemistry – and there isn’t a pure sniper on either the current roster or in the system that would help maximize what Gomez brings to the table.
3. Chris Drury, Rangers: About the only saving grace with Drury’s contract is its term – five years, which means there are only three years remaining. A cap charge of $7.05-million, any team interested in Drury would pay him $8-million in each of the next two years and then $5-million in the final year, a lot to pay for a player that has never scored 70 points in the NHL and conveniently managed his one-and-only season above 30 goals in his contract year with the ‘07 Sabres.
4. Brian Campbell, Blackhawks: At least, GM Dale Tallon was honest with reporters on the conference call announcing Campbell’s signing, noting that he overpaid and saying: “On July 1, you always overpay.” Did he ever. With an annual cap hit of $7.14-million for eight years, Campbell was, at best, a No. 3 on the Blackhawks behind Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, and had they been able to predict Cam Barker’s improvement, might have given Campbell a pass.
5. Shawn Horcoff, Oilers: His new six-year, $33-million contract is going to start next year with a $7-million payout, or what Iginla will earn with the Flames – too much in other words, for a player coming off a so-so 53 point season. Edmonton is paying him like a No. 1 centre – his cap number is higher that both Getzlaf’s and Perry’s – on contracts with similar terms. Presumably, Horcoff will get a chance to prove he is that under new coach Pat Quinn.
6. Daniel Briere, Flyers: The annual salary-cap hit is $6.5-million, but that’s because the final two years of the eight-year, $52-million contract are cheap – $3-million and $2-million respectively. But any team interested in Briere’s right would need to pay him $8-million and then three years at $7-million to get to that light at the end of the tunnel. Small and coming off abdominal surgery that limited him to 29 games, Briere will be difficult to move, and not just because he has a no-movement clause in his contract.
Ogie Oglethorpe
June 14th, 2009
10:13 pm
WBF-only 6 of 10 listed, but we get the idea.
WC-why is Pendleton still on the job?
Yes Brendan, very strange.
Detroit has had it made in the shade for a long time.
So why are they pissed? Wings fans, help us out here.
Brendan
June 15th, 2009
12:40 am
The only theory I have left, Ogie, is that they believe Bettman instructed the zebras to swallow the whistles, and play the Finals “pre-lockout” style, to give the Penguins a better chance. And, uhhh, even that’s stretching things a bit. Would Bettman really intervene in matters of officiating, just for the Finals? I wouldn’t think so, but has anyone asked Commissioner Bettman this question? And, as a follow up, would he submit to a polygraph while answering?
Ogie Oglethorpe
June 15th, 2009
6:01 am
It has been stated before that the Red Wings get away with more sublte interference than any other team in the league. Even the idiots on NBC talked about it. Where this is the case or not can be debated for the balance of the summer. So the fact that calls werre or where not made are really a wash in this series. There just weren’t that many calls in the Finals to make a difference.
It’s really simple-Detroit is normally the better team. This time they were not. I think the difference in the series was Kennedy, Staal and Max Talbot. They were the best line for either team in the series.
The refs never really matter that much.
Alan
June 15th, 2009
11:02 am
Should the Thrashers deal Ilya Kovalchuk?
No.
Brendan
June 15th, 2009
5:21 pm
World Be Free, I never thought Regier was stupid. In fact, I’d love to have him here. And love it even more, to have him here with ‘committed ownership.’
NHL Rumours - The Score
June 15th, 2009
6:29 pm
[...] + Thrashers beat writer Mark Bradley examines whether or not it would be best for the organization to trade Ilya Kovalchuk this off-season. [Atlanta Journal Constitution] [...]
Correction and Questions Chi-town Thrash
June 17th, 2009
12:22 am
[...] for the questioning. A few days ago, Mark Bradley posted a blog suggesting that the Thrashers trade Ilya Kovalchuk before the beginning of the season. I acknowledge Mark as a fine writer, but I heavily disagree, [...]
TYLER
June 21st, 2009
2:40 pm
HOCKEY NEEDS TO LEAVE ATLANTA FOREVER. THERES NO MARKET FOR IT, MOVE IT TO WINNIPEG WHERE THE ARENA WILL BE SOLD OUT EVERY NIGHT, INSTEAD OF WASTING ANOTHER NHL TEAM
Kyle
June 30th, 2009
11:55 pm
He fills up the seats. I’ve seen him in over 100 games in my life between season tickets, and partial season tickets. If you get rid of him, you might as well replace him with a rock: it would already be too late for the franchise. We did our share of waiting: weeding out the Stefan’s and building around young stars like Kovalchuk. Now that he’s in his prime, it seems we should…get rid of him? Try someone else? Unless Evander Kane is the next Gretsky, we’re throwing away the Thrashers, and gift-wrapping them for a trip somewhere else (say Ontario). Just kill off the few Thrashers fans that have watched the team grow from egg and hatchling.
Removing Kovalchuk, if not on his own terms, would be like saying “We are not interested in being a Play-off contender. We’ll do that in five or six years. Sorry, but with a unpredictable market and a town that is hardly a “Blueland” we don’t have five or six years to create another Kovalchuk. Thank you
anonymous
July 1st, 2009
2:37 am
i wish we could trade mark bradley for any other journalist