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Kovy not accompanying the team to Washington


Colin

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yeah - but if you're a GM right now you have to wonder if Kovalev has anything left in the tank.

There's usually someone who believes all a player like Kovalev needs is a change of scenery. People should also rememember that teams like Pitts. NYR or Van. must be desperate to make some kind of change in the hopes that there teams might get back on track.

Edited by yorickbrown
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There's usually someone who believes all a player like Kovalev needs is a change of scenery. People should also rememember that teams like Pitts. NYR or Van. must be desperate to make some kind of change in the hopes that there teams might get back on track.

I have no problem at all with Gainey using this time to find the best deal and move out Kovalev. My concern however is that we deal him to a team like the Rangers, and then have to face him in the playoffs. While he's been uselss lately, you have to believe that if given the chance to show his former team up, he would find motivation to dominate like we all know he is capable of.

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Good, this team realy needs a kick in the ass to get back in shape before it's too late. If not even Kovy is untouchable, that means no one is. Hopefully that will motivate some of the guys to actually play hard.

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This move makes some sense if it was only the Caps game he was sitting out for, as I really think Washington is going to shit-kick the Habs anyways. But Pitt is a winnable game, and removing Kovy even in his current state hurts more than it helps a team struggling to manufacture offense.

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Seeing Kozed's old Schneider avatar makes me ask a question... since Kovalev's not playing, will Matt wear #27? :D Now THAT would be sending a msg. When Kovy comes back he is presented a jersey with #67 or something on it.

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Seeing Kozed's old Schneider avatar makes me ask a question... since Kovalev's not playing, will Matt wear #27? :D Now THAT would be sending a msg. When Kovy comes back he is presented a jersey with #67 or something on it.

Schneider said he's gonna wear #24. Plus, why would the Habs present Kovalev with Pacioretty's number?

I joked about it yesterday, but I think Schneider should take #27 and the A and tell Kovalev he can have them back if he gets off his ass.

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Is he going to be traded? Wow, it's possible. The stink just leaked publically. Asides from the fans, 29 or so GM's heard about this today. Hmmm?

Kovy better get his game back when he returns. If Gainey is fed up then time is short Alex.

Leaked? Gainey spoke publicly about it. It's not like they were trying to be sneaky about it.

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Boy, if Plekanec and Andrei Kostitsyn didn't have the pressure on them before, this will be a very interesting time for them, particularily Andrei.

MaxPac - Plex - AK46 is one of only 2 offensive lines on this team right now along with Higgins - Koivu - D'Ago. Can this team get by?

Get healthy, Tanguay!

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I found the wording Gainey used in his interview very interesting.

When he was talking about Schneider in and Kovalev out, he stated that the latter was "eliminated" from the team. That's a very strong word. Gainey further stated that he wanted Kovalev to "stay away from the team" rather than accompany the team and keep in touch. There could be a few reasons for this, perhaps as simple as taking his mind completely off the game to find his centre again. The other possibilities have been gone over plenty, so no more lip service here.

When Gainey said he wanted to "let the news be out" about Kovalev not being with the team, then followed that up by asking "where do we go from here" one gets the feeling that he may be letting GM's around the NHL know that Kovy is sitting out, not getting injured, and is inviting offers. And for those of you who think every GM would have known this anyhow, there have been plenty of instances where other GM's have been quoted as saying they didn't know such and such about a certain player at a given time. These guys have a lot going on - they can't always see every little happening. Gainey stating it and turning it into "something" rather than just telling Kovy to stay home while indicating to the press and fans he had a minor injury is perhaps a very subtle way of announcing the availability of the big winger.

I found another comment highly leading: Gainey "can't answer the question on the likeliness of Kovalev's return." That's a very open-ended statement allowing for the obviously real possibility of him not returning. Finally, and I think the most telling comment, Gainey said that "if teams were interested, we would talk" because "we're in the trading season." Gainey has, in previous seasons, been rather quiet towards the deadline, so this seems far more a direct implication that trading Kovalev is a very real possibility.

Anyhow. Just some thoughts.

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When Gainey said he wanted to "let the news be out" about Kovalev not being with the team, then followed that up by asking "where do we go from here" one gets the feeling that he may be letting GM's around the NHL know that Kovy is sitting out, not getting injured, and is inviting offers. And for those of you who think every GM would have known this anyhow, there have been plenty of instances where other GM's have been quoted as saying they didn't know such and such about a certain player at a given time. These guys have a lot going on - they can't always see every little happening. Gainey stating it and turning it into "something" rather than just telling Kovy to stay home while indicating to the press and fans he had a minor injury is perhaps a very subtle way of announcing the availability of the big winger.

