Quotes/info « LA Kings Insider

Quotes/info

Posted by Rich Hammond on 19 July 2010, 12:22 pm

I don’t have the ability to look at other sites/sources right now, so I apologize if this is already out there, but the Kings’ last offer was indeed for 15 years and $80 million. It was presented Thursday, and nobody knew until today which offer/team Kovalchuk would choose.

I’ll have some extensive quotes from Dean Lombardi later today.

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259 Comments

KOHO says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:24 PM

Is that all?! No wonder!

[Reply]
USHA#17 Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 12:40 PM
@KOHO,

He is good but hold it a minute, not as good as he thinks he’s worth.

[Reply]
flatlinered Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 12:50 PM
@USHA#17, Only problem was.. New Jersey thought he was better than the Kings did….

[Reply]
Darko Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 12:59 PM
@USHA#17, Ovechkin has Backstrom, yet we still compare their numbers relative to their paygrade. Kovi hasn’t had anything but 2nd rate-Antropov, to 3rd rate pivots his entire career! Savard being the only exception; and look at Kovi’s #s in those years….
He is worth every penny, especially considering what the market has set BAR @ -Koivu

[Reply]
luc20rules Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:30 PM
@Darko, Every article I have read about Koivu has said that Minn was forced to overpay. Do we wish to set the bar for defensive pay on Aaron Ward & Andrew Campbell?

USHA#17 Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:23 PM
@USHA#17,

Look, I’ll not draw conclusions until midseason. Maybe brilliant, maybe a brick, maybe the best pickup never made…

Other players have had the same “handicap” as IK and produced better overall numbers.
I hope everyone ends up happy.

Analysis of 5 on 5 play
http://www.behindthenethockey.com/2010/6/28/1541891/do-you-really-think-ilya-kovalchuk

Explanations:
http://hockeynumbers.blogspot.com/2007/11/corsi-numbers.html
http://vhockey.blogspot.com/2007/10/corsi-numbers.html

Forget “only” played 27 games. That plenty. How many games did it take for Kopitar/Smyth/Williams to click…or was that a fluke?

Then look at Dionne’s record, did he make the players around him look good, was it the other way around or both?

[Reply]
luc20rules Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:42 PM
@USHA#17, Nice links, Thanks, I have been saying Kovi=
? Defense. This may indeed be a blessing although it looks like a PR disaster. I will be guessing Helene Elliott will be drooling at her opportunity to bash the Kings.

RLane420 Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 2:18 PM
@USHA#17, He is worth more than 5.3 mil a year.

[Reply]
USHA#17 Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 2:34 PM
@RLane420,

Agreed (5.3 x 17y = 90m).

I really don’t know squat but my gut feeling is NJ fans can look forward to seeing advertising on the toilet sets and in the urinals while on TV fully half the screen will be covered with advertising during the game.
Sev The Kings Fan From Montreal says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:26 PM

Too bad we didn’t get him but I don’t believe he was gonna be worth it if it was gonna tie up too much cap space.

I think the right decision was made. Thank you DL for not giving in! :)

[Reply]
jet Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 12:58 PM
@Sev The Kings Fan From Montreal, but was it a right move for Kovi. Jersey’s Div will be teh black and blue division next season (no offense to the Leafs efforts to change that). Kovi may not see 28, let alone 38, or 44.

[Reply]
MacSwede says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:26 PM

Man, that low??? No wonder he did not sign here… Management are pathetic.

[Reply]
Old Time Hockey Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 2:10 PM
@MacSwede, would you like your company to pay you $80 mil over the next 15 years to play A GAME?? Don’t get me wrong I love the game but I’m an old guy and I felt that Mickey Mantle wasn’t worth $100 K in 1952.

[Reply]
RLane420 Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 2:23 PM
@Old Time Hockey, And a loaf of bread isnt a dime anymore either.

[Reply]
BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:26 PM

Kovee Babee = 17 year contract, to age 44…

IF that’s true, I have a hard time believing it will be approved…

http://www.jewelsfromthecrown.com/2010/7/19/1577004/my-first-reaction-if-the-deal

[Reply]
variable Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 12:37 PM
@BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy,

insane…(!)

[Reply]
Quisp Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 12:57 PM
@variable, @bako

I didn’t say it won’t be approved. I just said I wouldn’t be surprised, especially with how dragged out this thing already is. Also, 17 years is obviously a joke.

Also-also, a note to everyone saying “that’s ALL we offered??” Obviously, you have no idea how the deal was structured. It could have been 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 6, 4, 3, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1. And if he retires (i.e. goes to Russia) at age 35, that’s $70MM/8 years and the rest comes off the books. Done. Still think that’s cheap?

[Reply]
BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:05 PM
@Q,

I didn’t say you said it would be approved.

But this is beginning to resemble 7:30 on Saturday night, when the 16 year old daughter is bargaining to stay out ’till 11:00, then midnight, then 2 a.m., pushing and pushing until you just have to say, NO!

How much farther can Betteman let these things go? Seventeen years is insane, and given the cap hit can only go down 50%, how ’bout a residual hit of $3 mil or so a year for no player for a decade? That’s like playing with 10 men in soccer…

Your point still stands.

variable Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:06 PM
@Quisp,

it’s probably gonna go through…

lou can point to kenny holland, dale tallon, charles wang…others…

i am almost positive of two things come next cba…:

- a cap WILL be instilled similar to that of the nba has on players with less than 6 years of service…that i can almost guarantee will be a MAJOR stipulation on any new agreement…

- this salary cap “loophole” being exploited will be clogged and you won’t see these type of deals anymore…

BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:45 PM
@V,

Two years is a long, long time…

Bettman will have to create a ceiling for the term, sooner or later…

And again, the end-point to the madness will be when a superstar perceives he is playing underneath his true market worth for a particular yearly salary… and ‘retires’.

What will the penalty be if the same player then, after he ‘retires’, he pulls a Favre and ‘unretires’? Does that put the old salary cap hit back on the books of his old (or new) team? Does the inability to renegotiate his contract limit his true earning power and thus violate labor laws?

Bet we find out the answers to these questions next year, before the cap is renegotiated… However these long insane contracts are validated in the new CBA will be interesting to see…

RLane420 Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 2:29 PM
@Quisp, Does it matter if we think its cheap the guy we wanted thought it was. The 2 teams he had played for thought so as well.

USHA#17 Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 3:57 PM
@Quisp,

They’ll have to plug it or the entire complexion of the league changes.

Haves and have nots. Two franchise players per team with the rest studying for their GEDs at night.
Traded for a Pick says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:26 PM

5.3 versus 6 mil a year. Plus 50 mil in incentives…

Gagne traded for Matt Walker and a 4th rounder…

So still need a top 6 winger and a top 4 defender. Hopefully DL does something, but not of the knee jerk variety. Not many pieces left.

[Reply]
quisp Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 12:58 PM
@Traded for a Pick,

incentives? what incentives? incentives aren’t allowed. where are you getting that?

[Reply]
Traded for a Pick Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:22 PM
@quisp,

My mistake, bonuses. ESPN has it reported as up to 150 million can be paid in bonuses

[Reply]
EASportsMgt Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:23 PM
@quisp,
I thought of that too but let’s put things in perspective here Quisp.
Obviously the marketing for Hockey players is a thin market to begin with, trust me I know.
But you have a guy like Kolvachuk, good looking guy, pretty wife, kids, and say he does get the 15 year 80 Mil contract here in L.A.
Obviously that attracts attention, attention attracts interest, and interest leads to more opportunities, top sponsors who have stayed away from the NHL for while will come back, and they will come back to a big market like L.A. and player like Kovi.
So although there aren’t any incentives per se, there is the real possibility that any deal from L.A. in the grand scheme of things would have been worth $ wise a hell of a lot more than any offer from N.J.
Please don’t get me wrong. For one, I am not suggesting to circumvent the CBA, and two, NJ is a great market, but it certainly isn’t L.A. in terms of marketing opportunities. I could have seen movies, commercials, and crazy sponsor money for him here in L.A. To me, that’s quite an incentive.
I’m interested in your thoughts on this.

[Reply]
Quisp Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:38 PM
@EASportsMgt,

I took his comment to mean that New Jersey offered incentives.

What you’re talking about, though, I completely agree. I argued this very thing three weeks ago, that the whole idea of saying $80MM (for example) from NJD is better than $60MM from the Kings is absurd given the superior licensing/promotional/etc. revenue that’s possible playing in Los Angeles, in Hollywood, at the Staples Center, with Kobe.

The Kings are not allowed to negotiate this. But it’s certainly a factor in the decision from the player’s point of view.

It occurs to me, though, I wonder if licensing revenues are commissionable by the agent.

FUKIFUJI Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:40 PM
@EASportsMgt,

By “movies”…you really mean cheap porn, right?

Kovi goes tweeners on Tera Patrick.

Puckin-A Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:54 PM
@EASportsMgt, Awwwwwwwwwwww now I don’t get to see Kovalchuck and Vanilla Ice in COOL AS ICE 2???? Or 15 minutes can save you 15% by switching to Geico commercials where he gets ran over by the caveman Zamboni driver??? Now I’m truly disappointed :(

Traded for a Pick Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:49 PM
@quisp,

Ugh, so that’s why I usually never use ESPN…
Third time they have “updated” the story
“the source clarified that the forward will have earned more than $150 million as an NHL player”

Earlier they had it reported as the deal was 17 years for 150 million, then 17 years for 100 million, then 102 and was able to receiver 150 million in bonuses, and now this.

[Reply]
vahe says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:27 PM

Who cares at this point. The Kings are the Clippers of the NHL. The Clippers have young talented players as well. They can never make a splash in Free agency, even though just like the Kings, they might have one the richest owners in the league. Some owners we have in LA, AEG, Donald Sterling and Frank McCourt. Thank God for Jerry Buss, who likes to make the playoffs once every ten years.

[Reply]
fourtunato Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 12:34 PM
@vahe,

That’s just idiotic. When is the last time the Clippers made it to the finals? When is the last time they made the playoffs? When’s the last time they had a decent GM or signed a core group for multi years?

[Reply]
vahe Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 12:42 PM
@fourtunato, they actually made the playoffs in 2006 I believe, and they were a play away from the western conf. finals. Big deal, the Kings made 1 finals appearance 17 years ago, even though we had the greatest player of all time on the roster. AEG = Donald Sterling

[Reply]
fourtunato Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 12:53 PM
@vahe,

I had Clips seats for 7 years. I sat and watched as every good player we had left when we would not pay them the going rate. I watched as every coach we hired was either washed, cut rate or was a head case (Brown). Sterling makes money on TV revenue alone. He doesnt really need to even fill a seat. He IS a joke and so are the Clippers.

Next time you go to Staples, look up and compare Kings banners to Clippers banners, not even close.

This new regime is keeping our talented core players and building a winning culture. DL has a good track record. He is doing exactly what he said he would and so far as I can see, it’s working.

