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Ilya Island smells a little fishy; Larry Brooks' take
Topic Started: Jul 4 2010, 07:36 AM (2,983 Views)
stevedepot
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WISENHEIMER
Say what you will, I agree with him.

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/devils/ilya...FVEdsnTpe5LV6JO

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Ilya Island smells a little fishy

Last Updated: 8:00 AM, July 4, 2010

Posted: 3:29 AM, July 4, 2010

Just when The Summer of Ilya (Koval chuk) was beginning to look like The Summer of George (Costanza), reports exploded late Friday night that the Islanders not only had joined the bidding for the free-agent winger, but were offering the exact $100 million commitment the New Jersey rental has been seeking.

Hmm. How very convenient. How very suspicious.

Look, maybe it's all legit. Maybe after two days of zeroing in on Type C free agents Mark Eaton, Milan Jurcina, P.A. Parenteau and Zenon Konopka, GM Garth Snow turned to team chairman Charles Wang and on a whim suggested they offer a fortune to Kovalchuk since nobody else was willing to come close to the winger's asking price.

Maybe it's true. Maybe the Islanders moved from the $1 slots to the VIP Baccarat Lounge. Maybe they are in this for real. Maybe there is a serious negotiation at hand even though Kovalchuk's objective going into free agency was to sign with a glamour/big-market team with a chance to win the Cup. Of course, his objective was to maximize his income, so maybe the opportunity to cash in has trumped all other considerations.

There is this, too: Kovalchuk is represented by Jay Grossman, one of the most circumspect agents in the business, an individual who never has been comfortable seeing numbers and speculation splashed around in the press. Two days of news blackouts for all intents and purposes, followed by this?

Again. Maybe it's real. Maybe this is more than an attempt to get free publicity. Maybe this is more than a fleeting attempt to create good will among the battered fan base. Maybe the Islanders will spend twice as much as anyone else seems to be offering this explosive goal-scoring machine because that's what they have to do in order to get a Type A (or is that Type Eh?) to come to the Island and become the new face of the Lighthouse movement.

If so, good for Wang, good for Snow, good for the Islanders. Kovalchuk isn't for everyone, but he most certainly was not the cause of the Devils' first-round demise, not even close.

Fact is that Kovalchuk's dynamic Game 2 represented the best single performance of New Jersey's out-with-a-whimper debacle against the Flyers. If Jacques Lemaire, who quickly fled the scene of the accident, hadn't chosen to publicly spay Kovalchuk following that match, things might even have been different.

It would be different if this is all for real and not for show. It would be different if Kovalchuk goes to the Island, where he's likely to be Lost even while commanding the spotlight. Very different.

aybe it's real.

Glen Sather's decision to bypass 34-year-old Jody Shelley in order to buy protection from 28-year-old Derek Boogaard was based almost exclusively on the players' respective ages.

"I think Jody is a great guy who did a terrific job for us, but I just think this league and that role is too difficult to keep doing it at that age, and certainly for another two years, never mind three," the GM told Slap Shots. "I go back to Dave Semenko, who I think was the best ever at it, and he couldn't do it.

"I just think that's a job that needs to be filled by a younger man. And I think we got the toughest one out there. I'm never going to say anything bad about Jody, but I like Derek; I like the guy we got."

Semenko, of course, rode shotgun for The Great Gretzky during the Oilers' first two Cup runs in 1984 and 1985 but essentially was finished by the time he was 30. Then again, it was a much tougher league -- not a better one -- back in the bad, old days.

Boogaard's four-year, $6.6 million contract seems wildly excessive and will challenge coach John Tortorella's familiar assertion that paychecks don't influence lineup decisions. It is a fact, however, that Edmonton actually offered Boogaard -- who is going to Russia this summer to train with Pavel Datsyuk --$7 million over four years.

Not that the Oilers ever make a mistake, mind you.

Talk about patchwork, knee-jerk operations, and you're talking about the Senators, who gave Sergei Gonchar a three-year, $16.55M over-35 deal they will live to regret.

Ottawa was the operation that did it all the "right way," that people suggest exists. The Senators had a series of low first-round picks they turned into building blocks. But then came the cap that owner Eugene Melnyk lobbied for so militantly, there went Zdeno Chara, and now it's an organization that makes personnel decisions based as much on the structure of their players' signing bonuses as anything else.

