It does actually make some sense considering that SKA have valid contracts with the players until the new CBA is ratified, which won't be until late Thursday or Friday. It won't be ratified before the SKA game in Ufa on Thursday. However, I suspect they will play tomorrow and then be released to make their way to North America. The lockout details were still basically unknown to them when they played on Sunday, so tomorrow can be their farewell match to SKA.
Thanks for that. I guess I hadn't thought about the contractual details pending the actual CBA being signed. Its a pity though, because other players are already in town participating in informal practices.
Tarasenko and Bobrovsky not playing after all, got to love Russian media I struggle to follow Russian speech at full speed, but the TV coverage basically glossed over their absence. No idea if they are still in Kazan, or if SKA allowed them to leave for St. Petersburg immediately after the decision to not play them.
Kovalchuk still playing though. They are saying that he wants to see how the new CBA impacts him before he does anything. No rollbacks and existing contracts have been grandfathered in, so I can't really think what else he would be worried about. Maybe he just wants to see it in black & white first.
Maybe Kovalchuk is worried he will be one of the buy-outs next season for NJ. I'm not sure how much of his money in his deal was up-front. Parise and Suter are set due to the fat signing bonuses they received up front.
Maybe Kovalchuk is worried he will be one of the buy-outs next season for NJ. I'm not sure how much of his money in his deal was up-front. Parise and Suter are set due to the fat signing bonuses they received up front.
It's crazy that a buyout for Kovy is even an option. NJ isn't doing well financially last I heard. But still, probably unlikely.
Tarasenko and Bobrovsky not playing after all, got to love Russian media I struggle to follow Russian speech at full speed, but the TV coverage basically glossed over their absence. No idea if they are still in Kazan, or if SKA allowed them to leave for St. Petersburg immediately after the decision to not play them.
Kovalchuk still playing though. They are saying that he wants to see how the new CBA impacts him before he does anything. No rollbacks and existing contracts have been grandfathered in, so I can't really think what else he would be worried about. Maybe he just wants to see it in black & white first.
There are no rollbacks but it's a virtual guarantee that players are going to give back quite a bit in escrow next season. It's simply impossible for the players' share of HRR to go from 57% to 50% without them losing money. For the new 50% to match the old 57% on an actual dollar basis, HRR would have to increase approx. 14%. That's a nearly impossible one-year increase under normal circumstances but there's no way that happens now that they've damaged the game. It's the main reason why the players fought to have next yewr's cap at $64.3M instead of $60M. That amounts to an additional $129M the players will collectively not have to return via escrow next season. The "make whole" money will also help offset a good amount of the money the players will be giving back via escrow but I still bet they end up not getting a good chunk of their salaries for the next few years. THAT is what Kovy may be concerned about. That said, there's no way the NHL just let's him leave. He has a contract here and while I'm sure thr KHL would love to keep Kovy, I doubt they want to fight with the NHL and especially the IIHF, especially since the Olympics are schedule to be held in Sochi a little over a year from now. The IIHF has made it clear that they would out major sanctions on the KHL and Russian Federation if they didn't honor contracts elsewhere. I think all of this talk of players staying is just fluff and they will all eventually be back in the NHL...whether they like it or not.
There are no rollbacks but it's a virtual guarantee that players are going to give back quite a bit in escrow next season. It's simply impossible for the players' share of HRR to go from 57% to 50% without them losing money. For the new 50% to match the old 57% on an actual dollar basis, HRR would have to increase approx. 14%. That's a nearly impossible one-year increase under normal circumstances but there's no way that happens now that they've damaged the game. It's the main reason why the players fought to have next yewr's cap at $64.3M instead of $60M. That amounts to an additional $129M the players will collectively not have to return via escrow next season. The "make whole" money will also help offset a good amount of the money the players will be giving back via escrow but I still bet they end up not getting a good chunk of their salaries for the next few years. THAT is what Kovy may be concerned about. That said, there's no way the NHL just let's him leave. He has a contract here and while I'm sure thr KHL would love to keep Kovy, I doubt they want to fight with the NHL and especially the IIHF, especially since the Olympics are schedule to be held in Sochi a little over a year from now. The IIHF has made it clear that they would out major sanctions on the KHL and Russian Federation if they didn't honor contracts elsewhere. I think all of this talk of players staying is just fluff and they will all eventually be back in the NHL...whether they like it or not.
