Well, tomorrow is clearly one of the biggest off-ice days of the year in the NHL world, the start of the free-agent signing period. Since the end of the season, I’ve been of the mind that the Kings will seek a top-six forward and a top-four defenseman, one through free agency and the other via trade (depending on the respective markets), but we shall see, starting tomorrow. The big fish on the free-agent market is clearly Ilya Kovalchuk. There’s reportedly strong mutual interest between Kovalchuk and the Kings, but will it get done? Remember that, this time last year, almost nobody thought Marian Hossa, last year’s big fish, would end up in Chicago.
The question is, how much would you pay Kovalchuk? I’m interested to know, so cast your vote below. And, does this quote from former Kovalchuk teammate Bobby Holik concern you? Holik told Craig Custance of The Sporting News, “I would be cautious as a GM signing him. If Kovy is willing to play No. 2 or No. 3 on the depth chart, that’s ideal. You have a super-talented player, but to build a team around him would be a mistake. … It’s not that Ilya doesn’t want to win, but he wants to play the way he wants to play.” Or does the same article, in which Bob Hartley, Kovalchuk’s former coach in Atlanta, offers tremendous praise for Kovalchuk’s talent, ease your mind?
Of course, I’ll be following on the action here on the blog tomorrow. I’m scheduled to be a guest on the SiriusXM Home Ice channel at 8:45 a.m., and then we’ll have a live chat starting at 9 a.m., which is when the signing period begins. Should be an interesting day!
Front loaded cap friendly deal where is cap hit is low like Hossa. Not saying a 12 year deal but a long term deal thats front loaded so he has that low cap hit.
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luc20rules Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 6:27 pm
@Mike L, I think that is the way to go. Cap hit target should be 7 mil/yr, and really we shouldnt care if its a front loaded 15 year contract he will not be here once the $s aren’t in his best interest. 8 years with a great player the rest he runs off to the KHL or retirement.
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$8.5 million would be the max on a short term deal. Hopefully Dean can add a few extra years to get cap down in the $7 million range.
If Dean signs Kovalchuk, I will be satisfied that he has the cap worked out for 2011-12.
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DougS Reply:
June 30th, 2010 at 8:48 pm
@Sydor25,
Agreed. I take Rich’s assessment as a given, namely that DL has a price firmly in mind that he is willing to pay for Kovalchuk, and he is not going to exceed it. It would be out of character for him to panic and break open the piggy bank.
If a deal gets done, I think we may take it for granted that he has done the math in advance and concluded that the Kings can afford it.
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Does it start tomorrow or in 27 minutes?
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Jim Jones Reply:
June 30th, 2010 at 8:25 pm
@John, tomorrow 9am in LA.
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John Reply:
June 30th, 2010 at 8:30 pm
@Jim Jones,
Cool – thanks JJ
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If you look at the cap hits of the highest paid players in the league, Kovy is right around 7.5M. But since he’s the only big forward fish in a lukewarm pond, he’ll get 8M.
Hopefully Lombardi can pull of a Hossa-type deal and lower the cap hit to about 6.5M.
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Well, most of the world thinks that LA is a great destination for him. I hope that Kovalchuk agrees and is willing to fit into our salary structure.
I can hardly wait.
Go Kings!
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If his attention to the draft is an indication, I would think that DL has done his due diligence on signing Kovy and won’t plop down the sack of cash without being confident. That is unless the Leiweke rumors r true. This situation isn’t the same as grabbing the likes of Nagy, Preissing, etc. to cobble together competitive team. DL is dealing from a position on strength today.
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I don’t know, the more I read about this guy, and the more that I talk to Devil fans is leaving me doubting that the Kings should sign him. What about signing a defensmen like Hamhuis,or Volchenkov and trading for a top forward? Glad that DL gets the big bucks for making a decision like this!
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so, who plans on not getting any work done tomorrow?
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RabidHockeyFan Reply:
June 30th, 2010 at 8:39 pm
@Dayman, Hope the boss isn’t checking the web usage tomorrow!
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Matt George Reply:
June 30th, 2010 at 9:29 pm
@Dayman,
Tomorrow?!
Who the hell is actually sleeping tonight???
Thank God for Lunesta and Whiskey.
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mrk Reply:
June 30th, 2010 at 11:44 pm
@Matt George,
I’ve got the whiskey side done.
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I find Holik’s comments interesting,considering the main criticisms about Kovi’s game.Too bad I missed the whole interview.I would like to see how the comment was made,in it’s proper context.
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John Reply:
June 30th, 2010 at 9:27 pm
@Dominick,
How valid of a comment is it though? He played with Jersey, what, a month? Is Holik really saying Ilya Kovalchuk is a 2nd or 3rd line winger?! Or if he’s just saying he’s not a #1 guy to build a team around, that’s not a problem here. We have a “core” we’re building around, not 1 or 2 guys.
