It is widely believed that the Ilya Kovalchuk deal and subsequent hearings have all but kept many NHL teams and unrestricted free agent players from making more of a splash this summer.
Numerous trades—most notably a deal involving Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Tomas Kaberle—have been sitting on the back burner for quite some time, leaving many NHL teams and fans feeling like they have been kept hostage all summer long by the Kovalchuk saga.
Yesterday, arbitrator Richard Block began hearing the arguments for and against the Kovalchuk contract from both the NHL and the Players Association.
A decision on Kovalchuk’s 17-year, $102 million contract is expected by this Friday, or by Monday at the latest.
In the end, there are only really two scenarios that can come of Block’s findings. First, Block upholds the Kovalchuk deal, which will force the NHL approve the contract as is.
The second option is for Block to side with the NHL (believing the contract circumvents the CBA) which, in turn, would mean that Kovalchuk would become a free agent, making him free to attempt to sign another deal with whatever team he chooses ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Mark Ritter
Ilya Kovalchuk Deal Could Be Devastating for the NHL
August 5th, 2010 by Mark Ritter Leave a reply »
Advertisement