IK did not sign because another team offered more money, money they don’t have without dumping salary. Let’s see how they manage their cap in a couple years. I for one am giving DL the benefit of the doubt for now.

KOHO Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 12:39 PM
@vahe,

I’d say he’s right on with his assessment.

Team is just a bunch of draft picks/2nd rate trades as good FAs don’t want to play for us.

You know the NBA players consider being a Clipper like going to jail…I wonder if the NHL players would agree.

[Reply]
luc20rules Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:52 PM
@vahe, Remind me again when the Clippers had Micheal Jordan the only real one equal to Wayne Gretzky in given sports? And who is projecting the Clippers to make the playoffs every year for atleast the next 5 years based on the depth of the organization. This is a half season set back at most. We will be leaders in the playoff race at the trade deadline and we will trade for a better contract and possibly a better player than Kovi. The pressure is indeed on DL now to get DD, JJ, WS, etc signed long term now.

[Reply]
Puckin-A says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:28 PM

Thanks Rich, just hope you can get some rest now. P.S. can you ask Dean to maybe draft a power forward in the first round instead of another Dman. Thanks again.

[Reply]
David Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:28 PM
@Puckin-A, Nah, I think we need more of a small forward. lol

[Reply]
PV Kings says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:28 PM

Even Frolov is asking more than 15Y/$80M and he is not even in the same category as Kovi, its time to start boycotting some Kings games until they finally get some superstars on the ice to make a run at the Cup. Even the Quacks got the Cup, so who cares if they havent been back since, at least they got one before we did, cuz they spent to get some elite players.

[Reply]
Puckin-A Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 12:43 PM
@PV Kings, True they got a cup but Burke traded the whole farm for it ( except Bobby Ryan, who they might lose anyway). I dislike a lot of DL’s moves or lack of but prefer his vision to the Burkes & Sathers of the league. ( However Deano draft a dang forward in the first round please!)

[Reply]
the dude of the southeast Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:30 PM
@Puckin-A, we dont need another forward. once handzus, smyth, and with halpern, modin, frolov, and ivanas not returning this opens up spaces for schenn, lewis, lotionov and other forwards that are maturing in the minors to get a chance at the cup. the kings dont have very many young defensem en that are maturing in the minors and we need more.

[Reply]
Puckin-A Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 5:08 PM
@the dude of the southeast, We have loads of Dmen in the minors, if you mean they aren’t very good then check out 4 out of 5 of the last first round picks and what positions were drafted and who drafted them. I have yet to see any scoring touch from Lewis, he can’t score in the AHL so not too sold on him. He also looks lost on the ice at times. We could of drafted a couple of forwards who have good hands and size but we just drafted Dmen with the exception of Schenn.

ike Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 12:47 PM
@PV Kings, are you saying 15Y/80M is not a big deal? Glad you aren’t the GM.

[Reply]
gr81scores Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:04 PM
@ike, Did I read this correctly? 15 freakin years? Yeah, right. I hope this same offer is given to DD.

[Reply]
art Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:22 PM
@gr81scores,

Doughty would still only be 35 after 15 years so it would have to be closer to $100 mil because you have to figure his cap hit is going to be close to his annual salary. We can’t structure it to only give him $1 mil from the time he’s 35-42, or can we? Lets lock him up to 22yr $107 mil contract. That’s only a 4.86 cap hit. 15 years from now, factoring in inflation, and the nhl getting a real network contract, this will be chump change.

In reality though, we’ll have to give him something like $50mil for 7 years. Then he’ll be in his prime and get the his next contract for 15 years and something like $120 million.
TJB says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:28 PM

Wonder if they’ll make any moves at all?

[Reply]
LBlocal Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 12:39 PM
@TJB, UFA out of Long Beach.. Bernard,T

gKg!

[Reply]
Steve says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:28 PM

Lombardi needs to go. He is incompetent when it comes to signing big names.

The Kings will never eeeeeeeeeeeever land a big fish with aura of cheapness in the air.

This is disheartening.

[Reply]
ike Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 12:47 PM
@Steve, yup, 80million is pittance.

/sarcasm off

[Reply]
jet Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:04 PM
@ike, agreed, please be cheap in my back yard.

[Reply]
mrbrett7 Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:05 PM
@Steve, yeah…because big name free agents win cups.

Signed Wade Redden, Daniel Briere, Chris Drury, Scott Gomez…

Actually, the only one who has is Marian Hossa…flawed argument man.

Drafting and developming over the long term wins championships, not opening your shiny new present.

[Reply]
Stop the Puck Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:15 PM
@mrbrett7,

yeah signing scott niedermeyer was a terrible move becasue he was only a shiny new product

[Reply]
Old Time Hockey Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 2:27 PM
@Steve, Dean isn’t the one calling the money shots for cry’n out loud. If he went nuts and tried to sign a player or players that they really don’t know how they’ll be in the room or on the ice with the team we have I’m sure he really wouldn’t be the Kings GM for very long. GMs are to put the scouts and coaches together and use all the input so the player gets paid pretty close to what they/he is worth and he also has to take care of the hand that feeds him.

[Reply]
Paul From Oxnard says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:29 PM

If it really is a 17 year deal that’s absurd. He’ll have grandchildren by then and will have long retired from the NHL. Glad Lombardi didn’t hamstring the Kings with a stupid deal like that.

[Reply]
ike Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 12:48 PM
@Paul From Oxnard, finally someone with a brain.

[Reply]
KingMe20 Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 12:52 PM
@Paul From Oxnard,

I agree completely.

[Reply]
Phil Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:05 PM
@Paul From Oxnard, The day he retires his salary comes off the books. So who’s the stupid one here???

[Reply]
David Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:31 PM
@Phil, You cant force a retirement. You cant move him with a NMC.

[Reply]
Phil Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 3:33 PM
@David,

As though retirement and the limited trade options of a NMC are the only options? Laughable!!!

There’s always the AHL, which clears the player’s contract from counting against the cap – see: Huet, Cristobal.

Moondoggie Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:32 PM
@Paul From Oxnard, Bad deal, period. DL did the right thing. This would have saddled the Kings for sure. They didn’t need this salary that will weight them down for years to come with no flexibility in the future.

[Reply]
art Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:37 PM
@Paul From Oxnard,

Yeah, so absurd that it would lower the cap hit to about $6 mil. It would be much easier to sign him to a 7 year $60mil deal with a cap hit of about $8.5 mil. It would be absurd for a billion dollar corporation like AEG to throw in 10 more years for about $30 mil more on that contract just to guarantee the player on the team. The guy is just is not worth it. Those who have had this guy on the team know that he’s not very good. Atlanta would not give him a $100 million contract…oh wait, bad example. Well, New Jersey has won the cup and they have a great organization that knows how to win and can obviously make good personnel decisions. They wouldn’t pay this guy $100 million either…oh, wait, they just did.

It seems to me that Kovy wanted to be here and play here. He seemed to keep giving us chances. In the end, if someone is going to give you 25% more you’d be stupid not to take it.

At least it is finally over. Now do something to improve the team Dean. Lock up DD, JJ, and Simmer. We obviously have enough money for that now.

[Reply]
drck71 says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:29 PM

No wonder…

[Reply]
upperV says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:29 PM

Are you kidding me!!!?

5.33 cap hit was our best offer?

“Not about the cash it’s about the cap.”

BS!! We could have gone much higher on the cap hit and nailed this down.

What a lot opportunity. I feel sick.

[Reply]
FU King Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 12:36 PM
@upperV, “It’s all about the CRAP.” :-)

[Reply]
Sako Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 12:39 PM
@upperV, Yes 5.33 cap hit was a good offer, they were going to front load the beginning years to a high amount and the last few years were going to be really low so that he could retire or be bought out at that point.

[Reply]
ike Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 12:51 PM
@upperV, why are you considering cap hit? IK doesn’t care about cap hit. He cares about how much money he will make for his remaining playing years. Cap hit means nothing in terms of that. What if it were 100M/100Y? Thats only a cap hit of 1M?

It was simple. 80 million for the rest of your career or 100 million. That was the offer. Not this nonsense about cap hit.

[Reply]
quisp Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:03 PM
@ike,

You’re totally and completely wrong. Kovalchuk will not play until he is 44, so he won’t get his $102MM. He’s not likely even to play 10 more years, though it’s more likely than playing 17. When he retires, which means when he goes to the KHL, all that comes off the books and he gets nothing.

I would be shocked if he played much beyond the point where the Kings and Devils’ offers diverged. Maybe a year or two.

[Reply]
BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:10 PM
–Q

Thought it could only be bought out to 50% value, if the guy started to under-produce for the money…

But say he does produce to 37. Once the money in the contract decreased to less than he thought he was worth, wouldn’t he hold out for more money? Could the contract be renegotiated?

quisp Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:26 PM
@bako

if he’s bought-out that’s different. if he retires (i.e. it’s his choice, not the team’s) he gets no more money and there’s no more cap hit.

the retirement issue is the crux of the loophole. Teams don’t want to buy out Hossa, Kovalchuk, etc.. They expect them to hang up the skates.

Which they will. Since they aren’t due any money to speak of in those final years anyway. because they already got their money. because it was front-loaded.

BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:49 PM
@Q,

That assumes they won’t ‘retire’ to invalidate their contract, and jump to another league…

See below.

wavesinair Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:07 PM
@ike, His point was about what Tim Leiweke said…and I agree. Leiweke said it was NOT about cash but about the CAP. So you can say “nonsense” all you want, but that was the official word from the Kings.

At the time I cried foul…and the NJ deal proves it. DL could have offered the same 15 years worth NJ’s 100 million, which would have been a better deal if the numbers are true.

100 million with a VERY manageable cap hit of 6.66 and we would have had Kovi.

So the bottom line if the NJ numbers bear out is that Leiweke is a joke and it was all about the cash, NOT the cap.

[Reply]
KingsRule says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:30 PM

That contract offer is an absolute insult. Good luck in NJ would have looked great with Kopi.

[Reply]
variable says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:31 PM

(soft harmonica test)…

the once was a free agent named kovalchuk…
who can do amazing things with a frozen puck…
he was offered a king’s ransom,
but made a deal with a devil instead,
so he can have more money instead of lord stanley’s cup…

(…and to tell ya’ the truth, we, here, in los angeles, shouldn’t give a…)

[Reply]
BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 12:37 PM
@V,

I still feel like the mutt who can smell a sizzling filet and gets dry dog food instead…

[Reply]
KOHO Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 12:41 PM
@variable,

YAWN

[Reply]
number 6 Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 12:51 PM
@variable,

Variable, I’ve been waiting for you to appear. I’ve been following Quisp’s blogs (exceptional) and was so curious to get your take on things. I am totally with you…. but one caveat only. As I have always felt Lou L to be quite straight w everything he does, one can only ask… then why would He of all people have done that.
FEEDBACK APPRECIATED: P.S. Hope you are well!