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Matt George Reply:
June 30th, 2010 at 10:04 pm
@Dominick,
Yeah right?
Bobby Holik? Really? THAT’s the quote?
How bout someone who played with him for YEARS rather than MONTHS.
gimme a break.
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Datacloud Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 12:06 am
@Matt George, Holik played for three years with Kovalchuk in ATL.
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Ersberg Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 7:48 am
@Dominick, The question I have is, how much stock do we put into Holik’s comments to beging with? Is he a good guy to play with? How is Holik in the lockerroom? He could very well be the “bad” guy, and Kovy just a regular guy to play with.
I take comments like these with a grain of salt..at most.
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Dominick Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 7:18 pm
@Ersberg,
Bobby Holik has been in the league since 1990,it’s 2010,I think he’s been around the block,and seen it all.I only find the comments interesting because he didn’t make the comments to his wife,or neighbor,he went public.
Kovi’s main critisism seems to fall in line with Bobbys’comments,but Bobby might not have meant them the way they were presented in the article,and there might be more to it.
That’s all.
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Good thing I was laid off a month ago…all I have to do tomorro is look for a job. Looks like I won’t be looking for a job tomorrow!
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Dominick Reply:
June 30th, 2010 at 8:49 pm
@mrbrett7, I’d encourage you to go ahead and look,till about 11 AM.It’ll probably take a little while if anything.I don’t expect an announcement till around 2 or 3 PM,if at all.
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Matt George Reply:
June 30th, 2010 at 10:05 pm
@Dominick,
DON’T SAY THAT!!
oh my god how bad is that going to be
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I have a freakin side by side with my unit leader tomorrow at 9:30 AM.
FML……
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TVA333 Reply:
June 30th, 2010 at 9:04 pm
@Tookie, LMAO! Cereal.. Better bring the battery boost for the phone.. You know it’ll be hitting refresh every 3 seconds, while paying no mind to anyone around..
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Hoping for Kovalchuk/Volchenkov signings tomorrow! But in reality trying not to get too excited about all this free agency non-sense!
Who am I kidding? Glad I have tomorrow off as I will be glued to my computer/Droid all day tomorrow!!!!
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4 Words… “In Dean We Trust”!
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I selected $7.5M. Considering $8M has the most votes, I’m satisfied.
I don’t know how pissed I’ll be if I check TSN tomorrow and they say Kovalchuk signed with Anaheim because the Kings didn’t offer enough $$ or enough years.
I really think they should get this done. There’s nobody comparable on the market, and after being shutout last offseason, DL can’t allow the big names to pass once more, especially now since that’s what’s keeping us from taking the next step.
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Building around an elite core is the key to winning.
Drew Doughty
Ilya Kovalchuk (please Lombardi, go for it)
Anze Kopitar
We also possess a number of lesser pieces but equal in team value.
Will Kovalchuk bring us a cup? That’s not how sports work. There’s a little bit of everything involved, including some luck.
All in all, having a good team = winning. Kovalchuk would be a major step towards glory.
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its like waiting for christmas as a child….
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Just do it.
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I think $7.5 mil is reasonable, and I go for that, too.
But really, unless any one of us has perfect knowledge of Kovalchuk’s mind and what he and his people are talking about tonight, there’s no telling what will happen.
There are always reasons why a deal doesn’t get done, and if the Kings don’t win the Kovy auction, it won’t be the end of anything for them. They’ll still be a young team on the rise, and the most important factor in their future success will be whether or not the young core continues to improve with experience.
My worry at this point is that one or more GMs will panic, break from the pack and overpay wildly to the detriment of his team’s overall health, and there won’t be a darn thing that anyone else can do about it. In which case, I believe DL would take a deep breath to calm himself and go on his way. Which would be the correct response.
So I guess I’m saying that it’s good to be excited, but don’t get Kovy tunnel-vision, and don’t get your hopes up so high that you can’t get them down.
Myself, I’m going to get an early start on my holiday weekend with non-hockey stuff, and I’m not going to let the beginning of the UFA period interfere with that, whether the news is good or bad.
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Naturallawyer Reply:
June 30th, 2010 at 11:42 pm
@DougS, the correct response for DL is to remind Kovy how bad that team is going to be with a whacked out salary cap plan. If he comes to the Kings, he can be a winner. DL needs to be a great salesman right now. You don’t just sit by if you get out-bid. You make the Kings’ bid look better through persuasion. DL is a lawyer, he ought to know how to do that.
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number 6 Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 5:46 am
@Naturallawyer,
I think the points that both of you guys make are very accurate.
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Question: Can they talk about the contract before tomorrow 9am? So Kovy has all the offer from different team, No right?
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David Reply:
June 30th, 2010 at 9:44 pm
@zdfun, Nobody is a free agent until tomorrow at 12pm EST.
