29 trade proposals for Ilya Kovalchuk

[RockStar36]

John Buccigross wrote 29 trade scenarios for Kovalchuk (one for each team). Keep in mind that none of this is fact or rumor, and simply Buccigross making things up as he goes.


Buffalo Sabres (http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/clubhouse?team=buf)
Proposed trade: Kovalchuk and Kubina for Thomas Vanek (http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?playerId=3045), Zack Kassian and a first-round pick

http://espn.go.com/nhl/notebook/_/page/buccigross_100112/ilya-kovalchuk-trade-talk-29-proposals-atlanta

[The King]

There is a very good chance he ends up in beantown with former linemate Savard.

[G Wolly]

Give em Connolly and whatever else they want

[Al the Bills Fan]

I know Kovalchuk is a gifted player but there is no way I would make this trade

[RockStar36]

There is a very good chance he ends up in beantown with former linemate Savard.

e3?

[The King]

e3??

[Crisis]

?

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_f3SZ5Tu916o/SsFCnjXeyzI/AAAAAAAANxs/3VpBMuALLB4/s400/implied-facepalm.jpg

[DMBcrew36]

Give em Connolly and whatever else they want

For what? Kovalchuk will walk after this season.


Getting Kovalchuk as a rental is ******ed because of how much it would cost, when you would just lose Kovalchuk at the end of the season. It's a good thing that Regier isn't dumb enough to pull the trigger on a move to get Kovie. If you go after Kovie, you do it this Summer.

[SabreEleven]

The Sabres will NEVER get him, it's just not the Sabre way.

[DMBcrew36]

The Sabres will NEVER get him, it's just not the Sabre way.

Nope, they won't, and I'm glad Regier isn't that foolish. Leave those costly moves to teams like the Rangers. But even if Regier wanted him, you don't do it to get him as a rental.

[SkateZilla]

e3+a2(r3xr5)-t2+a1=trade

[Ingtar33]

so... Vanek, the lone all-star quality and 40 goal scorer in our lineup for a 1 year rental player who we couldn't resign because of the cap in the offseason?

Granted he's a gifted player but that's an insane price for a rental

[DMBcrew36]

so... Vanek, the lone all-star quality and 40 goal scorer in our lineup for a 1 year rental player who we couldn't resign because of the cap in the offseason?

Granted he's a gifted player but that's an insane price for a rental

It's ESPN - you know it's coming from a 'hockey special-ed person' before you even read it. Melrose drives the short-bus and Buccigross and the other ******s are his passengers.

[OpIv37]

if we could lock him up long-term, I'd take that trade in a second. Vanek has some talent, but he's not a leader or a true sniper and he doesn't play up to the contract.

However, that's FAR too much to pay for a rent-a-player for one playoff run.

[OpIv37]

so... Vanek, the lone all-star quality and 40 goal scorer in our lineup for a 1 year rental player who we couldn't resign because of the cap in the offseason?

Granted he's a gifted player but that's an insane price for a rental

Vanek's not gonna sniff 40 this year- he'll be lucky to get 30. But I do agree that it's too much to pay for a rental.

[clumping platelets]

No thanks without contract extension in hand.

[elltrain22]

we can't give up Vanek. period.

[OpIv37]

we can't give up Vanek. period.
Yeah, how will we ever replace his 12 goals?

[RockStar36]

I really like Thomas Vanek, but I would do this deal in a heartbeat if Kovalchuk had an extension in hand with Buffalo.

As a rental? No way in hell.

But with the extension, YES YES YES.

[THATHURMANATOR]

For what? Kovalchuk will walk after this season.


Getting Kovalchuk as a rental is ******ed because of how much it would cost, when you would just lose Kovalchuk at the end of the season. It's a good thing that Regier isn't dumb enough to pull the trigger on a move to get Kovie. If you go after Kovie, you do it this Summer.
Bingo!!! Vanek, Kassian, AND a First for a guy gone at the end of the year? You would have to be ******ed.

[THATHURMANATOR]

I really like Thomas Vanek, but I would do this deal in a heartbeat if Kovalchuk had an extension in hand with Buffalo.

As a rental? No way in hell.

But with the extension, YES YES YES.
As an extension I still wouldn't
So we cut out Vanek and put in Kovalachuk. Serious upgrade for sure, but not Insanely huge upgrade.
We give up our first round pick from last year (Kassian)
And another first round pick?

There are other better values out there that wouldn't gut the team.

[hydro]

we can't give up Vanek. period.

I have no emotional ties to him what so ever. He doesn't live up to his contract IMO.