[Reply]
variable Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:00 PM
@number 6,

hey, 6…

thanks for the love…always look forward to yr takes, too…

i don’t really know what louie was thinking…i think the world of him…but…i just don’t get it…(?)

the only thing i can think of is that the marty brodeur window is closing…you gotta figure within three years…so maybe this is lou’s attempt to add a franchise player now rather than waiting until brodeur retires and yr left with no marquee attractions…(with all apologies to zach parise)…

that’s the only reason i could think of…but i don’t know that much…

and like everyone else here, i’m waiting to find out more…

[Reply]
number 6 Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:18 PM
@variable,

Thanks Var. NewYorkKingFan had a take (listed below) that Lou may retire in a few years at which point it’s someone else’s problem. Interesting. Otherwise, I agree that there really is a certain point where you say ‘enough’.
Also, having seen Quisp’s chart yesterday (50 goal scorers and their decline more or less) did make me very wary.

Here is one last point that one may never have considered. Many years ago I read the Ken Dryden book ‘The Game’. Fascinating read. I remember well him saying that different player’s games age differently and he could see early(ish) on that Guy Lafleur did not have the sort of game that would age well as it was so much built on speed (sic). So I too wonder how will Kovi’s game evolve. Time will tell.

Last point…. wonder what DL will do now?
I know…. the $64,000 question.
Jim Jones says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:32 PM

They couldn’t offer 20M and 2 more years?

[Reply]
vahe says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:33 PM

at least the Kings have plenty of cap space to sign Trevor Lewis, Thomas Hickey, Colton Teubert..

[Reply]
BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 12:38 PM
@vahe,

…Drew Doughty.

Hmmm. You left that guy out…

[Reply]
Sako Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 12:42 PM
@BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy, …and Simmonds

[Reply]
KingMe20 Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 12:54 PM
@Sako,

And Johnson… and Bernier (next year, I believe)…

Am I missing anyone?

Puckin-A Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 12:48 PM
@vahe, YESSSSSSSS!!!!!!! Trevor Lewis!!!!!! the guy who can’t score in the AHL, I’m stoked now, who’s Kovalchuck when ya got Lewis!!!!!

[Reply]
Mike L says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:33 PM

People need to remember 5.3 is the cap hit! NOT his salary. His salary could of been like this for first 7 years of that contract 9M 9M 9M 9M 9M 9M 9M than 6M 5M 4M etc.. Cap hit is the total money divided by years. HES NOT MAKING 5.3 PER YEAR!

[Reply]
Mike L Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 12:38 PM
@Mike L,

Example go to http://www.capgeek.com and go to the kings and look at Kopitar’s cap hit. than click SHOW SALARIES and he’ll be making 7.5M in 2 or 3 years but his cap is still 6.8.. Please stop thinking 5.3 would of been Kovy’s Salary…….. Kings offered their best deal Kovy wanted the 17 years and 20M$ for 100M$ that he DOESN’T deserve

[Reply]
art Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 2:02 PM
@Mike L,

Obviously the two teams that he has played for and know him better than us think that he did deserve $100M. Some other team gave him 25% more than what we offered. I think he would have played here for less, but not that much less.

[Reply]
UpperV Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 12:42 PM
@Mike L,

No kidding. Nobody thinks that is his salary. The problem is that we could have afforded more cap hit and we have an owner who said that “it’s not about the cash, it’s about the cap.”

TL lied to us and we’re pissed.

[Reply]
Quisp Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:50 PM
@UpperV,

I don’t see how you interpret what Leiweke said as a lie. He said, the cap is the overriding consideration. It is. There really isn’t even room to debate that. This is why the Kings offered a 15 year deal, to bring the cap down to a manageable number. There are two reasons to do this. (1) because we need to be able to pay our other players, and (2) the Kovalchuk contract would have been untradeable in five years with a cap hit over a certain amount.

I personally would have thought that we could afford a cap hit up to around $7MM. But it’s also entirely possible that Lombardi doesn’t value Kovalchuk at that price the way some fans do.

I’m mildly disappointed in this outcome, but I don’t think anyone here will be complaining when New Jersey has 12 more years of Kovalchuk on the books after his scoring has steadily declined from 40-ish goals per year, to 30-ish, on its way to 20-ish.

[Reply]
BigMike says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:33 PM

For those of you that don’t understand the scaling of NHL Caps go read up on frontloading the contract.
That number could have easily represented 10 million per year over the first 5 years of the contract but only counted as a cap hit divisible by dollar / years.
So its a damn smart play. 5.33 cap hit per year.

[Reply]
Traded for a Pick Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:53 PM
@BigMike,

yeah but the Kings didn’t sign him. New Jersey got him for a bit more money for a cap hit of 6 per.

[Reply]
BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:34 PM

For all those who think Kovee Babee would have been great at $105 mil/17 years, cap hit of 6.17 mil, but the 5.33 cap hit the Kings offered was peanuts, think about what you are saying…

[Reply]
rick Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 12:40 PM
@BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy, You’re right, but isn’t that the problem? Couldn’t we have found a way to make up what is a relatively modest difference on a year to year basis?

[Reply]
BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 12:46 PM
@rick,

–How many years can a contract be spread over?
–Was it the 2012 year that was the problem… How did NJ handle that?
–Obviously, NJ swooped in and stole the deal. What happens in 7-8 years for them when the cap hit is still on their books but the player is gone? Buying him out will only cut the cap hit total in half…

Talk about a lost decade! A decade of a 3.6 mil cap hit WITHOUT A PLAYER? Say, between 2017 and 2027?

[Reply]
rick Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:14 PM
@BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy, I get it that there is much we (or at least I) don’t know here. My disappointiment may well be more emotional than practical, but I am tired of being disappointed. It would have been nice – just this once – to have walked away with the rose and not the thorn.

BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:31 PM
@rick,

Reading what Quisp has to say above makes it clear to me that I STILL don’t understand the true ramifications of the Cap.

Seems like there would be a declining curve to Kovee Babee’s real salary, and when that salary dipped below his self-perceived value he could always ‘retire’ and bolt to the KHL, removing the Cap hit from the Devils’ books.

That means the true value of a Long-Term Cap contract depends upon the real salary value for the player. Say you value yourself as a ten mil a year player. As soon as your contract’s true yearly salary dips, you ‘retire’ to invalidate the contract, getting the team out of their commitment entirely. This works as long as you are willing to go to another league, such as the KHL.

So that means the true value of a contract is always front-loaded, because the rest of the contract is bunk. It’s just a question of whether or not the player actually produces at the level which is actually paid.

If Kovee Babee gets hurt and starts to put up 30 goals or less per year, then maybe 8 or 7 mil/yr is too much in real dollars. But then, Kovee Babee would still like his contract, no? The true gamble is against a quick decline in the player’s real market worth below what is actually paid, which then would lead to a team buying the player out, with a persistent cap hit.

I almost wrote above, so what happens if Kovee Babee never retires? He just keeps pulling his paycheck until it expires, even if it is only 1 mil/yr.

The gamble of a contract thus is in the steepness of its curve. A sharper decline protects the team but may cause the player to ‘retire’ to get a better deal. A shallow decline protects the player, but no matter what he will act to maximize his REAL LIFE PAYCHECK, year to year. The longer term is actually a form of insurance for the player against his true earning power in any given year.

Given the complexity, one can imagine the difficulty in concluding such a negotiation. And remember, the agent wants the HIGHEST total dollar contract to calculate his commission from.

In short, the current system is INSANE.
KOHO says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:35 PM

In Donald Sterling we Trust…errr AEG!

[Reply]
upperV says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:35 PM

First TL says he went to NJ for more money, then he says our failure to get his wasn’t because of a lack of cash.

WTF!?

Kovalchuk “had two very good choices. NJ offered more money. Simple as that.”

“We threw everything at him we had while leaving the cap space necessary to sign our kids. He is a great player and I am disappointed he didn’t come to LA. It was not for lack of effort or cash.”

BTW – You’ve gotta be willing to give up a kid for Kovy! Not Doughty or Kpoi, but someone. WTF

[Reply]
Jason G says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:36 PM

With Gagne traded, I don’t see Philly trading away Jeff Carter. He was on my “Plan B” wish list.
Anyone have any interesting Plan B theories?

[Reply]
number 6 Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 12:55 PM
@Jason G,

Jason, since you pose the question (this isn’t an answer btw) I was absolutely thinking ‘wow, now DL really has his work cut out for him… how is he gonna pull another plan out of the bag…. and quite frankly, in spite of the prospects we have, short of trading a JQ or JB or Brayden Schenn who would he move that will bring something back?
Personally, glad that it’s not me that has to figure that out.

[Reply]
Kevin Y says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:36 PM

At least we know…

Yeah, I would’ve taken NJ’s offer also.

[Reply]
Sako says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:37 PM

DL made the right move. I don’t want the Kings taking a cap hit of 7-8 mil and lose some of the other key players. Some of the people complaining to to just think a little. The Kings have less cap room than it seems to many people.

[Reply]
USHA#17 says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:38 PM

“Its Time to Move On” and see what our Indigenous farm teams produces.

[Reply]
MR King Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:59 PM
@USHA#17, This sounds like a great idea!

[Reply]
Who Knows? says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:38 PM

Is Iginla available?

[Reply]
Tito Jackson says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:38 PM

At least we’ll have enough cap space to resign Bailey. Lets lock him up for another 10 yrs at least!

[Reply]
KOHO Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 12:58 PM
@Tito Jackson,

Maybe we can get Kinsgton too since we’ve saved ourselves from Cap Hell!!!

[Reply]
Ice Guy says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:39 PM

Whatever Plan B might be – it’s going to be a lot more painful to this team in terms of disruption than the $500,000/year difference in Kovi’s contract.

[Reply]
Kevin Y says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:39 PM

Based on what we’re hearing, NJ offers two more years and $22M more.

How likely is it that you’ll be able to rip somebody off of $22M over two years and expect them to go with you?

Compared to what NJ had, that offer is an absolute joke.

[Reply]
Quisp Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:54 PM
@Kevin Y,

If Kovalchuk plays eight years and then goes to the KHL, the offers are virtually identical.

[Reply]
guillermo says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:39 PM

pppl ppl ppl dont worry DL will come up with something …yes plan A and B now are gonne but come on is DL the magician we are dealing here….he’ll come up with some….he’ll probably sign up some washed up player at a bargain,or some injured prone player or better yet he’ll probably sign someone as great as NAGY,JONES,CALDER …should i keep going..im effin bummed out…i dont want to throw dl under the bus just yet …just want to hear his side of the story about this huge mess but oh welll back to being a kings fan and settel for MEDIOCRICY

[Reply]
B in SV Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:48 PM
@guillermo, I think you forgot Roenick! :)

[Reply]
sstephen17 Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:53 PM
@guillermo, I’d settle for a spelling lesson.

[Reply]
5buckcolonnadeticket says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:41 PM

Dean did the right thing here.

For anyone still thinking they could have made space by getting rid of another player — you don’t understand the salary cap. If there is no room for another quality player, there is no room for another quality player. So do you want to be the Thrashers? NJ fire sale to commence in three…. two…. one….

