Kovalchuk Decision Expected by Monday Evening

[Ironhead]

Arbitrator Richard Bloch has listened to both sides and is expected to make a decision by Monday evening on the $102.mil, 17 year contract.
If he decides in favor of the NHL, Kovalchuk becomes a free agent ... again.

 

[kirmit129]

Geez I hope that the NHL wins. Are owners opt out option legal in the current CBA? If yes, a bigger loophole would be a 20 years contract with a owners option to terminate after 10 years.

 

[Lapper]

wasn't it new jersey who blew salaries out of the water last time too when they signed scott stevens???

isn't this the same new jersey team that the nhl supported financially a few years back??? thanks mr. bettman!!!

 

[Captain Fantastic]

Isn't this the same league that locked the players out to get a salary cap PLUS a 24% rollback on (then) current salaries?

I have NO sympathy for the league or its owners - THEY'RE the sport's worst enemy. Control your budgets and use your legal resources to ensure there are no loopholes the size of the Holland Tunnel in the CBA instead of legal fights with Jim Balsillie and others in Phoenix.

 

[maurice93]

I dont understand why they did not have the NBA rule of no more then 10% annual increases or decreases throughout the contract. (or in the case of longer contracts say 5%). How could they not see this as a huge loophole when they signed the CBA.

 

[Malibook]

If a player does not play out his contract, all they have to do is make it so that teams have to take the cap hit for the entire contract or account for the cap space savings.

Suppose Kovi makes $9 million per year and the cap hit is only $6 million and he plays 10 years.
Either take the remaining cap hit of $6 million per year for the remaining X years or the $30 million cap space saved over 10 years spread out over a few years, maybe 5 or so.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Arbitrator Richard Bloch has listened to both sides and is expected to make a decision by Monday evening on the $102.mil, 17 year contract.
If he decides in favor of the NHL, Kovalchuk becomes a free agent ... again.

The arbitrator has another option, which would be to simply restructure Kovalchuk's contract:

http://www.thehockeynews.com/articl...ract-could-be-restructured-by-arbitrator.html