Hot or Not: Devils vs. Rangers Edition

Ilya Kovalchuk (Credit: NJ.com)

To paraphrase the inimitable Harry Doyle: in case you haven't noticed, and judging by the attendance you haven't, the New Jersey Devils have managed to win a few here and there, and are threatening to climb out of the cellar.

Actually, the Devils have done more than win a few here and there.  Once left for dead in the East, they are 12-1-2 in their last 15 games.  Former punch line Ilya Kovalchuk has netted the game winning goal in their last two wins (at Toronto and home vs. San Jose).  Johan Hedberg has done a nice job of spelling Martin Brodeur (7 goals in 4 starts).  And new-ish coach Jaques "Been Here Done That" Lemaire has breathed new life into a team that started the season under John MacLean worse than any Devils team in the past 20 years.  Oh, and even though New Jersey has played 7 games in the past 11 days, they have gone 6-1 in those contests, including 3 overtime wins.  So the Devils are, as their name suggests, hot.

But what about those New York Rangers on the other side of the Hudson River?  Well, not so hot.  The Blueshirts have dropped their last 6 games, and are 4-10 in their last 14 overall.  They also can't catch a break, having to face Pittsburgh, LA, the red-hot Devils, and Philadelphia in their next four games.  Perhaps they are feeling the impact of losing team captain Chris Drury to knee surgery for the next six weeks.  Nevertheless, they are still clinging onto a playoff spot, currently two points ahead of 8th-seeded Atlanta, but Carolina (one point out of 8th) and Buffalo (three points out of 8th) are breathing down their necks.

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Arbitrator rules in favor of NHL, creates appearance of Kovalchuk free agency

ESPN's ubiquitous "sources" have reported than an arbitrator, Richard Bloch, ruled tonight that the New Jersey Devils' recent 17-year, $102 million contract with superstar Ilya Kovalchuk is invalid because it circumvented the league's salary cap regulations.  Apparently, the Devils had argued that there is no language in the CBA that prohibits the contract, and that the deal is therefore valid.  No such luck for Lou Lamoriello & Co.

The short-term effect of the arbitrator's decision is that Kovalchuk is hereby, technically speaking, a free agent and therefore free to sign with any team, including the Devils.

It won't be long until Kovalchuk dons a Devils uniform once again.

Realistically, however, the arbitrator's decision won't change much at all.  Kovalchuk is going to be a New Jersey Devil, no matter how much the league hated how the Devils massaged the terms of the nullified deal in order to minimize its salary cap hit.  No other team in the league offered $102 million, and Kovy is going to end up signing -- like pretty much all superstar athletes these days -- where the most money is.  In this case, it's the Devils.

Obviously, New Jersey will have to offer fewer years, which will increase Kovy's average annual salary and increase the cap hit that the Devils will suffer.  But think of this in a best case/worst case scenario.  Best case, the old deal passed muster and the Devils get their superstar and a manageable salary cap hit.  Worst case, the deal is nixed and the Devils sign Kovalchuk to a new deal, for probably the same money but with less favorable salary figures.  That's it.  Unless the Kings or some other team ponies more money, but this author hasn't heard anything to that effect.

(Photo Credit: ESPN)

News flash: the NHL has balls but no legs to stand on

The NHL announced last night that it rejected the Ilya Kovalchuk's agreed-upon 17-year, $102 million contract with the New Jersey Devils.  Its reason?  The record-setting deal "circumvented the Collective Bargaining Agreement."

Deadspin wrote a tongue-in-cheek blog post congratulating the NHL for "growing a pair" by putting the kabosh on the deal.  And truth be told, as Barry Petchesky wrote, the league's effort is admirable.  Clearly, the Devils purposely structured the contract to circumvent the CBA and minimize its annual salary cap hit.  Clever.  Let's take a look at what the Devils did, courtesy of Petchesky's handy math:

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