[Reply]
renoKingsFan Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 12:50 PM
@5buckcolonnadeticket,
NJ’s cap hit is only 700 k more than what we offered, maybe you dont understand the salary cap?

[Reply]
Big Wasp says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:42 PM

I really don’t see the NHL approving this deal, if in fact its for 17 years.
I think Bettman needs to step in and make an ammendment to teh CBA and put a limit of 10 years on contracts.
If they let a 17 year deal go down they might as well throw the CBA out the window.

[Reply]
Freddy Fingers says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:42 PM

So, basically the guy gets an extra 25-mil to live in the stinky swamp that is New Jersey. Wow, good luck with that KOVI….

[Reply]
stagger Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:31 PM
@Freddy Fingers,

Hey Freddy, ever been there? If you had you would probably know that not all of NJ is a pit.

That is a BS argument.

Also, no sales tax there.

[Reply]
KingsRock says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:44 PM

Maybe we can get Camallari back ….. LOL!

[Reply]
vahe says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:45 PM

rumor is that the Cap Hit will be $6 million..AEG couldnt offer an extra $700k..Very nice, how is David Beckham working out for the Galaxy

[Reply]
KOHO Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 12:52 PM
@vahe,

ROTFF! No shit!

AEG needs more cash to get Pele out of retirement.

[Reply]
DBB Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:26 PM
@vahe,

Beckham & the Galaxy were only a penalty kick away from winning the MLS Cup last season.

[Reply]
vahe Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:35 PM
@DBB,

I will never forget Tim Lie_weekly comment, when they brough Mr. Posh over. On the “Simer’s Squared show” with Fred roggin and TJ Simers, he said, that soccer will be a top 4 sport in America passing Hockey. There you go, straight from the mouth of the AEG mouthpiece

[Reply]
Sako says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:45 PM

No Kovy… No Gagne… Now what? I’m not mad at the Kings organization or anything…. but what are they going to do

[Reply]
bisra says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:46 PM

Not disapointed here. He would have just complacated the “TEAM” chemistry we have in LA LA land. Kings don’t need ego issues or one way players. To bad the Kings missed out on Gagne. Lets bring back hard working Eric Belanger and go after Bobby Ryan..I know he’s a quack; but he’s a good one…

[Reply]
Yog S'loth says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:48 PM

Who cares what Lombardi has to say? What possibly intelligent think could he say? “I suck, I’m a loser, I have no plan, HURP DURP DURP DURP!” Seriously, what do you think he could possibly say that would be meaningful in any way?

[Reply]
david says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:48 PM

Wow, do you people seriously not understand the difference between CAP HIT and SALARY? It’s pretty relevant…

[Reply]
nykingfan says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:48 PM

After seeing those numbers, I have no problem with the Kings losing out.
It seems pretty obvious what Lamoriello is doing with NJ. He’s getting older and I don’t think he’ll be GM more than 5-10 years down the road. He’s going out a winner..at all costs.
Lamoriello has already been in DL and the Kings position. He built them into Stanley cup winners. He wants another cup now.
It will come at the expense of some of his young talent down the road. Zajac and Parise will not come cheap.
To me, that’s just way too much money invested in a guy who’s never won a thing or even been close to being a winner.
Now plan B needs to go forward. I’m sure DL is on top of it.

[Reply]
number 6 Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 12:59 PM
@nykingfan,

Hey NYKF…. was looking for you! As usual you state it well. Your reasoning though as to LL’s motives are quite interesting. Don’t know if you saw Quisp’s ‘50 goal scorers’ chart’ but seeing that yesterday already had me concerned.
So, as for my reaction A) I don’t mind that we didn’t sign him and B) I DO wonder though how DL now makes move to improve the speed of the club and the 5 on 5 issues.
In all honesty, unless one of the small O’minded players like Kozun ends up making a splash I see them in a similar boat as to where we were last year.
Goal scoring can’t be taught and we clearly don’t have many guys with that gift. Goal scoring by committee is wonderful to get you to the PO’s and maybe win a round…. but win the Cup? Hmmm. I don’t see it happening in that way.

[Reply]
Moondoggie Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:12 PM
@nykingfan, Hey bud…..Same as you. I’m glad DL didn’t pull the deal. Yes, I’d have liked to see Kovi in a Kings jersey but NOT for what NJ paid for him. DL hasn’t led us wrong at all by not mortaging the Kings future and I agree with you totally, he’ll pull something off. He still has cap space and the kids need to be taken care of. I know there’s something out there he’s working on. He’ll get it done.

Keep the faith everyone…IN DL WE TRUST!

[Reply]
number 6 Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:25 PM
@Moondoggie,
Moondoggie, I like DL a lot too, but I’d like him more if he’d address the issue of speed on this team. I can’t believe he doesn’t recognize it. If he doesn’t then I really am concerned. If he does then he needs to gradually make some adjustments.
There are some wonderful players on the team who contribute in all sorts of ways, but that being said, Zues, Smyth, Williams, Stoll, they are certainly not speed demons.

[Reply]
quisp Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:57 PM
@number 6,

speed = billy sweatt, ufa

the dude from the southeast Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:59 PM
@number 6, yay they may not be speed demons but they can dam for sure score(williams before injury ) and get to the dirty areas and set themselves in areas that are good for score P.S. Frolov’s board plays will be missed

Danielle Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:43 PM
@nykingfan,

What are you thinking? Actual reason and logic? Come one, the sky is falling…

[Reply]
bure10 says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:49 PM

dude, every team is doing something….are we gonna do anything? or just sit back and see every other team grab everyone out there?!!! soon some team is gonna grab FRO and we’ll be like…Oh wow look what just happened. Is it just me or…?

[Reply]
david Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 12:54 PM
@bure10, this team made the playoffs last year with the exact same roster it has under contract today.

Relax.

[Reply]
jet Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:17 PM
@david, w/o OD, Jones and Ivanas

[Reply]
USHA#17 Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 4:06 PM
@jet,

losing two of those three = improvement.
DLB says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:51 PM

Even a cap hit of 7 million would have been very painful. And that would have been my personal upper limit.

[Reply]
KingsfaninWNY says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:52 PM

i never had my hopes up on IK so oh well, but DL cant even bring in Gagne? Plz do not bring back Fro, explore every other option.

enough about the future, JW and MH are up next year, and Smyth the next. the Kings will have cap space to keep the players they need to. when did wayne simmonds become the new Cam Neely? i like the guy but Geez calm down.

[Reply]
Andrew says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:52 PM

Every team has to re-sign their core. It is insulting to hear Leiweke say the Kings have to watch their cash for the future and that is our concern. We are no different than every other team in that regard. But if the Kings sit around year after year, the core gets older and older and then what? I am not fooled by AEG’s empty promises. This was a golden opportunity to improve and instead the money will be spent on another LA Live restaurant. But that’s what happens when you have a real estate company as an owner. Still waiting for the mythical Anschutz’ comments on this or any other subject….

[Reply]
Ghaad says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:52 PM

Quit complaining….They offered him a lot of money, just not the top paid player in the league money.

The contract was probably structured like this. He is 27.
He would get 8-8.5 million until he was 35 (64-68 million) then the contract would decline heavily for the last 7 years (remaining 12-16 million). That is still a ton of money.

The Kings didn’t get the top free agent in the market, oh well. It would have been nice to have a 40 goal scorer, but not the end of the world.
Next please.

[Reply]
fourtunato Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 12:54 PM
@Ghaad,

You are the voice of reason in a sea of insanity.

[Reply]
number 6 Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:01 PM
@Ghaad,

Do you teach zen? That was very steady indeed.

[Reply]
IceGuy says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:54 PM

There are some clear winners and losers here; LOSER: Gary Bettman. If he let’s this deal go thru, then he has to stand in front of the cameras and say, “Salary Cap? No, the NHL has no salary cap position.” WINNER: Vancouver.

[Reply]
scvking says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:56 PM

The Kings offer was good enough to accept, but Kovy went elsewhere. So be it. Time to move on.

At this point I would go after Fro on a short one or two year deal at around 3or 4 mil per year.

Then, I would go after Sharp. The Hawks are in a bit of cap hell, and don’t want established players making good money, they want picks or prospects.
Moeller, Teubert, maybe even a Loktionov for Sharp. Don’t know if that would get him, but I would offer it.
Finally, a prospect or two (not good ones) for Gleason.

I would take that in a heartbeat.

[Reply]
Capt Jam says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:56 PM

The whining here is remarkably spineless. That deal would’ve haunted us for decades.

[Reply]
src says:

July 19, 2010 at 12:59 PM

There are alot of you out there that need a serious chill pill. 17@100+ is absolutely absurd.

Move on.

The guy is all about the money. NJ wont be competative after next year. Look at their defense. Brodie is playing 1 maybe 2 more years. Still have to sign Parise to a big contract etc etc etc.

Welcome to cap hell NJ.

[Reply]
NMKingsFan says:

July 19, 2010 at 1:00 PM

I can’t believe some fans think having a cap hit of $5.5-6 million for 17 years is ok, Kovi will be done playing in 10 years tops and NJ will still be stuck with that cap hit. 17 years is a long time people, 17 years ago the Kings were in the Stanley Cup Finals.
I wanted Kovi badly, but not at that price.

[Reply]
Phil Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:46 PM
@NMKingsFan, And I can’t believe some fans feel compelled to comment on something of which they obviously have no understanding.

Get this straight people: the day Kovalchuck retires, his contract comes off the books, plain and simple.

A $5.88M/yr cap-hit contract for one of the top 10 players in the entire league who’s a proven 40-goal-a-season scorer is a good price.

[Reply]
Jason G Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 2:10 PM
@Phil,
Phil, at a $5.88M Cap hit, you’re assuming Kovi will play all 17 years.
If he retired after 10 years, that Cap hit just became $10M! That’s a risk many of us aren’t comfortable taking. I wanted Kovi as bad as the next guy, but it wasn’t meant to be. Let’s hope management can still make something happen to help out the team.

[Reply]
Phil Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 2:45 PM
@Jason G, WRONG.

I’m assuming nothing.

The cap hit doesn’t retroactively increase should a player retire early. It’s contract amount applied over contract term, plain and simple.

Why do you think the NHL “investigated” Hossa’s contract with Chicago last year – because other GM’s were angry with the Hawks for exploiting the same loophole in the current CBA the Devils are using to sign Kovalchuk and have it be only a $5.88M/yr cap hit. And there are other teams that have done similar deals with their star players.
corey says:

July 19, 2010 at 1:02 PM

After reading all these posts from supposed Kings fans all I can say is we have some really unintelligent fans. We only offered him such a low cap hit so we could keep all our core players and win multiple cups, apparently most fans don’t care about that they just want to win one next year or two then be like chicago and start trading away our young core. The kings core isn’t even in their prime and they won’t be for about 5 years. This means they will just keep getting better not to mention we have the best group of prospects in hockey. Not to mention one 40 goal scorer doesn’t mean stanley cup, overall team scoring is what leads to a cup and that is what we are building. Did kovalchuck make New Jersey a stanley cup team? No they got eliminated by philly in the first round. I’m really dissatisfied with the lack of hockey knowledge that these apparent Kings fans have.

