(Spoilers) The thread where CALIFORNIA LOOOOVE~!

[Ruki]

Ilya Kovalchuk has announced his retirement.

What.

The.

Fuck.

Unreal. I'm in absolute shock. We don't even have our pick for next season.

Gonna be a 5 long years at the Prudential Center.

Fixed.

but yeah, sucks so much to be a Devil's fan.

[Toe]

Only 30 years old too. Shit.

[Ruki]

Only 30 years old too. Shit.

Well, he's retiring from the NHL.

He's definitely going to be playing in the KHL (and become the highest paid player in the history of the world!)

[Toe]

I thought for sure he would have played here until 33 or 34. I had him as a lock to score 500 goals in his career.

I guess he really enjoyed his time in the KHL during the lockout?

[caucasianheat]

He wants to raise his family in Russia, apparently. Devils aren't really on the hook for much of his salary (a few hundred thousand each year) because he's just walking away from it. So the bonus for them is that they gain a lot of cap space, which actually would have been more helpful had he retired about a week and a half ago.

[Drock007]

He wants to raise his family in Russia, apparently. Devils aren't really on the hook for much of his salary (a few hundred thousand each year) because he's just walking away from it. So the bonus for them is that they gain a lot of cap space, which actually would have been more helpful had he retired about a week and a half ago.

Think he waited to retire on purpose to screw the New Jersey Devils?

[caucasianheat]

Doubtful, they're not really screwed over by it. They lose their best player and there's no downplaying that, but they're also free of an absurd, debilitating contract that they would have probably shouldered for the whole term because he's so good.

[Plubby]

He wants to raise his family on 20 million per year, more like. Gotta do what's right for you and yours, but spade's a spade: this is all about the roubles.

[Ruki]

 

Doubtful, they're not really screwed over by it. They lose their best player and there's no downplaying that, but they're also free of an absurd, debilitating contract that they would have probably shouldered for the whole term because he's so good.

 

They also lose a first round pick this year. Best player gone + Aging Marty=top 5 pick down the drain

[TGWL]

816 games played - 816 points for Kovalchuck.

[PatDaMan]

Insane stuff. A player literally in his prime, just what, 2? 3? years into a 15 year contract, and he's just gone.

If he would've waited a few more years, they would've had to eat $3.6 against the cap for a bunch of years, so he's saving them some trouble there. Still though, what a kick in the balls for the Devils.

[Lowerdeck]

B's resign Rask and Bergeron. Things are pretty good again.

[TGWL]

That puts Rask tied with the highest paid Goalie - Rinne. I'm not sure how I feel about this because I'm sure Lundqvist is now going to demand a lot more than his current 6.8 million.

[Drock007]

That puts Rask tied with the highest paid Goalie - Rinne. I'm not sure how I feel about this because I'm sure Lundqvist is now going to demand a lot more than his current 6.8 million.

I heard Lundqvist could ask up to 8.5 million a year or something stupid like that

[Pizza]

It's not that stupid. Consistently elite goaltending is very hard to find. As an UFA he'll get that somewhere. I expect he'll sign before his current contract expires for something around $8 million though.

[TGWL]

Unless the cap goes up, we have no choice but to buy out Richards next year, regardless if he bounces back.

[SeanDMan]

So, when the season starts you're all joining me in making your team's logo as your avatar I hope.

[TGWL]

So, when the season starts you're all joining me in making your team's logo as your avatar I hope.

I can't see anybody doing that...

[Drock007]

So, when the season starts you're all joining me in making your team's logo as your avatar I hope.

Ill do it even tho ive never had an avatar on here before

[Toe]

I think my avatar is a picture of a tank, but I am too lazy to check.