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zdfun Reply:
June 30th, 2010 at 10:06 pm
@David, I know, but I wonder if teams send proposal to the player for them to think before starting talking tomorrow.
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Daniel Reply:
June 30th, 2010 at 10:18 pm
@zdfun, That’s called tampering.
David Reply:
June 30th, 2010 at 11:03 pm
@zdfun, This is exactly why there is a Free Agency starting date. If teams could do this, why havent they done so in the past month?
If a team did do this, it would be considered tampering and a punishment of some kind will follow.
KOVYYYYYY to the KINGSSSS… Make it happen DL… This is the type of player we need. This is why we kept the cap money and didn’t give it to Cammy (5-6M). Bring KINGS to the forefront of the NHL!!!
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$8-9 mil…
i can’t see dl giving him $10 mil…i just can’t…
his name is not ovechkin or crosby…or doughty for that matter…(minor joke on drew)…but seriously…
hossa was finally a piece to a stanley cup puzzle with chicago after two other gm’s thought he was their missing link (detroit and pittsburgh)…obviously, one guy isn’t gonna get it alllll done…
look…
i want the guy on the team…
but not at the expense of doing it the homegrown, right way…even if that means we wait another year to have a parade in lieu of spending less on kovy…
this is neither right or wrong…it’s just my opinion…
even with kovy, the team still has needs…hoping and wishing that a couple of rookies step up their play well-enough to solidify a serious cup run is a bit unrealistic…if kovy signs for over $9mil, doughty’s deal probably won’t get affected…but it would be the deals of both our goalies, wayne, jmfj, et all that does…and something’s gotta give…
i don’t want to sacrifice 3 to 5 players because of the salary needs of one player…
if it’s gonna take $10 mil to sign him, i say we look elsewhere and look to solidify those “boxes” via trade or 2nd/3rd tier ufa’s to build a bridge for our prospects in the next seasons to come…
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USHA#17 Reply:
June 30th, 2010 at 10:09 pm
@variable,
Exactly! I feel there are concerns enough to offer him no more then $7M. Hockey is a team system, not a one man show.
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Matt George Reply:
June 30th, 2010 at 10:17 pm
@variable,
I went to 8 mil. 9 would be acceptable.
Honestly, I think Kovi would (actually i should say has the potential to…) explode with Kopi and Ryan next to him.
I really believe all he needs is those 2 guys and he’s over Ovechkin and Crosby.
That would justify 10 mil.
and one other point I read on Quispy’s blog which bears repeating … the point is not to look at the team as it currently stands, then giving raises to Doughty, Simmy, et al … it’s that at the time when we have to sign Doughty, chances are we won’t have Zeus or Stolly or most certainly Odonnel.. thus freeing up space for the youngins.
I think it’s do-able. Big Time.
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number 6 Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 5:50 am
@Matt George,
Well I agree with Variable. 10mil is just too much. End of story. One thing that no one has brought up on this thread is….. who are major UFA’s for Next year. That would be interesting to know.
Yes, I’d like to see him on the Kings, but I’d also be curious to know why the Devils not only got bounced in the first round but also didn’t really play well from the time of the trade onwards.
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It was years ago, but I remember watching him live at Staples and it was like watching a man playing against boys. He was so clearly at another level. His skating, reach and control of the puck allowed him to go around the Kings like they were nailed to the ground and his shot was ridiculous. I don’t even think he scored that night, but he was an absolute standout. He’s 1 in a million and I’d pay whatever it takes and would be prepared to have to trade now or in the future anyone that isn’t Doughty, Brown, Kopi, Quick, Bernier and I’d be reluctant to give up JJ and Simmer. That means that the money along with Stoll or Williams or even Smyth could be sacrificed and I’d be ok with that.
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Versteeg to Toronto….seems to me that the players that Toronto gave up where the level of prospects like the King’s Trevor Lewis, Bud Holloway, etc and not the top-tier prospects. I’d like to think think the Kings could have gotten Versteeg easily, without giving up their core prospects…
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NMKingsFan Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 7:37 am
@PakiFan,
I don’t think the Hawks wanted to deal any of their players into their own division, otherwise I agree, the Kings could have offered much better.
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Who are next year’s Free Agents?
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Daniel Reply:
June 30th, 2010 at 10:19 pm
@Stonewall, In the cap era, there will be fewer and fewer top tier free agents. So, no one. ;|
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Kovi, will be signed only for 6 years at 8 mil a year! By that time he will be 33 years old. Then we can sign Hall away from Edmonton! Just a thought!
Kovi does not sign we will not make it into the playoffs, now that the teams know to cover Kopi and the rest is history.
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DougS Reply:
June 30th, 2010 at 10:17 pm
@sammuch,
“Kovi does not sign we will not make it into the playoffs….”
Garbage.