True, I didn't even think of the escrow etc.
The longer it goes on the more interesting it gets. The excuses over why Kovalchuk was unreachable yesterday were a bit of a joke, yes it was Christmas Day in Russia, but that is largely meaningless. Now today he is playing after they released Tarasenko and Bobrovsky in the morning.
According to the main boards, the IIHF rules state...
3 Consequences of a Breach of Contract
3.1 Sporting sanctions shall be imposed on players found to be in breach of contract
(a) during the first three years of a contract for players aged up to and including 28
years of age, and (b) during the first two years of a contract for players aged 29
and over.
That isn't really clear because he is now in the third year of a contract he signed when he was 27; so does A apply because he signed it when he was 27 or does B apply because he is 29? If IIHF rules state there isn't going to be any blowback on himself, then staying might well become a more realistic option for him.
I expect he'll be back next week, but I would struggle to have any sympathy for the Devils if he decided to stay in St. Petersburg!
Has this been confirmed? I know he's not playing today, but has he left yet for sure?
Said goodbye to their teammates at breakfast this morning, and they didn't appear to be at the stadium in Kazan for the game today. They'll probably need a day or 2 to sort out personal stuff in Peterburg before actually coming over though.
Said goodbye to their teammates at breakfast this morning, and they didn't appear to be at the stadium in Kazan for the game today. They'll probably need a day or 2 to sort out personal stuff in Peterburg before actually coming over though.
Yea, I forget who said it on the radio yesterday, either Army or Hitch but they said they expect him to arrive in STL on Friday
Said goodbye to their teammates at breakfast this morning, and they didn't appear to be at the stadium in Kazan for the game today. They'll probably need a day or 2 to sort out personal stuff in Peterburg before actually coming over though.
But was there hugging? We all know nothing is official until they are seen hugging soon to be former team mates.
Not that this has anything to do with Tank but Doesn't New Jersey have to give up their 1st round pick this year? I personally don't think they are that good and if Kovy stayed in Russia wouldn't it suck to be them if they finished dead last won the lottery and had to give up that pick..
Kovy's not staying in Russia, and they aren't that bad. Parise is a good player, but he got EXTREMELY overrated when he hit the free agent market. Losing him is not going to take the Eastern Conference champ to the cellar. Also, I believe they have the option to give it up this year or next year. I can't believe they didn't give it up last year. 29th overall. Unless they win the cup in the next two years, or Matteau turns out to be an absolute stud, it just doesn't make sense to me.
I just really don't think the devils are that good. I look at their team and to me I think losing Pairse hurts them a whole bunch. And like every blues fan I hate the devils and would be perfectly happy watching them and wings be in the cellar for a long time..
"I'm going to remember this when Vladi is making $10 million a year and I'm out of the league ... when I'm old and he's an All-Star," Blues defenseman Ian Cole said. "I'm going to remember when Vladi went and got me a Gatorade."
He says some funny stuff on Twitter too. Cole changed his number to 28(which is apparently the number he's worn his whole life) this season, and he was going to change his twitter handle from Icole23 to Icole28 to correspond with the number change. He made the mistake of tweeting that out, and someone stole it before he had the chance to change. He was pretty upset lol. Perron chirped him about it too. He seems like a cool guy. I just hope he's as good of a hockey player.
I struggle to follow Russian speech at full speed, but the TV coverage basically glossed over their absence. No idea if they are still in Kazan, or if SKA allowed them to leave for St. Petersburg immediately after the decision to not play them.