[Reply]
kingfish Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:20 PM
@corey,
well said. I wouldnt pay a 35 kovalchuk 2 cents per year. he will be USELESS after 34-35.

[Reply]
Jim Jones says:

July 19, 2010 at 1:02 PM

Rich, be sure to ask Dean about the timeline. How did it go from 98% and Dean/Grossman hammering out the details on Thursday/Friday, to signing with the Devils on Monday?

Did Lou make some last minute offer?

The last Devils contract that we heard about was 100M/17 years, and now we’re hearing 102M/17 years. How did 102M convince Kovy now as opposed to 10M 2 weeks ago?

[Reply]
Phil says:

July 19, 2010 at 1:03 PM

Compare this offer to the one he signed in Jersey:

Kings offer: $80M over 15 years = $5.33M/season
Devils offer: $100M over 17 years = $5.88M/season
Difference = $550,000 per season.

And if you think Kovalchuk will actually still be playing for the last 3 years of the NJ deal (at least) you are insane.

Pathetic.

I’m pissed off, and intend to express my displeasure with the Kings organization the way it speaks the loudest – with my $$$.

[Reply]
Jim Jones Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:07 PM
@Phil,

I think the Devils offered far more in real money. Of that 80M, Kovalchuk would have actually gotten about 65 probably.

If the rumors are true, he will get 95M from the Devils.

[Reply]
Phil Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:30 PM
@Jim Jones, Real money??? If you are implying the Devils’ contract is front-loaded, that is irrelevant in terms of effect on the cap – it’s the sum of the deal applied over the term of the deal that matters cap-wise.

[Reply]
kingfish Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:17 PM
@Phil,
you realize thats the cap hit right? that is not what he is going to get paid per year. this guy is gonna be worthless after 35. I wouldn’t pay him 2 cents at that age

[Reply]
Phil Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:25 PM
@kingfish, Neither you nor I have any idea what Kovalchuk will still bring to the ice 8 years from now (when he’s 35), but I’d bet it would still be worth $5.88M/yr.

[Reply]
Danielle Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:41 PM
@Phil,

It may be worth the extra cap hit, but an additional $22 million dollars? Do you have that kind of money lying around? I certainly don’t.

People are so focused on the cap hit that they forget that a hockey team is a business. When you weigh all the pros and cons it comes down to a simple question – is paying Kovi $102 million (or the $95 he will probably actually receive under the Devils’ contract) going to bring that much revenue back to you? I highly doubt it. Maybe LA could have upped its offer a little, but cap or no cap, that is a lot of money to make up over the life of this deal. Good luck to NJ fans who are probably going to be paying through the nose for the next two decades to make up for this deal…

USHA@17 Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 4:21 PM
@Danielle,

I don’t $22m laying about either but if I did I’d be in Rome buying cloths, shoes, cars and villas. Not spending it on some hockey players.

Phil Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 2:07 PM
@Danielle,

I’m not Phil Anschutz (unfortunately). I’m a Kings fan, therefore I am “focused on” only one thing: winning Stanley Cups. NOT “the hockey team as a business.”

The only number relevant to any Kings fan who shares my focus is the cap hit, and what that subsequently allows in terms of signing other players.

In this case, $5.88M/yr for a top-10 NHL talent and career 40-goal scorer is very reasonable, and hamstrings no organization who’s primary goal is winning Stanley Cups.

Once again, I’m going to repeat: the day Kovalchuk retires his contract comes off the books. These are the terms of the current CBA between the owners and the NHLPA. So nobody is going to be “paying thru the nose for the next two decades” as you claim.

[Reply]
Danielle Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 2:43 PM
@Phil,

I am a fan, too. But I am also a realist. What happens to teams that spend more than they can take in? They go bankrupt, they shed assets (i.e. players), they relocate.

Of course, we as fans want to see the team win the Cup. But I want to see it happen for years to come, not one and done. And with big contracts, you risk the one and done.

And you are dead wrong about the contract coming off the books and “nobody” paying for it for the next 2 decades. Sure, for CBA purposes it does come off the books as soon as he retires. But the team still has to pay him those $95MM in the first 10 years of the deal (not the $58.8MM cap hit – approx. $95MM in cold hard cash) and that is likely going to be accounted for in their books for the life of the contract. That $95MM has to come from somewhere. The fans are going to be paying for that in the form of higher prices for a very long time.

We as fans look at what enjoyment we get watching the team. The team management has to look at the bottom line of revenues vs dollars spent. That is why they are running the team and the fans are not.

Phil Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 3:18 PM
@Danielle,

Your idea that I should put concern for a multibillion dollar entertainment company (AEG) paying $5.88M/yr to a player during 3 or 4 years of his retirement ahead of my concern for said entertainment company’s hockey team winning Stanley Cups is absurd.

And instead of reverting to the theoretical, provide me with an real life example of a major-market NHL franchise with as solid an ownership group financially as AEG (also Rangers/MSG, Canadiens/Molson, Hawks/Wirtz Group, Wings/Illitch, Leafs/MSLE etc.) having financial difficulties to the degree that it requires their relocation. You can’t, because it doesn’t happen.

And don’t tell me about Pittsburgh almost relocating – their ownership at that time had a fraction of the assets of an AEG.

Plain and simple for you: adding a player of Kovalchuk’s caliber for $5.88M/yr would have made the Kings a better team, and improved their chances of winning a Stanley Cup – while at the same time NOT severely hamstringing the team in terms of being able to retain Kopitar, Doughty, Johnson, Simmonds, etc in the future.

Danielle Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 5:27 PM
@Phil,

And again, you are missing the point. Look at the numbers Rich just posted. Kovi will retire after about 10 years. That means they are paying him $9.5MM a year, even tho the cap hit is $5.8MM a year.

I mentioned relocation as one possible option… but look at what is happening to Chicago now. That team that won the Cup is being dismantled because they cannot stay together within the cap. Pittsburgh had to shed salary the year after it won, too.

Again, professional sports is, by definition, a business. Businesses need to make money. You don’t necessarily make money by throwing that much of it at one player.

And heaven forbid the cap goes down in the next CBA. The Kings have room now, but what happens in 2 years?

And just because AEG is a multi-billion dollar business that does not mean the Kings can continue to be a money sink for the corporate parent. Each of its entities is a separate and distinct business, even if they are all under the same parent company. If Walden Media loses money on the next Narnia film, they don’t pull that loss from the Kings, just like the Kings don’t take revenue from Regal Cinemas, and like the Galaxy doesn’t take revenue from Staples Center. These are separate companies, sometimes with different investor groups, that happen to be controlled under the same umbrella. Why are people so fixated on the parent company?

Thank goodness Lombardi is the one making the deals and not some of the people on this board who seem to think AEG is just made of money.

BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:59 PM
@Phil,

See the Quisp comments above.

‘Real money’ is the amount actually paid in salary during a season. Theoretically, a player could be paid a $110 million dollar, eleven year contract with the first year $100 million and the remaining 10 years $1 million apiece. The salaries would then be 100-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1… That would be a great arrangement for the player if you planned to ‘retire’ at the end of the first year, then voiding the rest of the contract. The team would then only have a $10 million Cap hit for the first year, then nothing thereafter.

This all comes down to the plans of the player and the capabilities of ownership to play salaries. After all, if you can’t afford $100 million in one season, you can’t sign the contract.

The big gamble in contracts like these is always about player production. If the player craps out before the contract is done, the cap hit (not the actual salary) will screw you, even if you buy out the player…

[Reply]
Phil Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 2:20 PM
@BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy,

See my comments @Danielle above.

I understand the concept of front-loaded contracts, but for anyone other than the owner and player involved, the per-year salary numbers are irrelevant.

As a fan and not an owner/player, the only number relevant to me is the cap hit (contract total divided by contract term), and what that subsequently allows in terms of signing/retaining other players…

[Reply]
King John Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 4:21 PM
@many of you,

Do the math. The cap hit for NJ is $6 million/year.

$102 million divided by 17 yrs = 6 million/yr

or 6 x 17 = 102 (million)

That’s why they added the extra $2 million—it comes out even.

Even if we offered $6 million/yr for 15 years, Kovi would’ve rejected it ($90 million) because he wanted at least $100 million (I guess he likes the sound of it).

[Reply]
Phil Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 4:49 PM
@King John, Excuse me your highness, I was going with the 17 year $100M contract number ($5.88M/yr cap hit) first reported by many credible sources. Yeesh…

[Reply]
KingMe20 says:

July 19, 2010 at 1:04 PM

People acting as if $80M is an insult really baffle me. Perhaps Kovalchuk didn’t want to move again. Maybe he likes the East Coast. More money isn’t always the answer.

Anyway, enough on Kovalchuk. Let’s talk about who’s left out there
(and I am glad they didn’t trade for Gagne – he’s made of glass).

Maxim Afinogenov: had a good year last year, and could be dangerous with a center who’s a solid passer. Still has great speed, which is something the Kings definitely lacked last year.

Lee Stempniak: hard to believe, but of the free agents available on the market this year, Stempniak was the second-highest goal scorer (28) to Kovalchuk. The Kings have a lot of RWs already, so I’m not sure he’s a fit unless he or someone else can learn to be on the left side.

Paul Kariya: May have one or two good years left in him, and again, here’s a guy who can produce if he’s got a good center on his line. Still has a great shot and can be dangerous on a power play. Injury history is a problem.

Alexander Frolov: Now that Kovalchuk’s off the market, he’s probably the most talented guy left. We know what he’s capable of, and we all know how streaky he can be. I, for one, wouldn’t mind him returning to LA, but he’s going to have to drop his price because the market for him isn’t there based on last year’s numbers.

[Reply]
sstephen17 Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 2:03 PM
@KingMe20, Yes, it’s a good topic to move onto. There was a good article on Stempiak (Lebrun I think). Basically, it was baffling as to why he’s still a free agent. I’m not too familiar with his game but he’s only 27 and scored 28 goals on a defensive team. Picking him up would also directly impact a division rival.

Kariya would be good at a certain price point, but again injuries are the big question mark.

I’d like to get Frolov back, even after his off year but the Kings really need a speed upgrade.

[Reply]
Jim Jones says:

July 19, 2010 at 1:04 PM

That last line should be “as opposed to 100M 2 weeks ago?”

[Reply]
Kingscritic says:

July 19, 2010 at 1:05 PM

I’m glad they didn’t sign Kovi to that ridiculous contract!!! I still get mad when I see Alyn McCauley is still on the books! At 40 the Devils will have a soft Russian who has lost his speed, can’t score and will still have 4 years more to pay him! I’d go after Selanne, try to trade for Sharp and pick up Kaberle.