Even without Kovalchuk, the Kings will be just as good a team as they were this past season. They will lose Ersberg, but Bernier will replace him, so they will be stronger in goal. They will probably lose Frolov, but his production is replaceable. They will lose OD and Jones from the defense, but they are even more easily replaceable than Frolov. If Kovalchuk is out of reach, that frees up room to sign Volchenkov or Hamhuis or Martin; and one of the D prospects can do just as well as Jones. Plus, Kopitar, Doughty, Johnson and Simmonds ought to be better players because they are still maturing physically and gaining experience.
It is beyond me how anyone can honestly believe that the Kings will be doomed without Kovalchuk.
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USHA#17 Reply:
June 30th, 2010 at 10:28 pm
@DougS,
Your dead on. The Kings should “do better” with of with out him.
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Naturallawyer Reply:
June 30th, 2010 at 11:45 pm
@DougS, replace Frolov with who? Not a lot out there…
But I agree that goaltending will be stronger next year, and defense also should be better. Imagine if we add Kovalchuk to that…
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Dominick Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 12:08 am
@DougS,
I totally agree.The only concern I have is that if we wait around For Kovi and he doesn’t sign,other free agents might escape our grasp.
I’m pretty sure Kovi has a pretty good idea of what he’s going to do already,and that a choice will be made quick.
1)If it’s about playing in Russia he’ll be gone quickly.
2)if it’s about money,the highest bidder will weed themselves from the pack soon because the bidding is already out of reach for most teams.
3)if it’s about placement,the Kings have alot to offer,maybe more than any other team.
I’m hoping that it doesn’t come down to 2,but if it does,I think DL is smart enough to know when to walk away,if the bidding gets out of hand.
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sammuch Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 12:58 am
@DougS,
Chic- Kane – Towes – Hos – Keith = cup
LA – kopi – DD thats it!
Future stars maybe Bernier, Schen, Simms,JJ the list goes on.
With Kovi and Kopi will make the other players play better. Simms, Brown and even Zuez and Symth take them to another level. Then DD will take the D,s to a different level like he did with JJ!
Kings stick with what they have and wait for prospect to come around maybe cup in 4 years! If everyone stick around for that long.
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sammuch Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 1:10 am
@sammuch,
Kings can not win 5 on 5 hockey and all the teams know that now!If the Kings do not make some changes this year with or with out Kovi.
5 on 5 games, how are the Kings going to make the playoffs now that all the teams know this!??? Playoffs prove this weekness so they need to do something ahout this or they will not make the playoffs due to this weekness… I am open to here how?
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Bob Bobson Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 6:58 am
@sammuch, Teams already know we have problems scoring 5 on 5 . That’s why they are professional hockey teams. Yes, the Kings chances of winning in the playoffs are not as good without Kovalchuk right now but the Kings have enough blue chip prospects where we will win the Stanley Cup even if we never sign an FA or make any trades. Schenn, Loktionov, Voynov are all great prospects.
However, if Kovalchuk does not sign, there are other free agents wingers who can contribute to our offense (Whitney and Stempniak come to mind).
If those signings do not work out then there is always the trade route. We have a great pipeline of young players which other teams covet. Packaged with a roster player, they could give us a great return.
We will be fine with or without Kovalchuk.
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espn reported that the NHL and NBA free agent periods have started!!!!!!
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David Reply:
June 30th, 2010 at 9:51 pm
@neil, Fail part on ESPN’s end.
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Matt George Reply:
June 30th, 2010 at 10:27 pm
@David,
Unreal.
SERIOUSLY GUYS .. why the hell do you STILL want the NHL on that god forsaken network if they indeed did just report the wrong time for FA opening.
It’s bad enough I have to constantly hear them mispronounce NHL players on a regular basis.
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David Reply:
June 30th, 2010 at 11:05 pm
@Matt George, If you have no reason to care for something, mistakes like this will happen. If a huge deal happened between ESPN and the NHL, this wouldnt have happened.
Ilya is tantalizing but Holik verbalized my concerns.
You can read the same message into Hartly’s comments as well.
Ilya or not it could turn out well either way.
My feeling is however he’ll go to a team other then the Kings.
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Matt George Reply:
June 30th, 2010 at 10:35 pm
@USHA#17,
I’m inclined to agree … my gut is the Devils actually but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Blues threw insane money his way and came away with the steal.
My feeling is that our Defense next season will be so damn good it won’t matter how much D Kovi can play.
I can seriously see Doughty and JMFJ standing tall, shutting down, and creating an zone of confidence for Kovi … seriously I’m not worried in the least with our guys on the back end.