You know what the "right way" is in this league? Any way that gets you to the Stanley Cup.

The Penguins did well in shoring up the back line, but don't Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin need, you know, linemates?

Someone is going to get a winner in Billy Guerin, and at a very reasonable price. We're told that Crosby, who at first acted as an enthusiastic pupil, became convinced along the way that he no longer needed the veteran winger's guidance.

Tampa Bay's Steve Yzerman paid a price to ensure that Martin St. Louis will remain a Lightning for life, $22.5 million for a four-year extension that kicks in for 2011-12 that marks the biggest contract ever awarded to an over-35. But this is a worthy commitment to the greatest player in franchise history, a sure-shot Hall of Famer who never wanted to leave but who sure would have looked great on Broadway had he been forced to go.

Finally, changing times in the NHL:

Punch Line, circa 1945: Elmer Lach, Toe Blake, Rocket Richard.

Punch line, circa 2010: Darryl Sutter, Olli Jokinen.

larry.brooks@nypost.com



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BritBlueNOrange
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"Hmm. How very convenient. How very suspicious."

How is it either of those things, they offered him a contract. If he signs then hes an Islander, if he does't he's not.

I don't see why offering someone a contract is either convenient or suspicious.

and yes Larry 6.6million is idiotic for a guy, who will be lucky to notch up 50 games this season.

You don't offer a guy $100 million as a publicity stunt, because theres a every chance he signs it.

Larry Brooks always has been an idiot, who's blatent Rag glasses are there for any man and his dog to see.
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smittyrules31
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Repeat a lie frequently enough....
Maybe Brooks is right, but this article would seem to contradict (or at least undermine) a lot of what Botta posted in his most recent update on IPB. This whole Kovalchuk thing is like a great big Rorschach for the fans. For those (proud) Kool-aid drinkers like myself, (along with the [alleged?] offers extended to Hamhuis and Martin), we see validation for our patience and faith in Snow and Wang and a willingness to spend $ for top FAs. For the cyanide takers (!!! :P ;) :D ), this is all another ruse created by an inept management team that will ultimately fail itself and the fan base once again. Like most things, I suspect the truth is somewhere in the middle, though, as noted above, I think the "truth" is closer to the Kool-Aid stand. Regardless, Brooks can write his articles, as will Strang and Botta. Like Robert Duvall's character in "The Natural" they are the sideshow trying to gain the spotlight. The only question here is if Roy Hobbs (the Islanders) hit the home run (like in the movie) or if we strike out (like in the book). Time will tell. Until then, resume drinking Kool-Aid or biting the cyanide capsule. Just remember to brush and floss afterwards...if you're not already dead.
Authority without wisdom is like a heavy axe without an edge: fitter to bruise than polish.

Anger makes dull men witty, but it keeps them poor.

In the beginning, the Universe was created. This made a lot of people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move.
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Islander4cups
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smittyrules31,Jul 4 2010
08:28 AM
Maybe Brooks is right, but this article would seem to contradict (or at least undermine) a lot of what Botta posted in his most recent update on IPB. This whole Kovalchuk thing is like a great big Rorschach for the fans. For those (proud) Kool-aid drinkers like myself, (along with the [alleged?] offers extended to Hamhuis and Martin), we see validation for our patience and faith in Snow and Wang and a willingness to spend $ for top FAs. For the cyanide takers (!!! :P ;) :D ), this is all another ruse created by an inept management team that will ultimately fail itself and the fan base once again. Like most things, I suspect the truth is somewhere in the middle, though, as noted above, I think the "truth" is closer to the Kool-Aid stand. Regardless, Brooks can write his articles, as will Strang and Botta. Like Robert Duvall's character in "The Natural" they are the sideshow trying to gain the spotlight. The only question here is if Roy Hobbs (the Islanders) hit the home run (like in the movie) or if we strike out (like in the book). Time will tell. Until then, resume drinking Kool-Aid or biting the cyanide capsule. Just remember to brush and floss afterwards...if you're not already dead.