[RockStar36]

As an extension I still wouldn't
So we cut out Vanek and put in Kovalachuk. Serious upgrade for sure, but not Insanely huge upgrade.
We give up our first round pick from last year (Kassian)
And another first round pick?

There are other better values out there that wouldn't gut the team.

I disagree.

Since being with Buffalo, Vanek has scored 25,43,36,40, and 12 so far.

Kovalchuk in the same time span has scored 52,42,52,43, and 26 so far.

And he is 26, only one year older than Vanek.

This would be such an immense improvement. Imagine how good the other guys on the Sabres would be skating next to Kovalchuk. Seriously, this guy lights it up for Atlanta. Imagine what he would do on a real team.

Actually, look at it this way.

Afinogenov has 16 goals and 40 points this year in 45 games with Atlanta.

In the last two years, he had 16 goals and 48 points in 104 games with Buffalo.

[ddaryl]

the only way I would make the trade is if they could seal him up long term to boot

otherwise it would be a fools move, but I would be ok with Vanek and some change going away for Kov..

[Mitchell55]

I like Kubina

[Crisis]

you don't give up a talent like vanek signed long term for a rental, not to mention a good prospect like kassian and another 1st.

besides, kovalchuk has pretty mush bashed buffalo and lindy ruff when talking about max's resurgence in ATL, he would never come here.

[Crisis]

I disagree.

Since being with Buffalo, Vanek has scored 25,43,36,40, and 12 so far.

Kovalchuk in the same time span has scored 52,42,52,43, and 26 so far.

And he is 26, only one year older than Vanek.

This would be such an immense improvement. Imagine how good the other guys on the Sabres would be skating next to Kovalchuk. Seriously, this guy lights it up for Atlanta. Imagine what he would do on a real team.

Actually, look at it this way.

Afinogenov has 16 goals and 40 points this year in 45 games with Atlanta.

In the last two years, he had 16 goals and 48 points in 104 games with Buffalo.
and the years prior max had 61 points in 56 games, and 73 points in 77 games.

[RockStar36]

and the years prior max had 61 points in 56 games, and 73 points in 77 games.

Teemu Selanne had 76 goals in 1992-93, what's your point?

[Crisis]

you're trying to say the only reason max is having almost a PPG year is because of kovalchuk, when he has put up similar numbers in the past without him. yes, playing with kovy is a huge reason for his breakout but it's not like max was the completely worthless player he was his last 2 years in buffalo, people forget he was our leading scorer in 05-06 and over a PPG player the next year....and im about as anti-max as it gets, but it's not like his production is completely tied to kovalchuk alone.

and i'm not trying to downplay kovy at all, he's a top 3-5 talent in the league for sure.

[SabreEleven]

Max is putting up those numbers because they don't expect him to play defense, the Sabres did.

[JD]

I'm all for trading Satan, er.. I mean Vanek.

[RockStar36]

you're trying to say the only reason max is having almost a PPG year is because of kovalchuk, when he has put up similar numbers in the past without him. yes, playing with kovy is a huge reason for his breakout but it's not like max was the completely worthless player he was his last 2 years in buffalo, people forget he was our leading scorer in 05-06 and over a PPG player the next year....and im about as anti-max as it gets, but it's not like his production is completely tied to kovalchuk alone.

and i'm not trying to downplay kovy at all, he's a top 3-5 talent in the league for sure.

I pretty much am, despite what he did years ago.

Let's watch and see how he does once Kovalchuk gets traded. I'm betting his production dips.

[SkateZilla]

I'm all for trading Satan, er.. I mean Vanek.

OUch... Am I the only one that caught that stab at T.V.?

[DrGraves]

Sign and trade for Vanek, Kennedy and a Pick

[RockStar36]

Toronto Maple Leafs (http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/teams/tor/) GM Brian Burke passed along "the rumor" on Sportsnet (http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2010/01/25/burke_kovalchuk/) that Kovalchuk was offered "$8.5 million times 10" and turned it down, before saying "I'm not interested in committing that amount of money for that term for that kind of player." He's probably not alone, and you may hear more lip service about that asking price going forward; either for GM Don Waddell's sake or because that's actually the market for Kovalchuk.

Not that Buffalo would ever make the trade, but if Kovalchuk is turning down that kind of money, any team that makes the trade is borderline insane.

I know how good he is, but wow.

[Ground Chuck]

I'd rather see them go after Gaborik

[snow1989]

I don't think Kovi would work with the current system Ruff likes to implement...it's what kept getting Max in the doghouse....Ruffs like his forwards to back-check, and at times aggressively...has Kovi even ever been inside his own blue line? *chuckle*

[Ingtar33]

He's looking for a 10 mil per season deal.

it would be a 1 year rental. stop dreaming