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oh my god I am so excited
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One thing we have to remember is,I think Kovi has scored more goals in the last 5or6 years than anybody else,on two defensive kind of teams.I don’t think he had a center like Kopi feeding him passes.Atlanta has’nt been a very good team,they don’t have the proven young and veteran players like we do now.With Kopi centering,and JW or Simmers on the other side he could possibly score more than 50 goals.Do you guys remember last year when Atlanta thrashed(ha,ha)us like 8 goals to 1,something like that,Kovi I think had 2 or more.I went on NHL.com and watched some of his goals,nice.I think Dean knows what he is doing,and will work a nice deal that will be fair to all,and to the future.Hopefully he gets it done,I’m staying here in blazing hot Vegas so I can be close to my computer and NHL on the fly,then it’s off to Cali for some surfing.Thank’s Rich awesome job.
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I think we should go hard after him. For the people saying that he’s not a guy to bulid around. I think that we have already bulit our core and he is just someone to help score some points 5on5!! Better to give him money, than trade our core away for a scoring winger.
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Bill M. Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 8:53 am
@Casey,
Bingo.
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Regarding Holik’s comments, the Kings are building their team around Doughty and Kopitar see that doesn’t apply to us. So, teams like Edmonton and Toronto would not be good fits.
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Well, it’s fine as fans to get excited about signing UFAs. But Down Goes Brown offers an amusing reminder of why it’s a bad idea for a GM to get swept up in the excitement of bagging free agents:
http://tinyurl.com/2wt4m8b
Let’s all hope that DL keeps a cooler head in the days to come than some of you guys, and than some of his colleagues have in the recent past.
Myself, I’m not going to lose any sleep tonight. Or tomorrow night. Or the night after….
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wavesinair Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 7:39 am
@DougS, yeah, I didn’t think I’d lose any sleep either…then I woke up at 6am. Hmmm…
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I just loved Stonewall’s question… Who are next year’s free agents. In case of losing out on Kovi,who can we get next year?What about getting a top 4 line D-man?Vol and Hami are on the top but Tallinder or Mitchell would be great. I still say we should sign Modano for 1 year and 4th line guy like Shawn Thorton.Well good luck tomorrow DL..Nothing over 8 mil. —
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quisp Reply:
June 30th, 2010 at 11:38 pm
@KFAN,
Richards, Brad » F 30 DAL $7,800,000 2011 (UFA)
Thornton, Joe » F 30 SAN $7,200,000 2011 (UFA)
Semin, Alexander » F 26 WAS $6,000,000 2011 (UFA)
Gagne, Simon » F 30 PHI $5,250,000 2011 (UFA)
St. Louis, Martin » F 35 TBL $5,250,000 2011 (UFA)
Kovalev, Alexei » F 37 OTT $5,000,000 2011 (UFA)
Nylander, Michael » F 37 WAS $4,875,000 2011 (UFA)
Bergeron, Patrice » F 24 BOS $4,750,000 2011 (UFA)
Connolly, Tim » F 29 BUF $4,500,000 2011 (UFA)
Arnott, Jason » F 35 NJD $4,500,000 2011 (UFA)
Ryder, Michael » F 30 BOS $4,000,000 2011 (UFA)
Handzus, Michal » F 33 LAK $4,000,000 2011 (UFA)
Sullivan, Steve » F 35 NAS $3,750,000 2011 (UFA)
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src Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 3:49 am
@quisp,
After looking at your list, Kovy looks pretty darn good at 8+ mil/yr.
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Not concerned about Holik’s comments for the reason mentioned earlier. A few months of playing time and he’s that critical? Fishy. Besides, the best part about our situation is that we DON’T have to build our team around Kovy, we’re building it around the Kids (Kopi, DD, JJ, Simmer, etc.) Kovi & Kopi will take the pressure off each other and will probably be so good, they’ll get to be creative at the same time. It would be a great fit for both Kovi & Kopi. Less pressure for Kopi and more space and freedom for Kovi to operate.
I think the deal will be structured something like this:
10 years, 76 mil
1- 9mil
2- 9mil
3- 9mil
4- 9mil
5- 9mil
6- 8mil (33 yrs old)
7- 7mil
8- 6mil
9- 5mil
10- 5mil (37)
7.6mil/year cap hit.
Stoll is gone this year via trade, Schenn takes his place eventually.
Zeus resigns for less money when his contract expires (Prob 2mil/year about)
Willie is expendable as well, trade or UFA.
That right there would free up about 9mil to pass to DD, JJ & Simmer.
Just my guesses, but I’d be all for this.
Just saw Frolov’s agent Don Meehan says he’ll test Free Agency tomorrow since a contract wasn’t offered. Yeah, It’s hockeybuzz, but I’d actually believe this one. Thanks for your time here Fro! Good luck to ya! I hope you lose the enigmatic tag someday.
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Kovy mania is on the top again. My personal opinion is that he will not finish in Kings as in old russian manner he will go for the best offer and not for the cup. I think there will be a crazy GM who will offer him 9,5 – 10 mil. for 6 years and DL will not go over 8,5 mio with his offer.