[Reply]
number 6 says:

July 19, 2010 at 1:05 PM

Lots of people seeing reason finally. If there were not a hard cap in the NHL I’d say I could see people being upset. The reality is, there is a hard cap. Also, something I’ve not seen addressed directly here… let’s say Kovi is on $8.5 per yr and over a stretch of games rightly or wrongly teammates feel he’s ‘dogin it’. How does a player like Brownie on $3.5? respond to that when he’s giving all he’s got all the time. Obviously very hypothetical, but to simply say you sign him and here comes the Stanley Cup, or we’d even be in the finals cause of that is a bit of a stretch.

[Reply]
Bill says:

July 19, 2010 at 1:06 PM

These long-term contracts are a joke. The NHL allowed this loop-hole to exist, giving teams a work-around the very salary cap they fought to get implemented. Brilliant.

[Reply]
HipCheck says:

July 19, 2010 at 1:08 PM

I just want to see what DL does now because at this moment, the Kings are certainly not even as good as they were last year. They’ve lost some people and have done nothing to replace them, let alone improve the team.

[Reply]
ideaguy says:

July 19, 2010 at 1:08 PM

O.k. here’s an idea for plan B. What about reuniting Selene and Kariya (both UFA) on a line for one year contracts. I know theres probably alot of animosity amoung Kings fans for these players best known as Ducks, but I honestly think Temu has at least one, possibly two good seasons left in him, and Paul…. well o.k. we probably don’t really need Paul (other than bait to get Selene to sign with us) but theres a chance that he may find some chemistry when being reunited (assuming he doesn’t wuss out with an injury like the time they were attempted to be reunited in colorado). Hell the dig against the Ducks fans of us having their two biggest stars of all time switching over to be on our team almost makes the plan worth it.

[Reply]
Kevin Y Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:21 PM
@ideaguy,

I like both those guys… but if Selanne plays next year, it’s gonna be with Anaheim.

And I heard the Kings have no interest (or haven’t expressed interest) in Kariya (Dennis Bernstein of TheFourthPeriod, I believe, was who I asked)

[Reply]
friarking Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:24 PM
@ideaguy, Selanne will play for or retire with the Ducks. Kariya is a poorer mans Gagne who has a home is Socal. It could work. He would help the PP.

[Reply]
carol vadnais Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:25 PM
@ideaguy, I’d rather do this than sign Frolov.

[Reply]
Jason G Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 4:15 PM
@carol vadnais,
Let’s not forget that their reunion on a good Colorado team several years ago didn’t go very well.

[Reply]
Shutout says:

July 19, 2010 at 1:09 PM

Kovy is an East Coast guy and this Kings deal was always a longshot in my opinion. He would have made less money with the Kings and I am sure this was a family decision as well as a financial decision. He gets to stay where he feels comfortable and made the maximum $$ he could have made in this day and age.

Now we have to look forward and try to sign the best players available or make a blockbuster trade.

I will just watch the Gretzky story on NHL Network to put myself in a good mood.

[Reply]
Harry says:

July 19, 2010 at 1:12 PM

Ilya is a BLYAT !

[Reply]
flex Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:29 PM
@Harry, ..No,he is not.AEG peaple are!!!

[Reply]
demob says:

July 19, 2010 at 1:14 PM

Simmonds…JMFJ…Scuderi…Smyth…Williams…dime a dozen players…if any of these players aren’t on the Kings 5 years from now they will have a player equal to their talent to replace them. You don’t find Kovalchuk in a cereal box, he is the type of player you go after and get (not here is my offer, Southern Cali is great, I know the Devils are offering more but Brodeur only has 3-4 good years left)

[Reply]
KingMe20 Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:20 PM
@demob,

Meanwhile, you watch. New Jersey won’t be able to afford Zach Parise’s extension.

[Reply]
number 6 Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:22 PM
@demob,
Sorry but I beg to differ with you. Dime a dozen players?!! Wow. I’ll try not to get too much into that. That’s incredible.
Jack Johnson and Wayne Simmonds…. there is not ONE single team in the entire NHL that would not take those two guys if they were offered to them. Scuderi’s nickname in Pitt was ‘the piece’. Yikes, I’m very sorry. I don’t get your comment but it’s certainly your right to express your opinion.

[Reply]
staggert Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:35 PM
@demob,

Do you really think Brodeur has that many good years left? After watching him in the Olympics and last years playoffs I think it may be more like one, maybe two at the most.

[Reply]
luckyluc13 Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:45 PM
@demob, You could find Kovi in a cereal box if there was enough money in it.I also agree that JJ and Simmonds are not a dime a dozen

[Reply]
kings fan in dallas says:

July 19, 2010 at 1:20 PM

glad hes gone…WAYYYY to long of a contract…15 years offered? Anyone remember the islanders mistake at super long deals for a name ??
NO thanks

[Reply]
IceGuy says:

July 19, 2010 at 1:23 PM

RICH-
I really don’t care what Lombardi has to say about this. What’s done is done. And I for one still support the position of not throwing away the future for one guy.

What I would appreciate knowing is what the Kings players themselves feel about how this was played out and what they see in their futures. I keep hearing somewhere in the back of my head the years old statement by Brown and Kopitar about needing a LW sniper. “Shut up and get better” was Dean’s response as I recall. Now what?

[Reply]
mookie says:

July 19, 2010 at 1:23 PM

to those hanging a noose on DL for not landing Gagne,

Gagne has told the TB Tribune that he would only waive his NTC for TB, despite interest from “out west”.

Can’t blame Lombardi for Gagne not wanting to come to LA.

[Reply]
Southbay Fan says:

July 19, 2010 at 1:25 PM

Good riddance !! A 17 year deal – he’s more interested in security than performing. That’s ridiculous.
The KINGS are really the big winners here after this has all been said and done.

Let’s watch our “kids” rise once again to the occasion.

By the way, NJ is paying $121,000 for each goal. Nice work if you can get it!!

[Reply]
art Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 2:07 PM
@Southbay Fan,

How much are we paying Ryan Smyth for each goal?

[Reply]
William says:

July 19, 2010 at 1:29 PM

Dean is a joke, it was only 670,000 difference, you couldnt top that AEG, what a joke, wow

[Reply]
Danielle Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:53 PM
@William,

It was a $22M difference and more than $15M in the years he will probably actually play… that’s huge. Teams have to worry about the cap, but also have to make sure they have cashflow. In the end, this sport we all love is still a business, no matter how rich the team’s owner. Do you really think Kovi is going to perform well enough to make up that kind of cash outlay?

[Reply]
EASportsMgt says:

July 19, 2010 at 1:32 PM

I posted this on the previous thread but curious about what some of you may say, so here it is again:
EASportsMgt Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:08 PM

@scvking,
Thanks for that Bud, I really appreciate it and enjoyed reading your piece. And I agree on many factors you wrote and too believe that the 17 yr deal is ludicrous. How the NHL will approve that is beyond me and this type of precedent could be dangerous if they really want to protect their franchises as they are going to claim come labor talks.
However one bit of discontention with your post. You mentioned that those with a varying philosphy who believe that with Kovalchuk we could have won a Cup sooner should be entitled their opinion. And I with all my 1st Amendment friends believe they should have their say, however at some point you should be asked to make that case and prove why you believe that, shouldn’t you?
So I ask, how will adding Kovalchuk help us win the Cup sooner or ever as some suggest we can’t win it without him (see Shades post above)?
Has he won a Cup before?
Has he won the scoring title?
Has he proven to be a team player who will sacrifice self for team?
Has he taken a mediocre team and made everyone around him better?
Has he taken such club deep in the playoffs?
Did he help a better team (NJ) go deeper into the playoffs?

So I ask, how is everyone so sure that this guy was the missing piece? Who here can prove that without a doubt, Kovi wouldn’t have come here and messed with the chemistry of a young team looking to build on their first playoff, or that when he refused to listen to TM and do the things he asked of him (ala Frolov, and see comments on Kovi’s lack of defense) that he too wouldn’t get benched?
These are all variables that people forget. One thing is a fact. That DL built a team and an organization from the Goalies forward. We have one of the deepest pool of talented Defensemen ever, we have some young snipers who need time to mature, and we still have one of the youngest and most underrated core than any other organization. So let’s hear the other side. Make a case for why Kovi is that missing piece. I’m all ears….

[Reply]
iceGuy Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:41 PM
@EASportsMgt,
We lost on the Kovalchuk Brass Ring? OK. I’m good with that. But The Kings certainly have not played this as Kovi being a PART of the team. They played it like he was the ONLY part of the team. I ask again – now what? Who are we willing to lose? Who out there is available? Which GM isn’t going to stick it to Lombardi on any trade? Even Fro can call up and ask for a raise because he’s the only one willing to play for the Kings! Truth told, I could still support bringing up more kids for a trial by fire.

[Reply]
Lanny McDonald's 'Stache Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 1:47 PM
@EASportsMgt,

Come on bro… you’re one of the smartest posters here. You mean to tell me that you don’t see how filling our most OBVIOUS need (a goal-scoring LW) with one of the most gamebreaking players at that position in the league, instantly brings us closer to the Cup?

That being said, I’m perfectly fine that we didn’t handcuff ourselves with the 17yr/100+ mil contract. But if we’re talking solely about adding the player and his skillset, Ilya would have easily made us the biggest juggernaut in the West besides Vancouver.

[Reply]
EASportsMgt Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 2:18 PM
@Lanny McDonald’s ‘Stache,
You proved my point twicefold.
But first, I thought Gretzky coming to L.A. was going to win us a Stanley Cup and I was crushed in 93 when we didn’t. Do I think Kovi, is a piece to the puzzle, absolutely, he a key piece, a scoring winger who cna improve the 5 on 5 play. But is he the “missing piece” that brings a Cup to L.A. Certainly not, and certainly not without the core players we have here.
For those who think this was our one chance to win the cup, I posed those questions, Tell me if you answered any one of those as a Yes.
But more importantly, I do look at the big picture. Kovi, may have taken us further from our goal than closer to it. But for that we need to define the goal and here is where many opinions differ. Some say win the Cup, nothing else matters, dismantle the team like the Ducks and Chi, and who cares we won the cup once.
Other say, no let’s be like Detroit, and not only win the cups a few times, but be in the hunt and in the finals the other years.
I think there is no doubt I want to be the latter. And for those who side with being more like Detroit, then Kovi could have more possibly taken us away from that goal than closer to it.
At the end of the day I think DL made the right choice. You give him what you can that best matches up to what he wants, period. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work, you find the next available option to complete that puzzle and make this work. And I think he will.

[Reply]
USHA#17 Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 3:50 PM
@Lanny McDonald’s ‘Stache,

Look this might have been a good thing but now it will never be known but please however allow me to take a run at this…

Now this is just for fun of course!

The Kings hit, what, 50% on their power play in the playoffs (for a while at least). Pretty good, huh?

