The Alex Kovalev Deal
Posted 6:01 PM ET | Comments 0
Thank God.
With one fell swoop, Ottawa Senators GM Brian Murray cut out the lazy, uncaring, ancient artifact that is Alex Kovalev.
Sure we got back nothing significant, but hey, a deal's a deal right?
The 6th or 7th round pick we got back wont help the team now. It probobly wont help the team in the long run either. What will help the team however, is clearing Kovalev's 5mil. What else will help the team? Giving some rookies playing time. If their confidence isn't shattered by how badly Ottawa will play for the rest of the season, it will be a great experience for them.
While the chances of it are extremely slim, that 6/7th round pick could become a valuable addition to the Ottawa Senators. Prospect x could turn out to be the next Jaroslav Halak, Dustin Byfuglien, or Brooks Laich, but more than likely Alex Kovalev gets more points during his time in Pittsburgh in the 2010/11 season than this guy gets in his career. Especially if we draft a goalie.
Alex Kovalev returns to the place where he became a top player in this league. During his time in Pittsburgh, he played alongside Mario Lemeix and Jaromir Jagr and truly emerged as one of the most skilled players in the league. It was here, and during his time in Montreal, where he earned the respect he has now of his ability to be a streaky offensive forward, and truly showcase his ability to make almost any player look like a pylon. (Zdeno Chara, you know who you are.) Pittsburg is taking big strides with their offence in an attempt to get into th playoffs with a strong berth. Kovalev is the second top six forward they've added recently, and he comes at a very resonable price. The low risk-high reward deal is a good one for the Pens, as if he falls through, the only thing it costs the Pens is money, and with the fan-base there in Pittsburgh, that really doesn't matter. While Malkin is out for the rest of the season, if Kovalev can find some chemistry with Jordan Staal, or Sidney Crosby when he returns in mid-March, I'd say he could hit the 45 point mark easily. Neal-Crosby-Kovalev? A Powerforward, the best player in the league, and a dangler like Kovy could be a scary proposition for opposing D and Goaltenders.
This kind of deal is another reason why Murray is on the right track so far this season. He realizes the Sens need a full rebuild. He realizes his job is likely over as the GM of the team. He realizes also, that whil his tenure as the GM hasn't exactly been a success, he can leave something for the next GM to work with.Fisher, Kelly, Kovalev, Elliott, and Ruutu are gone. Still to go, Kuba, Gonchar (hopefully), Phillips, and any player anybody else offers for. Michalek and Spexzza are far from safe on this team. The only definate Sens come the end of the season are Alfredsson and Karlsson.
Murray is gone after this season. I'm calling it now. I pray to Eugene Melnyk that he is gone before free agency starts. In the past two years Murray has added Kovalev and Gonchar to a combined 26.5m. Brutal signings. If he is in charge for one more free agency, look for the Sens rebuild to last 1-2 seasons longer than it should. We may be welcoming in Paul Kariya with a five year contract before Murray can say, "sho long, shuckersh!"
With one fell swoop, Ottawa Senators GM Brian Murray cut out the lazy, uncaring, ancient artifact that is Alex Kovalev.
Sure we got back nothing significant, but hey, a deal's a deal right?
The 6th or 7th round pick we got back wont help the team now. It probobly wont help the team in the long run either. What will help the team however, is clearing Kovalev's 5mil. What else will help the team? Giving some rookies playing time. If their confidence isn't shattered by how badly Ottawa will play for the rest of the season, it will be a great experience for them.
While the chances of it are extremely slim, that 6/7th round pick could become a valuable addition to the Ottawa Senators. Prospect x could turn out to be the next Jaroslav Halak, Dustin Byfuglien, or Brooks Laich, but more than likely Alex Kovalev gets more points during his time in Pittsburgh in the 2010/11 season than this guy gets in his career. Especially if we draft a goalie.
Alex Kovalev returns to the place where he became a top player in this league. During his time in Pittsburgh, he played alongside Mario Lemeix and Jaromir Jagr and truly emerged as one of the most skilled players in the league. It was here, and during his time in Montreal, where he earned the respect he has now of his ability to be a streaky offensive forward, and truly showcase his ability to make almost any player look like a pylon. (Zdeno Chara, you know who you are.) Pittsburg is taking big strides with their offence in an attempt to get into th playoffs with a strong berth. Kovalev is the second top six forward they've added recently, and he comes at a very resonable price. The low risk-high reward deal is a good one for the Pens, as if he falls through, the only thing it costs the Pens is money, and with the fan-base there in Pittsburgh, that really doesn't matter. While Malkin is out for the rest of the season, if Kovalev can find some chemistry with Jordan Staal, or Sidney Crosby when he returns in mid-March, I'd say he could hit the 45 point mark easily. Neal-Crosby-Kovalev? A Powerforward, the best player in the league, and a dangler like Kovy could be a scary proposition for opposing D and Goaltenders.
This kind of deal is another reason why Murray is on the right track so far this season. He realizes the Sens need a full rebuild. He realizes his job is likely over as the GM of the team. He realizes also, that whil his tenure as the GM hasn't exactly been a success, he can leave something for the next GM to work with.Fisher, Kelly, Kovalev, Elliott, and Ruutu are gone. Still to go, Kuba, Gonchar (hopefully), Phillips, and any player anybody else offers for. Michalek and Spexzza are far from safe on this team. The only definate Sens come the end of the season are Alfredsson and Karlsson.
Murray is gone after this season. I'm calling it now. I pray to Eugene Melnyk that he is gone before free agency starts. In the past two years Murray has added Kovalev and Gonchar to a combined 26.5m. Brutal signings. If he is in charge for one more free agency, look for the Sens rebuild to last 1-2 seasons longer than it should. We may be welcoming in Paul Kariya with a five year contract before Murray can say, "sho long, shuckersh!"