:rofl: :thumbsup:
I miss these :cup: :cup: :cup: :cup: and want more of them
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Snowy
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Brooks may very well be right, and he has a lot of connections. Over the last couple of years he's been very pro-Islanders, especially when it came to the topic of them moving. I don't think he wrote this maliciously.
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Dark Helmet
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Who cares? If Kovalchuk signs, hooray! If not, poo poo. that's pretty much the end result to this drama that we all here care about. Nobody should care about Brooks' opinion piece.
"Evil will always triumph because Good is dumb."
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puckhead
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It doesn't hurt Kovalchuk to get another team involved in the bidding........even if it is the Isles. It would drive up the price he wants.

Brooks could be.....I repeat......could be dead on.
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5-9-19-22-23-31
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smittyrules31,Jul 4 2010
05:28 AM
This whole Kovalchuk thing is like a great big Rorschach for the fans. For those (proud) Kool-aid drinkers like myself, (along with the [alleged?] offers extended to Hamhuis and Martin), we see validation for our patience and faith in Snow and Wang and a willingness to spend $ for top FAs. For the cyanide takers (!!! :P ;) :D ), this is all another ruse created by an inept management team that will ultimately fail itself and the fan base once again. Like most things, I suspect the truth is somewhere in the middle, though, as noted above, I think the "truth" is closer to the Kool-Aid stand.

I think this is exactly correct. We don't know very much, and what we suspect is shaped by what we've come to expect.

It is obvious to me that Kovy's playing a part in this, too, as is his agent. They aren't getting the offers they hoped to get from New Jersey and LA. Snow sees that dissatisfaction, and glimpses an opportunity, one that either lands him a headline player or shows the world he's serious about building a winner. Kovy/Grossman can now go back to NJ and LA and seek more $.

The plan backfires if it doesn't result in larger counteroffers, because then Kovy has to decide whether he wants to win now or be part of a team that's still building but which has some bright prospects ... and his presence may help with the other Russian recruits.

Do the Isles overpay? They have to. Is it wise? Different question. Does Kovy solve all problems? No. Will he help? Don't be foolish ... of course he will.
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shark1000
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I would tend to believe Botta over Brooks but that's just my opinion.

I just read 7th Woman's hockeybuzz article and I feel it's dead on. Steve's description on Kovy's offseason conditioning efforts is also alarming. If the numbers reported are accurate, we very well might be cursing Kovy in years 5 on in this deal.


Is there anything wrong in trying to get Alex Frolov on a 4 years $16 mil deal or even a 5 year $20 deal? Or Lee Stempiak on a lesser deal. AS far as I know, I have a hard time believing Kovy is the reason the Lighthouse gets approved.


The best thing to me coming out of this is the willingness of the owner to spend money and prove to all of us he's serious about winning and keeping us on Long Island.


I just can see us in 5-6 years saying, wow what the hell did we do giving another Russian a ridiculous contract?

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smittyrules31
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Repeat a lie frequently enough....
puckhead,Jul 4 2010
04:24 PM
It doesn't hurt Kovalchuk to get another team involved in the bidding........even if it is the Isles.  It would drive up the price he wants.

Brooks could be.....I repeat......could be  dead on.

Of course he "could be" right. The idea of bringing in another party to make conditions more favorable is as old as negotiating itself. But that premise would seem to undercut Botta's position over at IPB.

Quote:
 
Make no mistake: the timing of the Kovalchuk/Islanders news with Supervisor Murray’s any-day-now Lighthouse push-back is the story here. To Wang and the Islanders, Kovalchuk is about winning hockey games and taking a leap in what was a slow and steady rebuild. But he’s about so much more.


The "more," of course, is getting a genuine star (super-star?) on board to spur/complement the LH process.

The parts of Brooks' article that bother me are the references to Jurcina, Eaton, etc with no acknowledgment that Snow went after Hamhuis and Martin. Brooks also seems to imply that the Isles pursuit of Kovalchuk is a Garth Snow "whim" whereas Botta implied it was directly coming from Wang. On matters of this team and this nature, I'm inclined to go with Botta 110% of the time.

Finally, his statement about it being all for real but Kovalchuk likely being "Lost" (why is that in caps? Reference to the TV show?) just seems so biased. Was Kovalchuck lost in Atlanta where he scored all those goals with little, if any support? I don't understand Brooks' point there.
Authority without wisdom is like a heavy axe without an edge: fitter to bruise than polish.