But let’s see the surprize. I am interested if DL has booked private jet to fly anywhere to bring Kovy on press conference in LA.
it is nice that today is free day on Soccer World Cup and signing player like Kovy will be sport news of the day in the world.
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David Reply:
June 30th, 2010 at 11:49 pm
@slovenian fan, Then why did he reject the 10 mil/year from Atlanta if hes in it for the money?
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KC23 Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 2:32 am
@David,
My guess … both Atlanta’s owner and Kovy agreed to just let that out that $10 million dollar figure to ease the pressure from the disappointed Atlanta fans (see, we tried to sign him) and sweeten the pot for Kovy on UFA market.
Kovy probably told him no way no how from the get go.
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David Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 8:52 am
@KC23, lol, then why are people saying he wants money around 10 mil?
Why are some of my posts not posting? I try to repost them and the system says I’ve already posted it, but the post still never shows up?
What Gives?
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wavesinair Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 7:37 am
@Cynic, same old bugs. bet the site crashes today…
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To help pass the time between now and 9am, I bring you the top 10 Canadian misconceptions about Canada day
http://www.lakingsnews.com/2010/06/30/top-10-canadian-misconceptions-about-canada-day/
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Do it Dean…put this team in contention for the cup.
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SO TODAY I GOT A CALL AND I JUST PUT MY DEPOSIT FOR THIS YEARS SEASON TICKETS, EVEN DURING THESE HARD TIMES I KNOW THIS YEAR WILL MAKE EVERY CENTS WORTH.
LAST YEAR I WASNT ABLE TO HAVE THE CASH TO GET SEASON SEATS NOW I WONT MISS OUT ON HAVING TICKETS FOR A WAY BETTER PRICE THAN I WOULD BUYING SINGLE GAME TICKETS ESPECIALLY PLAYOFF TICKETS . CANT WAIT TILL LATER ON ITS 1:31 AND I CANT WAIT AND HOPE THAT DL CAN PULL KOVI TO THE KINGS WITHOUGHT HARMING OUR CORE .
GO KINGS ITS OUR TIME!
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kingsfan909 Reply:
July 2nd, 2010 at 5:25 pm
@kingsfan909,
so its already day 2 no moves by the kings what so ever and im getting impatient. this totally sucks
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its like russian Christmas eve.
I will now do a shot of wodka and say a prayer.
Get em Deano but dont overpay…
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Learned my lession at the trade deadline not to get my hopes up. I’ll sleep just fine and let the UFA chips fall where they may.
okay, okay so I’ll be checking ever 5 minutes dam it
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It really does feel like christmas eve.
Exciting knowing that it’s possible we could sign Ilya freaking Kovalchuk!
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There have always been some whispering about Kovalchuk’s game, especially his willingness to play defense. We all know Terry Murray expects defensive responsibility from his forwards. Between that and the price tag for Kovalchuk I’ll be shocked if the Kings sign him.
To me a much more likely scenario is that the Kings sign Gonchar or Hamius and trade for a top 6 forward from a cap challenged team. Teams like Philly, Tampa, Detroit, the Rangers, and Pittsburgh are all teams that come to my mind as possible trade partners. Last summer there was a lot of talk of Malkin getting traded to the Kings. I think he’s the most likely target with St. Louis from Tampa being #2.
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Real 9 Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 4:22 am
@Paul From Oxnard,
Malkin hasn’t been discussed by anyone else here, so I’D be shocked & awed if Kings could pull that one off….something else that hasn’t been considered here [as far as I can tell] is trading a top name D, namely JMFJ, for a top name W, after signing a D like Hamhuis or similar….
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Real 9 Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 4:28 am
@Paul From Oxnard,
I’m 30 miles up the coast from you…..
I’m guessing there are many sleepless Kings fans around, or will be soon…
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Paul From Oxnard Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 4:50 am
@Real 9, 30 miles up the coast? So Santa Barbara? Always liked that town.
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Real 9 Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 5:06 am
@Paul From Oxnard,
better than SB…..Carp! world’s safest beach.
as they used to say….Marcel Dionne & Luuuuc
have local ties….
number 6 Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 6:01 am
@Paul From Oxnard,
Malkin? Malkin? Malkin? ,s;lom (ooops sorry those were the keys Next to his name)… Malkin?
Really I have no idea where you came up with that one. No, actually I’ll correct that. There are in fact two possibilities that the Pens would trade Malkin. None and non existant!
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Can’t sleep…. 4 more hours to go
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just another sleepless thought….now I forget….
OH! I nominate Kitsyn as the new “LEGEND” now that Mikus has departed…the “I score goals” legend, that is….I’m sure he’ll learn to speak Canadian….
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Denis Potvin on Hockey This Morning just now (and I’m paraphrasing, but this was the jist of it): ‘I can’t see Terry Murray accepting Ilya Kovalchuk. He just doesn’t play enough defense. I think it’s either going to be Toronto or the KHL.’
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Kind of torn whether he’s what we really need.
