- Craig Custance of ESPN: On Ilya Kovalchuk and the KHL.
“That’s his league,” said the KHL’s leading goal-scorer Steve Moses, who is heading to the NHL next season with the Nashville Predators. “Everything is focused around him, as far as media attention; it’s definitely not easy to play with that target every single night.”
An NHL return for Kovalchuk?
“I have two more years on my contract,” Kovalchuk answered. “Then, we’ll see.”
Playing against NHL players in the World Championships does add a bit of desire to possibly return to the NHL one day.
“Yeah, for sure,” Kovalchuk said. “It’s always good to play against the best. They have some good players on both teams. Same with the Swedes, Czechs all those guys. So it’s exciting tournament for sure.”
On when he’d be allowed to return the NHL is a little confusing. Lou Lamoriello has said in the past it can’t happen until 2018-19, when Kovalchuk is 35-years old.
- Rich Chere of the Star-Ledger: Devils GM Ray Shero won’t be making short-term moves at the expense of the long-term.
“If you’re not trying to make the playoffs, you’re in the wrong business. That’s the only opportunity you have to win. When you do get in, things can happen,” Shero said. “But the philosophy is not to trade off one year that is going to hurt you three or four years down the road. In three or four years you’re thinking, ‘What did we do that for?’ You see that.
“You do things in a proper way. There is a lot of work to be done but there are good people in place with ownership and Lou. I’m trying to get this thing back on track. Getting back to where everybody thinks they should be, which is back in the playoffs and hopefully beyond that.”
- Kevin Allen of USA Today: Top 10 UFAs1. Mike Green – Capitals
2. Drew Stafford – Jets
3. Carl Soderberg – Bruins
4. Antoine Vermette – Blackhawks
5. Mike Ribeiro – Predators
6. Matt Beleskey – Ducks
7. Paul Martin – Penguins
8. Christian Ehrhoff – Penguins
9. Jeff Petry – Canadiens
10. Eric Fehr – Capitals