Anger makes dull men witty, but it keeps them poor.

In the beginning, the Universe was created. This made a lot of people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move.
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4CUPZ
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The best thing to me coming out of this is the willingness of the owner to spend money and prove to all of us he's serious about winning and keeping us on Long Island.



AND THATS ONLY DONE IF THE DEAL GETS COMPLETED
REMEMBER ALL WE'VE GOTTEN FROM TEAM TURMOIL IS
"I MADE A PHONE CALL"
TILL THE INK DRIES ON THE DOTTED LINE
ITS ALL :blah: :blah: :blah:
AND TALK IS ISLANDER CHEAP
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stevedepot
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WISENHEIMER
Exactly Tom. But getting back to Larry Brooks. He's actually pro Isles. Just calls it as he sees it
with the wacky world of WANG. People often question and defend Wang as if he's a victim. He's a victim of his own stupidity. (see his track record of FAIL since becoming owner).
But that's just my opinion. I've read everyone else's and still stick to my gut.

Let's assume that not only a phone call happened...but this offer did happen...
No hockey player NOT named Ovechkin or Crosby is worth 10 million a year. Screw cap space and this selfish bastid Kovalchuk. Tired of these players who want the MOST money and BEST guarantee to win a CUP.
I agree as many have posted...after a few years, this selfish goalscorer will become a burden.
An un-trade-able burden. So why should we worry about 5 years from now when we can increase our chances of making the playoffs now???

Well, if thats the way you choose to live your lives, then my guess is you have alot of credit card debt. BUY now, don't worry about the future...it's chic, it's the way this generation lives.
Gotta get the shiny new toy now, gotta get the latest iTouch, gotta get the latest Coach bag...

You add talent to a rebuild when you market a guy like Tavares as your team's corner stone.
You do not add a 10m NEW cornerstone. The risks far out weigh any semblance of logic for short term success. particularly when there's been a rack record of failure with these long term contracts.

Luckily, my gut feeling is right, this is just more unconventional BS from this owner.
Those who choose to get giddy and wait by there computers for the great pumpkin to arrive...
I say, Linus...you should really get out and enjoy the day, celebrate the 4th. he ain't coming.

I have a barbecue to go to and some fireworks to watch. Enjoy your day everyone.

;) :cheers:
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dragoneye
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Shooter
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4CUPZ,Jul 4 2010
12:41 PM
Quote:
 
The best thing to me coming out of this is the willingness of the owner to spend money and prove to all of us he's serious about winning and keeping us on Long Island.



AND THATS ONLY DONE IF THE DEAL GETS COMPLETED
REMEMBER ALL WE'VE GOTTEN FROM TEAM TURMOIL IS
"I MADE A PHONE CALL"
TILL THE INK DRIES ON THE DOTTED LINE
ITS ALL :blah: :blah: :blah:
AND TALK IS ISLANDER CHEAP

Wang has got to spend more! He's so far below the cap floor. LOL. What should he spend that money on? New deals for Jon Sim, Freddy Meyer, Bruno Gervais, etc? He's got nowhere else but to try and make this deal.
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3POTI
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Bring back...PRIDE OF THE ISLAND
who cares if we had failed long term contract signings? what after two or so, u stop trying? one u have a once in a lifetime explosive offensive exciting weapon out there...go for it...


why should the islanders be the team like those other losing small market teams not wanting to spend to win?


when kovy signs on the dotted line...and is seen in his spanking brand new royal blue islander jersey with the familiar 17 on it...I will be watching him and the islanders with my brand new partial ticketplan and a kovy jersey.


:banana: :banana:


and in 5-10 years I'll probably be bashing the SOB. But darn it. I guarantee there will be a stanley cup one. :thumbsup:
Today Is A Great Day To Be An Islander Fan!
Live For The Moment!

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Mulefan
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There is a simple way to end all of this crazy bull$hit of being used which is what is happening here. After taking in all of the info I can find I don't think there is any chance he signs with us. Garth made preliminary overtures to Kovy's agent and all of a sudden it's reported that the Islanders are offering him 10 mil for 10 years. That was clearly a leak to the press from Kovy's people to drive up the price for the Devils and Kings. I don't think Kovy wants any part of playing here and I don't want a player who doesn't want to play here 100%.