TM’s system is defense first. That has to be a concept that the whole team buys into. You can’t have one prima donna superstar only playing one way.
I hope if we do sign him that he’s willing to be the complete player that we really need..not just one dimensional.
If we do sign him, I’ll be as excited as everyone else…I just have that little seed of doubt in the back of my mind.
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number 6 Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 6:05 am
@nykingfan,
HI. It’s interesting that you sound like that voice in my head. I mean, I’d sort of be disappointed if we didn’t get him, but a tad concerned if we did.
I have to ask why the Devils were really so poor from the time of the trade last season onwards.
Also his overall record in playoff games is 1-8. That isn’t too promising. Now it’s possible that those playoff loses may have taught him something…. that every player counts and every player’s contribution at both ends of the ice counts. But it’s hard to know.
I tend to think Hossa is not as talented, but plays a more complete game. Then the predicament as well, that while scoring by committee does work (look at PHX), it hasn’t worked well in LA five on five.
Thoughts?
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Paul From Oxnard Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 6:14 am
@number 6, I agree that Hossa is a much more complete player and he would have worked much better in TM’s system then Kovalchuk would. I too have my concerns if the Kings sign Kovalchuk, but the team desperately needs the offense so maybe TM can teach him to play a little bit of defense and that would be enough. What the Kings don’t need is a cherry picker that just hangs around center ice waiting for an outlet pass. He has to be willing to play an “Ovechkin” type game. He has the talent to do it. It’s just a matter of will.
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number 6 Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 6:32 am
@Paul From Oxnard,
Yes Paul. Also, he is arriving at an age where young men start to become ‘men’ and hopefully mature in terms of their psychology a bit (if that makes sense) so perhaps experience will show him that he needs to make ‘adjustments’ in the way he approaches his game.
I’ll tell you something else…. for some reason or other I was thinking about Ovie the other day, and asked myself the same question (for other reasons) about him. He plays at such a high gear all year long that it almost doesn’t seem to leave him another gear for the playoffs. Plus the Habs adjusted to his moves and all. Don’t know if that makes sense but moral of the story is that we’ll have to see how it all plays out.
nykingfan Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 6:33 am
@number 6,
hey man
I agree with you and Paul.
What made this team so special and what continues to give us the hope and confidence that we’ll continue to improve is that every guy plays for his teammates.
But having said that, we need someone with the offensive ability of a Kovy. How frustrating was it last year to watch the 5 on 3′s? A guy like Kovy will put those pucks in the net.
If we do sign him, let’s hope he can fit in with the team concept we have going on and just be “one of the guys”.
His time with the NJ really scares me though. He didn’t seem to fit at all in a defense first system. It also could have been because he didn’t have a training camp and time to really get used to playing that way. That was my biggest fear of an in-season trade for him last year. Glad DL didn’t pull the trigger on the deal at the deadline last year. It was the right non-move.
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I think everyone is missing the true deal breaker here:
What number will Wayne Simmonds wear?
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Real 9 Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 8:27 am
@Barrie G,
is there any doubt? Simmonds #17, Kovi #71….
like Rich said
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Barrie G Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 8:36 am
@Real 9, I figured Ilya might go for his Russian number but hey, ya never know. Thanks for the reply, I missed Rich touching on that one.
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Oooops, I went to YouTube. Now it’s gonna be a LONG day.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAK2UfQC66Y
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src Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 7:39 am
@Barrie G,
Straight up nasty. Okay, willing to go to 9mil now.
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number 6 Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 8:23 am
@Barrie G,
Well……. we never said he wasn’t good……….
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You all make great points about Kovalchuk not being a complete player and he might not buy in to TM’s system. I think this is true, but at the same time I believe having a guy like Kovy sitting at the blue line has the defense for the other team sitting back afraid to pinch in deep in case he breaks free. When you have an uber sniper waiting to pick pucks and go on a rampage it opens the ice a bit and keeps the other team’s “shut down” forwards on him at all times. Remember when Selane was a rookie he got 76 goals sitting and cherry picking the blue line. If we are signing Kovy for offense let him go and score. I have a feeling he can do fine because when he is on the ice he will have at least 1 player shadowing him the entire shift, which i believe opens the ice up and lessens the emphasis on defense.
I like Hossa’s game more, but a guy who has been on 4 teams in 6 years is not something DL would want his players to “buy into.” You want a guy who has loyalty and the desire to win. Kovalchuk was a franchise player who got tired of losing in Atlanta and I’m sure he will do much better and care much more with whichever team he signs with. If it was about the money he would still be in Atlanta or expressed interest to sign back home.
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Paul From Oxnard Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 7:54 am
@oldthunder, Kovi in all likelyhood will be on 3 teams in 2 seasons. What’s the difference?