But Kovi gets most of his points on the power play. Think it will get better then 50%?

But wait, the stats show he’s kinda, sorta sucky 5 on 5. In fact if your on a line with Kovi playing 5 on 5, your going to be out shot.

So, tell me, what could he do for us? Give Frolov, Smyth or Kopitar a little more space perhaps? Well not if he doesn’t play the system.

And, EASports is dead on, there is a ground swell of teammates and coaches saying he likes to do things his way (a la Buzzard Pickings O’Sullivan).

Don’t forget, we have a young club. You really want some overpaid wing breaking the system and the bank?

[Reply]
tantrum4 Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 2:14 PM
@EASportsMgt,

So you wouldn’t want Iginla on the team either? He hasn’t done anything that you posted above for the Flames yet I know EVERYONE would be drooling if he came to the Kings as a free agent. People keep posting about one guy can’t do this or that, but it’s a TEAM game. Adding Kovalchuk to this TEAM would have made us contenders for sure.

[Reply]
UglyinLA says:

July 19, 2010 at 1:32 PM

Our two best players are Kopi and DD. They should be paid the highest. Right below them are Quick, JJ and Bernier. Then add young Simmonds, Brown, and the seasoned Smyth, Handzus, Scuds, Green, and Stoll and you’ve got a pretty good team. Would you be willing to break up this team to pay for one player who might or might not be “the one” ??

[Reply]
tantrum4 Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 2:16 PM
@UglyinLA,

If Kovalchuk came here he would instantly be the best player on the team. I don’t see how a $5.8 million dollar cap hit would break up this team in any way, shape, or form.

[Reply]
UglyinLA Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 3:35 PM
@tantrum4,

You’re talking a $5.8 cap hit, the players see $9M/yr. What is DD going to want if he has another stellar year? What is JJ going to want? or Simmonds? What if Kopi has a breakout year but is only making $6M? and worst of all, what if Kovy doesnt work for the Kings and we are now stuck with a 17 year front loaded contract for a guy who’s not working out. Then what?

[Reply]
USHA#17 Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 4:08 PM
@UglyinLA,
dont know about the front load but the rest is dead on. People need to remember this.

KingsFanInGA Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 4:11 PM
@tantrum4,

Kovalchuk would be the ‘BEST OFFENSIVE’ player on the team, but NOT the best ‘ALL-AROUND’ player. To me, the ALL-AROUND player is more valuable to the KINGS. Kovi is one-dimensional. Would rather build around the guys we have & not sacrifice what we “may” get out of Kovi.

[Reply]
luckyluc13 says:

July 19, 2010 at 1:34 PM

After all is said and done,agents,taxes,the difference between 80 amd 100 mil is not all that much.If you feel your life will be better because you could’nt live on 80 mil go ahead and enjoy N.J.He did not want to be a King,so be it.We want players that want to be KINGS and ones where a relativity small amount of money does’nt control their lives.If I have $80 or $100 in my pocket my life is the same.The zero’s after that really don’t matter

[Reply]
Socalr6 says:

July 19, 2010 at 1:40 PM

Maybe McSorley can suit up for when the Devils are in town next time. Does he still have his special stick, not the curved one the “assault” stick.

[Reply]
EternalOptimist says:

July 19, 2010 at 1:43 PM

Wow, thought he was going to sign with us for sure… the proposed NJ contract is just insane. How can the league in their right mind approve such a deal when it’s so obvious it is trying to circumvent the cap? What a joke. Anyway, we’ll probably look back on this in a few years and will be glad not to be stuck with this contract. Back to the drawing board…

[Reply]
goldielocks Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 2:19 PM
@EternalOptimist,

The league wants to keep those superstars in the east? so they get more viewers and money. Hmmm … I smell something …

[Reply]
SBkings says:

July 19, 2010 at 1:46 PM

Craig Custance 25 minutes ago

Just spoke with Dean Lombardi who isn’t in a rush for Plan B: “Someone else will eventually come up.”

[Reply]
tom says:

July 19, 2010 at 1:48 PM

For all you braimonsters out there are still defending Dean ” F you” Lombardi; the 17 years mean nothing; if a player retires it comes of the cap space; the only thing that is important is the cap hit; i can not believe this happened again.

[Reply]
Danielle Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 2:00 PM
@tom,

And that is why it is not just about the cap. NJ is probably going to pay this guy $95M in the first 10 years of the deal (i.e. the years when he is actually playing). That’s $15M more than the Kings deal was paying over the life of the deal. That’s cold hard cash that the team has to come up with somehow. Do you really think Kovi is going to generate enough revenue for the team to make up that kind of cash outlay? I find that very hard to believe. The guy has yet to even show up in the big games when it counts.

It drives me crazy how quickly fans forget that, like it or not, a professional sports team is, at its very a core, a business. Businesses have to make money to stay afloat. As a season ticket holder (i.e. a key source of team revenue), I am glad that I will not have to be paying for this in the form of drastic price increases for the next 20 years.

[Reply]
Anonymous Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 2:11 PM
@Danielle, I guess the Devils looka at it from a different perspective.

[Reply]
USHA#17 Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 3:54 PM
@Danielle,

NJ will be selling ads on toilet seats to pay for the guy before its over.

Then, again, maybe he scores 50 goals a year until age 37. Like…like…like…humm?

[Reply]
Jason says:

July 19, 2010 at 1:50 PM

For what it’s worth,
I got a fortune cookie at lunch today. It said, “your road to glory will be rocky, but fulfilling.”
I hope Confucius is a Kings fan.

[Reply]
carol vadnais says:

July 19, 2010 at 1:51 PM

The “core” team finished 6th, lost in the first round, didn’t score hardly any 5 on 5 goals and has lost OD and FRO in all likelihodd.

How are we going to improve? I’m disappointed. AEG spends a ludicrous amount on a broken-down Beckham but somehow gets outspent by a Devils team that is over the cap.

[Reply]
Mike in CO Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 2:03 PM
@carol vadnais,

Agreed!

[Reply]
grego Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 2:18 PM
@carol vadnais, AEG will NEVER spend the money it takes to put a consistent winner on the ice. It makes me sick, I was a season tix holder from the Forum-Staples days. Got rid of them in 2006, but decided to get ‘em again for this coming season. Before this whole IK crap even started. But, knowing “Lie” wieke and AEG, I knew they would NOT sign him. Now they can use the excuse that it took too long to “deal” with IK and they won’t sign anyone else that can compliment the younger guys. I don’t blame Lombardi, he can’t say anything that would make AEG look bad. Hopefully, he can do some wheeling and dealing and bring some pieces together to make a full-successful puzzle. The good thing is, this team’s not that far away with the talent they already have. IK would have been a HUGE piece to a successful puzzle!

[Reply]
Puckin-A Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 2:19 PM
@carol vadnais, Beckham was the “center piece” to complete the Home Depot Center, he wanted a Super Sportsplex and Beckham was supposed to sell soccer to the U.S. non foreign transplant market. He also wanted to build an NFL stadium next to it and thought he could sell that to the comitee that is helbent on using that eyesore the collesium(spelling). only USC can sell that out and probably not now because they will suck like their fair weather fans.

[Reply]
USHA#17 Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 4:01 PM
@carol vadnais,

Thing is Carol, he would have been nice to have but consider, he not so hot 5 on 5. Power play, yes, 5 on 5. so so.

[Reply]
RickyM2 says:

July 19, 2010 at 1:53 PM

Nobody noticed what happened here?

Lombardi knew his offer all along would get turned down. All the “rumors” came from media reports. Obviously leaked out by the LA camp. All the while, knowing that when they kept calling J Grossman “to talk”, it would be too low for him to accept.

During which time, season tix were being sold to buyers with the idea that they would see Ilya Kovalchuk.

All that aside, Kovy was not a major impact in NJ last year, and I don’t expect to see a huge difference this time. LA may have dodged a bullet.

Essentially, if the rumors are correct (which they have not been), Lou gave him more money than Alex Ovechkin.

We’ll most likely keep Zach since it will cost 4 first round picks to get him as an RFA. That’s the same risk as offering 10 million a year.

[Reply]
sstephen17 Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 2:16 PM
@RickyM2, Have to disagree with you there. I was a first time season ticket holder last season. Got the die-hard package because frankly, we’ve never gotten season tickets to any sport and were wondering how many games we’d actually go to. Prior to that, we’d go to maybe 10-15 games a year so season tickets would be a big step up.

Turns out, the we missed maybe 3 games all season. Had a blast, loved the way the team played for the most part, and were very excited about the future. We got to sit with some pretty knowledgeable and fanatical people, enhancing our in game experience. Heck, just being in Staples for the first playoff game in a long time was probably worth getting season tickets in an of itself. At select-a-seat this year, we decided we wanted to upgrade to better seats, lower and closer to the center. Ended up being more the 2x as much as what we paid for last years tickets.

Kovi signing or not signing with the team had absolutely no impact on our decision. We bought the tickets for the team, not the player. Sure, our favorite players are Kopitar and Doughty, but we believe they will be here for awhile and even if they aren’t, we’ll still probably be season ticket holders. We’ve been Kings fans ever since Gretzky introduced the sport to us. For the first time in a long time, it feels like we have a team with a solid plan. Not signing Kovi doesn’t change my opinion but only reinforces it.

[Reply]
luc20rules says:

July 19, 2010 at 1:59 PM

The pressure is now on DL to get the long term deals done on all the future RFA for next season DD, JJ, WS, etc. We probably should just maybe pick up a #4 D-man that can play 20+ minutes and resign Fro to a 1 yr contract and/or replace Fro with Lee Stempniak. We can see how that works then just retool at the trade deadline if necessary. Oh, it probably wouldn’t hurt to just throw it out there that the Kings officially have no interest in signing Randy Jones just to raise the moral of the fan base.

[Reply]
vahe says:

July 19, 2010 at 2:00 PM

I think the only Hockey news AEG cares about is if they get the rights from the Wang family, to build the new arena for the Islanders

[Reply]
flex says:

July 19, 2010 at 2:00 PM

FACT…NJ is cup contender team ,we are not.
FACT…with all this dept we have (by being one of the worse team for years and collected easy first round picks..DD ,KOPI, simmi…Shen..(Hickey??)..there is nobady who can improve that much in the near term to make us cup contender…(Simmi.JJ…)
Fact..we need some new player (on lw on D)
Fact..Now,when we miss Kovy..We have to give up someone to get someone,so Dl and Tl excuse,by not be able to signour rising stars, are meaningless.
Fact…(according to our records) ..when the time comes to sign big contracts ..let’s say DD would ask for 7-8 millions,there would be new excuse from DL/aeg to trade him.Rembember Lubo,our Gm promiss him NO TRADE,but…
So,this is very important time for all of us.Another first round exit would be 100% failure for this team.
Nashville,vancouver,flames …will kill us with speed game like before.5 on 5 was big hole,5 on 3 …horrible.Yes,we stuck more than enough talent trough easy drafs ,but …what for? 19 days of musterbation is over..let’s start new daydream.LA is wrong place for hockey?? what about anahaim and SJ?
The Buttom line..LOU is much better GM ,They don’t feed people with false promises,they had and will have much better hockey club,by organic growth and by singning very talented ,very rare sniper AT HIS PRIME !!!