So if they are truly interested and willing to make that offer they should put a take it or leave it time frame on the table. If he really wants to play here and they made him the best offer there shouldn't be any hesitation. Tell him they want an answer by tomorrow or the offer is off the table. If he doesn't take it he never wanted to play here anyway. I'm not so sure he is what we really need for this team anyway. Put that 100 mil back in your pocket and use it when you can obtain a top notch player who wants to come and play here. I know I complain about them not spending in FA but it is still about signing the right players for your team's development and making sure they want to be part of the chemistry of the team.
Pete
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4CUPZ
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HEAD OF SECURITY
Quote:
 
I'm not so sure he is what we really need for this team anyway

YEAH WHAT WOULD AN A1 PRODUCT POSSIBLY DO FOR THIS TEAM
BESIDES PUTTING IT BACK ON THE MAP
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5-9-19-22-23-31
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Island in the Desert
4CUPZ,Jul 4 2010
10:34 AM
Quote:
 
I'm not so sure he is what we really need for this team anyway

YEAH WHAT WOULD AN A1 PRODUCT POSSIBLY DO FOR THIS TEAM
BESIDES PUTTING IT BACK ON THE MAP

It would disrupt THE PLAN. THE PLAN, BOSS! THE PLAN!
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Mulefan
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4CUPZ,Jul 4 2010
01:34 PM
Quote:
 
I'm not so sure he is what we really need for this team anyway

YEAH WHAT WOULD AN A1 PRODUCT POSSIBLY DO FOR THIS TEAM
BESIDES PUTTING IT BACK ON THE MAP

Yashin put us back on the map too and we ended up back off the map and are still paying him for briefly putting us back on the map. Would I like a A1 player added to the team to make them better??? Yeah, but I want the right A1 player here. Not just a sign him because he's the biggest name out there. I also want a player who is happy to come here and is truly excited about being an Islander.

I fear that signing this guy will end up exactly the way the Yashin thing did. Not that I think he won't produce more than Yashin but that he just won't care that much and won't set a good example for the rest of the team. I could be wrong but if that offer was really made and he didn't jump on it I don't think he is very interested in playing here.

If we really made the offer then other top notch players coming up on FA know we are now willing to spend. Let's do the right thing and wait for the right player or players to become available, players who may actually want to come here and help restore the organization. We don't need players who may be going through the motions here because we paid them the most.
Pete
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smittyrules31
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Repeat a lie frequently enough....
Mulefan,Jul 4 2010
06:27 PM
There is a simple way to end all of this crazy bull$hit of being used which is what is happening here. After taking in all of the info I can find I don't think there is any chance he signs with us. Garth made preliminary overtures to Kovy's agent and all of a sudden it's reported that the Islanders are offering him 10 mil for 10 years. That was clearly a leak to the press from Kovy's people to drive up the price for the Devils and Kings. I don't think Kovy wants any part of playing here and I don't want a player who doesn't want to play here 100%.

So if they are truly interested and willing to make that offer they should put a take it or leave it time frame on the table. If he really wants to play here and they made him the best offer there shouldn't be any hesitation. Tell him they want an answer by tomorrow or the offer is off the table. If he doesn't take it he never wanted to play here anyway. I'm not so sure he is what we really need for this team anyway. Put that 100 mil back in your pocket and use it when you can obtain a top notch player who wants to come and play here. I know I complain about them not spending in FA but it is still about signing the right players for your team's development and making sure they want to be part of the chemistry of the team.

Bingo! That's what I posted elsewhere. Pull a Lacroix (former [?] GM of Colorado). At one time, Lacroix was the resident genius GM of the league. Rumor had it he would approach agents and say here is a one-time deal that has a time limit on it. Want it? Here it is. No? Nice knowing ya. I don't think that is a great thing for a GM to do, as it may poison relationships with agents...not sure that is in the best long-term interest of a team...but in this case, if the dollar amounts are accurate, that would be a helluva thing to do!
Authority without wisdom is like a heavy axe without an edge: fitter to bruise than polish.

Anger makes dull men witty, but it keeps them poor.

In the beginning, the Universe was created. This made a lot of people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move.
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