Also, your point about the defense being afraid to pinch down is interesting, and with some of the puck moving defenseman we have on the Kings I could see some plays like that happening. But if you think about it that’s not how TM’s system works. He tries to get his defensemen to carry the puck to the center ice area then either pass off to a forward or dump the puck in, unless a clear cut long pass is available in their own end. Might Terry Murray tweak his system if he has a sniper waiting at the blue line? Maybe. But more likely he’d try to get the sniper to adapt his game. Remember, he didn’t tweak his system to accommodate Kopitar, he had Kopitar learn to play the system.
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griddle Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 8:38 am
@Paul From Oxnard, the difference is he got traded to the second team….they weren’t all fa signings like hossa
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oldthunder Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 8:50 am
@griddle, this is true, he was traded for a playoff rental unlike hossa who signed 3 teams in 3 years.
@ paul, I appreciate the input, you may be right in regards that TM may change the system. I think with Kopitar he wanted him as a center to be the all around complete player as a young guy get him started in the right direction and learn the system.
With kovalchuk I think it may be different because he is a winger and a 8 year veteran and not directly in the center of the ice the entire game like a center would be. I maybe naive in my assessment but I believe centers work more 2 way hockey than wingers do.
10 minutes till the feeding frenzy begins. time for a bottle of pepto bismol to deal with heartburn.
It’s just amazing to me that people actually think that Kovalchuk will all of a sudden start playing defense just because a coach expects that out of his team. You don’t just suddenly change your stripes overnight.
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Ersberg Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 8:14 am
@deadcatbounce, I’m not certain where you get your info from, but Kovy is actually prety good on defense. The problem was, he was on a team that didn’t play a solid defensive system.
Look at his stats once he moved to NJ.
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number 6 Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 8:25 am
@Ersberg,
Not sure what the point is. Didn’t his stats fall off there?
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deadcatbounce Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 8:35 am
@Ersberg, I’m not sure which stats you want me to have a look at. Are you implying that Kovalchuk is a good defensive player and that he was just dogging it when he was with Atlanta because, well, they were Atlanta? The rap on this guy has always been his defensive game. I’m not singling him out because there are many highly skilled offensive players who’s defense is a bit lacking, just making a point that Ilya’s defensive game has always been a secondary thing for him and you can’t expect him to change overnight just because he may end up as a King. Did Gretzky’s defensive game improve after he joined L.A.? Oh, maybe I’m mistaken and he was also known for his stellar defensive play.
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Ersberg Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 9:48 am
@deadcatbounce, Well, if we’re talking “defensive” statistics, wouldn’t I be referring to +/-? At any rate, I’ve watched Kovy play for years, and he’s a decent defender. He CAN play LA’s syle of game.
I’m more concerned with some of our current players then I am Kovy.
Again, I have no idea where you’re coming up with this info regarding Kovy being a bad defensive forward. It’s just not true. I’ll just state it now and think that you’re getting this idea from fans posting it on sights.
And by the way, he was NJ’s best player in the playoffs.
I had a crazy dream last night that the Kings traded Loktionov and Hickey for Montreal’s Andrei Markov. I’m glad it was just a dream because then we wouldn’t be able to sign Kovalchuck!
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Just want to change the rhythm here for a moment. Even on the hockey sites and all, while of course there has been speculation wrt Kovalchuk, it’s been measured. Meanwhile, I can’t get my head around the Lebron James frenzy. Is he great? Yes, he’s even amazing. But So Amazing that it has warranted literally full time coverage on ESPN tv and radio for like a week and a half, and almost full coverage for the past month?!! I hope I make the point. Kovi and Lebron, both brilliant. But that’s why I prefer hockey. I’m extremely sorry to report that Lebron is not about to unveil a cure for cancer or a solution to homelessness in the big cities.
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Barrie G Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 8:42 am
@number 6, Amen dude!
With a quick step away from hockey and to Lebron here is what will happen with that guy IMO:
We all know the dude is uber greedy. He’ll take the most money and say it wasn’t the most offered.
Then if he wins the title with said team, he looks like a genius. On the other hand, if he takes the most coin and fails over and over again, I am sure he’ll have some opt-out clause (along with a zillion other concessions) built in so he can cry and whine and go somewhere else on a whim when it doesn’t pan out. Like Cleveland.
Punk ass!
Be interesting to see if IK goes for the legacy factor and go to a team and stick with them to win a Cup (Kings) or goes for the fuller sack o’ loot. (KHL? Another NHL club?)
We shall see, and pretty soon I imagine!
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Rich is about to go live on SiriusXM Home Ice 204…
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Barrie G Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 8:46 am
@BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy, gratzi, I’m on it!
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Warm up the pen and get this over with. I have to work darnit!!!!!
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It’s 9:01 – hear anything yet?
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number 6 Reply:
July 1st, 2010 at 9:04 am
@Howe 9,
Yes I did! Marty Biron signs with the NY Rangers!! He’s a terrific guy…. or so they say!!
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