Habs to let Koivu walk, Kovalev to be next captain

Just heard on Sportsnet that reports are coming in that the Habs will not tender an offer to Saku Koivu and will let him walk as a UFA. Kovalev will be resigned and given the "C".

Interesting... very interesting...

I wonder if it's like what they tried to do with Yashin in NY? Perhaps they're hoping for a more consistant effort from him once he has the C? Dumb move IMO.

I wouldn't mind Saku on the Sens for the right price.

Brief mention of it in this article:

http://slapshot.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/26/the-morning-skate-nhl-coyotes-agree-sort-of-canes-committed-and-borscht/

Cap'n Clutch wrote:I wonder if it's like what they tried to do with Yashin in NY? Perhaps they're hoping for a more consistant effort from him once he has the C? Dumb move IMO.

I wouldn't mind Saku on the Sens for the right price.

This is a risky move... but, if it is what he needs to take it to that next level and put up points consistently... then it will pay off in spades.

Saku in a Sens jersey would be nice... think he'd play for $1M?

shabbs wrote:

Cap'n Clutch wrote:I wonder if it's like what they tried to do with Yashin in NY? Perhaps they're hoping for a more consistant effort from him once he has the C? Dumb move IMO.

I wouldn't mind Saku on the Sens for the right price.

This is a risky move... but, if it is what he needs to take it to that next level and put up points consistently... then it will pay off in spades.

Saku in a Sens jersey would be nice... think he'd play for $1M?

I'd clear some salary out to make room for Koivu. I think it's almost a foregone conclusion that he'll go to Minnesota even before this news came out.

And this my friends, is the worst thing the Habs could have done.

Now that is certainly the kind of captain you want! :KJK:

Brother, this is going to be another hellish season for them for sure.

SensGirl11 wrote:And this my friends, is the worst thing the Habs could have done.

Now that is certainly the kind of captain you want! :KJK:

Brother, this is going to be another hellish season for them for sure.

I agree. And this is a good thing for those of us who enjoy the comical sight of burning cars.

I heard that last night and couldn't believe it. Let's face it, he is *not* a first-line centre and they need one. But it's not like he was playing first line centre or making first line centre money. And he may not be the most vocal of team Captains, but I'd take him over "Ow, my hand!" Kovalev any day.

This is not a risky move, it is just a wrong move, plain and simple. Koivu was the heart of the Canadiens, and Kovalev was their Johnson. Sure, impressive when the mood strikes him, but cools off and shrinks to the sidelines just as often.

I know they probably could not keep Koivu, so I understand that. But to name Kovalev the Captain at the same time as announcing that they are not re-signing Koivu, that's like a slap in the face.

Gainey has certainly lost it now. Time to bring in someone who still remembers tradition.

P.S. Brisebois is still there, why not give him the 'C'?

shabbs wrote:Just heard on Sportsnet that reports are coming in that the Habs will not tender an offer to Saku Koivu and will let him walk as a UFA. Kovalev will be resigned and given the "C".

Interesting... very interesting...

Sportsnet is referencing an article from Montreal's Corus Sports citing the Russian sports journal Sovietskii Sport, which has been known in the past to fabricate rumours of this type.

Here is Lyle Richardson's take today on the article, from SpectorsHockey.net:

CORUS SPORTS: Joanie Godin cited a report in Sovietsky Sports claiming the Montreal Canadiens don't intend to re-sign team captain Saku Koivu and would instead re-sign Alex Kovalev to a one-year deal worth between $6-$7.5 million. The report also claims Kovalev would be awarded the captaincy. The paper reports Kovalev wants to remain with the Canadiens and negotiations with the team would continue when he returns from holiday. The paper also claimed the Canadiens had offered Mike Komisarek a $4 million per season contract but he's holding out for $6 million per.

SPECTOR'S NOTE: Godin suggests the Russian media love rumors regarding North American teams.

I'll go one further and suggest that any reports coming out of Russia regarding contracts talks between NHL teams and their free agents are to be taken with not just a grain of salt but the entire shaker.

Kovalev did nothing last season, or for three of the past four seasons with the Canadiens, to merit such a huge raise, let alone the captaincy.

I doubt very much there's anything substantial to that rumor.

As for Komisarek there's been nothing out of the Montreal media, which follows the Habs so closely they know what their players had for breakfast each morning, regarding he or any of the other Habs free agents other than Alex Tanguay's agent recently claiming GM Bob Gainey has yet to contact him to discuss a new contract.

Well both parts of the story (Koivu not being re-signed and Kovalev getting the 'C') were reported on-air on SportsNet last night, so I doubt that it's just a rumour. The part about $6.5-7M is just ridiculous. Not with the cap going down possibly as early as this coming season and, surely, the season after.

If Montreal would do that, they might as well roll over and play dead, Kovalev is a bum of a player, Koivu has more heart and soul in one fingernail than Kovalev has, but I still believe that Koivu's days in Montreal are done, one player can only put up with so much bulls***.

There's more to this than meets the eye. The Habs were going to let Koivu walk no matter what - and I don't blame them, they both need fresh starts. Then the Habs were trying to decide what to do with Kovalev and in that time, Kovalev got a really nice offer to play in Russia for 6 million per year. So the Habs upped the ante and told him he'd be their next captain - and that they'd pay him 6 million a year to stay (desperation kicks in).

Kovalev has apparently not made a decision yet between Russia and Montreal, so this might just be out of Montreal's hands.

Also, Gainey might not have the GM job by the time push comes to shove and a contract is signed - he will either be fired or possibly moved to an upper-management position. And if that happens, there's no chance in heck that the incoming GM honours that ridiculous offer.

The best thing that could possibly happen if you're a Habs fan is for the Russian team to outbid you and take Kovalev away. Now you have an excuse for the fans - hey, we tried! - and you don't have to overpay for an enigmatic, lazy player.

So basically what you are saying is, this is all just BS and Gainey is digging himself a bigger hole by suggesting this?

He's gone for sure, this is just a silly move, IMO.

SensGirl11 wrote:So basically what you are saying is, this is all just BS and Gainey is digging himself a bigger hole by suggesting this?

He's gone for sure, this is just a silly move, IMO.

BS? No, Gainey made Kovalev a silly offer apparently. It just remains to be seen whether Kovalev wants to go back to Montreal, or play in Russia relatively tax free.

Gainey is a desperate man I think at this point, with all the uncertainty of ownership changes, he is probably not even sure if he will still be employed come draft time, and to be honest with you, he shouldn't be.