You love it, don’t you?
Oh, the DRAMA!!!
The Devil’s coach declared, “We’re going to be an exciting team to watch.”
Oh, you bet your ass you are!
This has the makings of a really lame plot, in a low-budget (dis)inspirational sports story, which of course, makes it that much better!
So now that all hell has officially broken loose, and you have read all the predictions and prognostications of what will happen next, I’d like to spin a tale of my own…
On the very day that Ilya Kovalchuk professes his undying love to New Jersey and declared himself a Devil for life, his contract, which took 17 days to negotiate, is now in serious peril.
But how in jeopardy is it?
Well, there are a few ways it can go, which I won’t rehash here. But one thing is certain, if Kovalchuk is put in a position where he has to renegotiate/restructure his contract or it gets voided (all of which are possible to different degrees) then he has absolutely ZERO leverage.
“When you’re a free agent, you’ve got a lot of different options, but I chose the right one. I’m 100 percent sure,” said Ilya of his decision to sign with New Jersey.
He went on, “When you agree to something like that to stay with a team for the rest of your career, you want to be 100, 110 percent sure you’re making the right decision.”
Ok, so he had to say that, of course. But hey, can he really go back on it now? I suppose he could. He’d look foolish, yes, but hell, if he is going to lose out on millions of dollars, then I’m sure he can handle some bad press for a while.
“It wasn’t really about money. It was more where you are going to spend the rest of your hockey life.”
Oh shit. Never mind. He’s been quoted 10 different times saying his decision wasn’t about the money.
Which leads me right back to what the hell does this guy do if he has to renegotiate his contract with the Devils?
Well, I’ll tell you… in a second.
FLASHBACK to June.
Lou and Vanderbeek are trying to figure out where to take New Jersey after Brodeur leaves. Who will carry the franchise? How can we get a star in here without destroying what we built?
Lou says, “I got an idea Jeff. What if we sign Ilya to the longest contract in NHL history, with the full intention of structuring it so that the league has no choice but to reject it. We’ll even make it for 17 years, Ilya’s lucky number.”
Jeff’s ears perk up.
Lou continues, “And then, after Ilya has publicly committed to us saying it’s not about the money and the contract gets voided, we renegotiate the deal at a bargain basement price.”
“You are an insane genius Lou,” Jeff says, “But what if Ilya doesn’t bite?”
“Not only will he bite, Jeff, he will think it’s his idea!” Lou says, “He will have it in his mind he wants to be here for the rest of his career. That full commitment will give him all that he needs to compromise on a new deal. Then we have him by the balls.”
FLASH FORWARD to August…
Ilya, after firing his agent, signs with New Jersey at a cut rate so as to keep the cap manageable and the length of the contract down. He saves face with the hockey world by looking like the victim and the Devils land their new superstar with cap room to spare.
The End.
@wavesinair,
bravo. right or wrong, certainly an entertaining theory. the question is, do you give LL that much credit?
Naw. I haven’t the slightest clue what LL would do or not do. But it was entertaining to me too!
could be…(?)
i like yr hypothesis, though….
Certainly entertaining stuff but I have two problems with this Machiavellian scheme.
1- If Kovy is in it for the money he probably doesn’t care enough about how he looks [sports stars are completely out of touch with reality] to make swallowing a cheap NJ pill worth it. In which case he walk and finds a slightly less lucrative deal elsewhere.
2- If Kovy does feel compelled to renegotiate for a crapload less in NJ he will most likely be either really pissed or really depressed, either way I don’t want that guy [who will still be expensive] stuck on my team for 17 or 15 or even 3 years. A Russian superstar with a bad attitude and no way out sounds like a complete lose/lose situation to me.
Yeah, there are about a thousand things wrong with my theory, which is what makes it both so absurd and, as you say, machiavallian.
Completely unrelated: Did you put that itty bitty slash on your banner on purpose?
You bet! I’m now a card(slash)-carrying member of the LAKI parasite club.
Freemasons
Skull & Bones
Richie’s Kids
How about this for a crazy theory. Bettman, seeing how the big TV market of Chicago was a ratings bonanza for the league, voids the contract intentionally to make it possible for the Kings to sign Kovi! Bettman figures that the devils can’t take a bigger cap hit and will have to lower their offer to Kovi. He also knows that the Devils are a TV ratings disaster and that future success and ratings growth will come once LA is deep in the playofs or best yet in the Stanley Cup.
This theory will not hold up to intense(or even slight) scrutiny but let’s face facts. The NHL cannot afford another Tampa VS Calgary final. Ideally, the NHL needs LA VS Washington or Pittsburgh in the SC Finals
Sweet. Can’t wait!