[Reply]
sstephen17 Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 2:19 PM
@flex, Do you really see NJ getting past Washington and Pittsburgh? Even with Kovi, they still aren’t the class of that conference.

[Reply]
flex Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 2:21 PM
@sstephen17, yes.I do!!1

[Reply]
Ryan SD says:

July 19, 2010 at 2:00 PM

For the first time in my life, I’m embarrased to be a KIngs fans. Past the second round once in forty years… I wonder why.

[Reply]
NOT IMPRESSED Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 2:13 PM
@Ryan SD, I’m a Kings fan for 40 years and there’e only been a handful of times that I wasn’t embarrassed to be a Kings fan. We love hockey and they happen to be the local team.

[Reply]
KingMe20 Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 2:22 PM
@Ryan SD,

Look, I don’t mean to attack you personally, Ryan. You just happened to be the latest person to post this type of statement, and it’s one I’m tired of reading.

If I’m a customer of a business, and they start serving up a product I don’t want, then I won’t support that business. In this case, you have 29 other products that you can support over the Kings.

No one forces anyone to root for a team. True, you’re limited geographically in terms of teams you can see live, but even here in SoCal you have a choice in that regard, and in an age where you can watch teams right from your computer, you’re not really limited to who plays in your backyard.

The solution is simple: Don’t like the direction? Find another team to root for.

[Reply]
C-Note20 says:

July 19, 2010 at 2:02 PM

If I remember correctly RealDrew and ” Planer Earth” flamed me on Friday for stating that Kovi would go to the Devils. Now I’m not happy with it, I would have loved to see Kovi a King but my gut told me he would go to the Devils and I hate it when my gut is right. Oh well probably plan B is Maxim Afinogenov. Hmmmmmm
Do something DENO !!!!

[Reply]
BakoCAkingsCondorsGuy says:

July 19, 2010 at 2:02 PM

–On the last 2 threads, Rich out of town, 1000 comments in 5-6 hours…

Priceless!

[Reply]
The Kinger says:

July 19, 2010 at 2:04 PM

It really doesn’t matter what New Jersey paid. They overpaid. The Kings will be lifting the cup sooner without Kovalchuk. Mark my words.

[Reply]
Capt Jam Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 2:16 PM
@The Kinger,

Agreed 100%. Kovalchuk’s extended stay casts more doubt on a shaky defensive puck game. As Brodeur’s skills continue to deteriorate with each passing year, Lou is gonna find himself with a team that resembles the Thrashers more than the Devils in their glory years.

We gain so much more by losing this battle.

[Reply]
tantrum4 Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 2:20 PM
@The Kinger,

I doubt it, unless somehow we sign Eric Staal. But we all know AEG can’t afford talent like that.

[Reply]
The Kinger Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 6:24 PM
@tantrum4, If Kovalchuk was the savior, go become a New Jersey fan, ya turncoat!!! AEG has got nothing to do with it. Cups are lifted with core guys. Not the big name prima donnas. Check your history books.

[Reply]
MR King says:

July 19, 2010 at 2:04 PM

In my eyes, Dean has done no wrong.

But the next time Kovalchuk should be in Staples Center I’m booing the hell out of him.

[Reply]
KingMe20 Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 2:12 PM
@MR King,

October 30th is “Boo Ilya Night” at Staples Center. The Devils will be in town. Bring your best signs!

[Reply]
KC23 says:

July 19, 2010 at 2:06 PM

My gut tells me we’ll be glad we didn’t sign him. Never felt comfortable with the thought of being stuck with his contract for that long.

Now it is going to be fun to watch the Devils do a fire sale in order to keep Zach Pairse.

BTW, Kovi had a lifetime +/- of -75, compared to Oviskin +65, Crosby +43 and Parise +64.

In the end he isn’t worth what he’s asking for IMHO.

Besides I just saved over $600 on season seats.

[Reply]
funky says:

July 19, 2010 at 2:06 PM

No comment to term is confirmed. Don’t like move for Jersey. Like Tampas move. What’s next for L.A. Maybe Bieska. Maybe Sharp maybe Hemsky or Souray

[Reply]
KC23 Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 2:12 PM
@funky,

Don’t hold your breath.

[Reply]
KingMe20 Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 2:14 PM
@funky,

Sharp would be my pick. If nothing else, it keeps him from scoring against the Kings (13 goals in 15 career games against LA).

[Reply]
fourtunato says:

July 19, 2010 at 2:12 PM

The sky is falling, the sky is falling, the sky is falling!!!!!!!!

[Reply]
Slim says:

July 19, 2010 at 2:13 PM

The deal was all set. The last piece was to convince Simmonds to give up #17. He refused.

[Reply]
Rob says:

July 19, 2010 at 2:17 PM

I’m hearing a lot of pro’s and cons and I agree with both sides of the argument. Lombardi’s offer to IK was good. However the fact remains that when we the fans spend OUR hard earned money on season tickets, we expect something in return, lets say the Stanley Cup….Someday…..Right? So hearing this and that on cap space( blah blah blah)and our core (blah blah blah) and that DL dindnt have the minerals to pull the trigger(Blah blah blah),its all crap… The fact is that all of us (Kings fans) were are glued to our iphones, blackberrys, and laptops waiting to hear if he would have signed with us. We had the dream that maybe this was it, maybe we could actually be Cup contenders…Maybe just maybe, we could actually say that we had a date with destiny…True, no one man could win the cup. But with what we have now, adding IK and SG could have been what we needed to get past the first round of the playoffs..We the fans are left thinking now what??? We have had to watch Anaheim lift the cup while we say things like”we made the playoffs with the this current roster”. Sure we made the play offs, sure we love our core guys. But why should we spend our money on season tickets just to get the playoffs? Enough is enough and we expect more. My kid had begged me for a IK jersey if he signed with us here….. That is what I mean. It’s that dream and imaginaition we have inside us as fans. That kid inside us..Now instead we’ll hear some PR answer to why we were bridesmaids again…Some excuse that tells us that we had to protect our core..

No AIG, your priority is protecting your money..
My question is, what now? Sharp? ok he can help…But Frolov? we have waited too long to see potential that didnt flourish…Are we really gonna say that we are ok witht not making a strong effort to give our core youngsters something for them to look forward to? DL has to do something…You want respect and trust? Give us your plan B, something tanginble, and I’ll for out my credit card, renew my seson tixkets, and pay your salary once again DL……..

[Reply]
murf says:

July 19, 2010 at 2:19 PM

D L said he does not want to loose the younger players by signing I K.So now watch him get rid of our youngsters in a stupid trade bringing in some old vet who’s out of his prime or costently on the injured list

[Reply]
gene says:

July 19, 2010 at 2:20 PM

Suggestion: Trade DL to Toronto for Brian Burke. Brian will get us to the cup. The only thing DL will get us is broken down hazbeen players overpayed and beyond there prime. DL and kings owners are a joke.

[Reply]
Tonus says:

July 19, 2010 at 2:25 PM

I have to say I’m disappointed the Kings didn’t land Kovalchuk, but 17 years $100 million? Seems like a bit much for this guy. I have to commend Lombardi for sticking to his guns and not caving to ridiculous demands. To assuage my disappointment I’ll watch the 2010 Russia versus Canada Olympic Quarterfinal to see what I’m missing…

[Reply]
Bill M. says:

July 19, 2010 at 2:27 PM

First. League should not be allowing such long contracts, as it becomes a blatant circumvention of the salary cap.

Second. I don’t blame them for undercutting Kovy. He scores a lot of goals, but there are definite question marks out there about him, and unless there are NONE, you don’t pay top dollar.

Third. I can understand them wanting to leave more cap room than most of us probably expected them to. Reason? Signing of Doughty. Lets not forget that the kid just finished becoming the only 20 year old besides Bobby Orr to take home a Norris nomination. I don’t think DL and TL want to take many chances by assuming the price it’s going to take to keep him here.

[Reply]
murf says:

July 19, 2010 at 2:35 PM

So D L said he does not want to loose our young core of players.Watch him do some stupid trade w/ our youngsters for some old vet who’s out of his prime or on the injured list does Williams sound familiar

[Reply]
Big Rob in Dallas says:

July 19, 2010 at 3:04 PM

Not only did we lose out on IK but the team is now worse off. I know Fro has his haters out there but he did score 19 in a defensive 3rd line role. How are we going to replace his production? Parse? Schenn? Loktionov?

All can be forgiven if we can get Patrick Sharp?

[Reply]
Dallas says:

July 19, 2010 at 3:42 PM

That was a lowball figure for a true scorer as himself. Kopitar will makre 1.5 more than ythat this season & Smyth about a mil more & neither is the scoer he is, & as Kovalchuk himself, neither are good defensive forwards. so that was far too low a price to offer him!

now it’s back to mediocrity for this team since our gm, & aeg didn’t offer him more early on & had he then walked, then fine, use the FA’s available, but they waited so long & had to go on vacation, for some reason, & lost out on all the top tiered forwards & blueliners.

now the only thing they can do is trade, which will cost them our best, for a great player in return, or go the RFA route & i feel therer are only 2 fa’s that woul;d fit; one is ryan & the quacks would not let him fly north & neal in dallas, but other than that, pickin’s are slim, deano!

[Reply]
MIke Kamins says:

July 19, 2010 at 3:43 PM

When the lead story on the Kings website is “Kings sign Brad” you know you are in for a long long season!

[Reply]
Jerry says:

July 19, 2010 at 3:59 PM

So,,,the league finally caught up to the Kings last season and now they let the best forward available stay on the east coast. Not enough ammo to make the play off this year as the better teams will begin to pull away from the usual “stay put” Kings. Too bad.

[Reply]
Rob Reply:
July 19th, 2010 at 4:36 PM
@Jerry,

I agree…Teams like San Jose, and even the Ducks, they know what it takes…Teams can look at what we did last year and adjust, some adjust via FA pick ups some by trades, some by just by pure heart, but you said it right Jerry..This is a dog eat dog NHL and unless you jump on board and stay ahead of the game then you get left behind. The west will get stronger and stronger, San Jose seemes determined do what it takes to win..Maybe I need to go get a Shark Jersey…It seems that Management there has some nuts to do what it takes…Dean Lombardi….I gladly give my season tickets to the poor schmuck who believes you have some master plan…Prove me wrong, I gladly stand in line to buy tickets back..But for now, I stay home and listen to Bob Miller and Foxie calling the games, and sadly, game after game telling us to look forward to the next year…

[Reply]
USHA#17 says:

July 19, 2010 at 4:22 PM

OK boys and girls, where to from here?

[Reply]

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