Maybe I'm just naive in taking Bob at face value, but I really doubt this is a prelude to a trade. There's better ways of sending other GMs a message that Kovalev is available - I'm thinking e-mail or telephone! I think whatever trade value Kovalev once had is now diminished after Gainey's move, as it means the team is better off without him at this point. Not a good message to send if you're trying to maximize returning asset value.

I think this is strictly a wake up call to both Kovalev and the rest of the team: passengers will not be tolerated.

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Maybe I'm just naive in taking Bob at face value, but I really doubt this is a prelude to a trade. There's better ways of sending other GMs a message that Kovalev is available - I'm thinking e-mail or telephone! I think whatever trade value Kovalev once had is now diminished after Gainey's move, as it means the team is better off without him at this point. Not a good message to send if you're trying to maximize returning asset value.

I think this is strictly a wake up call to both Kovalev and the rest of the team: passengers will not be tolerated.

Of course there's another message to this - it's a very serious wake-up call to the rest of the players. I'm just reading into his words because, taken as a whole, they seemed to me to indicate more than was really there.

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Of course there's another message to this - it's a very serious wake-up call to the rest of the players. I'm just reading into his words because, taken as a whole, they seemed to me to indicate more than was really there.

exact. Carbo can't hit on the head of the young guys when they have their co-captain Kovalev not giving it all. I am sick of the special treatment he gets. He had his "moment" in Montréal, at the all star game. He will not get anything else here.

Dream trade: Kovalev + Markov + picks for Jordan Stall + Gonchar

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Nobody would be criticizing Kovalev if the bluelines helped their goalies; we're getting torched on the fefensive end, and if the D did its job, we would have won more games.

LEcavalier is playing great, but the Bolts suck; why? they have no D !

That's so Montreal

Edited by rafikz
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Kovy is not gonna attract alot of interest from other teams. Aside from the fact that he is an UFA, a head case and a constant distraction to the team on and off the ice, he has really lost a step over the past couple years. Most of his points last year were generated off on the PP. I think he is having trouble adjusting his game to the speed of the game.

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Well, count me among those who think there will be a market for Kovalev. This market will come from teams that are looking for proven supplemental offence going into the playoffs. The argument is that Kovy is better suited as part of a second wave attack than as the key cog in an offence. There's a lot to that argument. Couple that with his track record of producing in the playoffs, and you've got a rather attractive asset to certain teams. Not saying he'll net us five first rounders or anything, but we should be able to get some high pick(s) or a solid asset back.

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this could be one of those phantom trades that ends up haunting the Habs...especially if they send him to Pittsburgh. Crosby-Malkin-Kovalev-Gonchar-Whitney= lethal PP which sums out to the habs having to look behind their back for another team.

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Well, count me among those who think there will be a market for Kovalev. This market will come from teams that are looking for proven supplemental offence going into the playoffs. The argument is that Kovy is better suited as part of a second wave attack than as the key cog in an offence. There's a lot to that argument. Couple that with his track record of producing in the playoffs, and you've got a rather attractive asset to certain teams. Not saying he'll net us five first rounders or anything, but we should be able to get some high pick(s) or a solid asset back.

Calgary...perhaps? It seems an unlikely trade partner because he's not really a Keenan-type player even though he's had him before in NY; but secondary scoring is what Calgary needs to make a serious run at the cup, and perhaps Kovy can provide this.......the Flames have a lot of big wingers that play the physical game (as the Habs saw first-hand last week)....exactly what the habs need.....maybe someone like Boyd, Glenrcross, Moss or Bourque? who knows?

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And sadly, this smacks of Bob doing what Carbo was unable to do. Kovy was playing with an air of entitlement - he could do anything, or in this case nothing, and not get benched. I think that was rubbing off on the others. If Kovy can do it and have nothing happen to him, then why not me. Well, Gainey is doing it.

And if that's true? Not a great comment on Carbo.

However, that's all just circumstantial guessing.

I think Bob was just the spokesperson on this one ... they had a meeting after the Nucks game and Bob was the one who made it public I suppose. Carbo already benched Kovi a couple of times the last games, this move is just the final step.

Anyways, I like the move and I start thinking that Kovi can't help the team in the near future - he had his good times, it might be the best for him to move on. If not, he should surprise us all with his best play! :rolleyes:

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