No Lecavalier Might Go to Trouble For Tampa Bay

So what if Tampa Bay Lightning player Vincent Lecavalier is not that good of a player? Well, for one thing, he wouldn't have led the Lightning to a 2004 Stanley Cup series win over the Calgary Flames. In fact, they probably wouldn't have gotten there at all without him.

But that was six years ago and things have changed. So has he.

Ever since he won them that Stanley Cup back in 2004, his production with them has dropped steadily and steadily. Unfortunately for this season, it might come to no surprise that he only scores 20 goals while the rest of the Lightning team handle the rest.

Does that come as trouble for them if Lecavalier's production does not increase again? After so many long years, the Lightning have been trying to win another Stanley Cup, let alone get into the playoffs.

However, with a new coach and a new feel for the team, they might have to wait another year to finally get a chance to get back into the postseason.

That is, unless Vincent Lecavalier can have another season where he goes stellar. I'm not going to be shocked if he can play as well as he can. Over and over again, he's proven he's a loyal skater and a man that can put the puck in back of the night. But guys like Steven Stamkos have begun to take over the workload that Lecavalier had held on to for most of his skating career.

I'm not sure he's considered done in the NHL. I'm sure the Tampa Bay Lightning have some use for him, but how long will he stay on Lightning ice? Will they trade him? I'm not sure there's a team out there that would want this guy. Maybe the LA Kings after the deal with Kovalchuk fell through. Or maybe the New York Rangers could have use for this guy. After all, they need help.

So let's see what happens to Lecavalier for the rest of the season and into the regular season. Will he be a big help for Tampa Bay? Or his career with them likely over? Only time will tell.

NHL Rejects Deal on Kovalchuk: What in the World?

Even when I look at this move, I think to myself, "That's gotta be the biggest deal in NHL history, maybe even bigger than the Joe Thornton deal San Jose gave him years ago when they traded for him. What I'm talking about, actually, is Ilya Kovalchuk's 17-year, $102 million deal with the New Jersey Devils. However, it was the NHL that stood in the way and rejected the deal, stating that the deal violated the collective bargaining agreement.

Now I'm not a guy who knows most of the finances in the NHL. I'm only built for analysis, but I can tell you that if the collective bargaining agreement is that tough, it will make it even tougher for Ilya Kovalchuk to stay with the Devils. After all, he wants two things. One: a lot of money in his pocket. And two: To play with a team that can go all the way.

Unfortunately, the New Jersey Devils, in my mind, satisfy one of those things. They have money and they can afford to pay Ilya Kovalchuk that kind of money for how good a player he is. The downside is the team that can make it all the way because the Devils have not made it past the first round the last three years. Ilya, are you listening?

The fact of the matter is that if Ilya wants to play with the Devils, he has to make sure that this team goes all the way to the Stanley Cup Final and if it doesn't, it will fail short of general manager Lou Lamorillo's (can't spell his last name) patience.

I don't think the Devils should be too discouraged by the rejection of the contract by the NHL. But is it possible that Ilya Kovalchuk might look again elsewhere? Maybe the Los Angeles Kings? If possible, the Devils failed on being able to hold on to him when they had a good deal in place.

Guess what, Devils? The NHL is hard-nosed and if you want Kovalchuk to play on your team, you're going to have to follow those rules. If not, then release him or do something to him. I'm sure you want him, but follow the rules. They come back to haunt you.

How is Mikko Koivu That Important to the Wild?

A seven-year, $47.25 million contract for one player? Doesn't sound like a lot of money, especially to players like Patrick Kane, Sidney Crosby, or Alex Ovechkin. But for Minnesota Wild forward Mikko Koivu, it certainly looks like it's enough for him to stay on the team. He had one more year left on his old contract between signing on again for an additional seven more years.
I like Mikko Koivu for two reasons. One: He's a very agile skater and he can rip the defense of other teams long enough to get a shot on goal. Second: He can be a very big presence on the ice. Signing him for those next seven years should be something the other teams will have to look for and observe when he's back on the ice skating for the Wild.
Koivu is just one of the many signings and re-signings that the Minnesota Wild has made during this particularly interesting off-season. They resigned backup goaltender Anton Khudobin to a two-way contract, the third goaltender in depth behind premier Wild goaltenders Niklas Backstrom and Josh Harding.
But most certainly Mikko Koivu stands out among the players signed by the Wild this season. I'm not going to say all their contracts, as ESPN does not directly tell me who they signed and for how much, but for Koivu, it sounds like the biggest deal on the plate for them this offseason.
Will it impact the Minnesota Wild? Most definitely. He is a agile skater and he knows how to get the puck on net. Now, will it be enough to give the Wild a chance to go back to the playoffs after missing it the last two seasons? We'll have to wait and see if the Koivu is the strong force to get this Wild team back into the postseason. Certainly it would seem so for a tough skater like him.

Kings are Out of the Running, What's Next for Kovy?

The Los Angeles Kings gave Ilya Kovalchuk a team to think about over the long haul summer. Unfortunately, he won't be able to think about them any longer. That's right, the Kings have backed out from the Kovalchuk plans a second time after not agreeing to his terms of a long-year, multi-year contract. Actually, I don't know why they backed out. I only know they did back out for some reason. Now that Kovalchuk is out of luck with the Los Angeles Kings, does he return to the New Jersey Devils or is there some teams that are willing to take a chance on him? I don't think there is any other team willing to take that chance on him, so it looks like the New Jersey Devils are the best fit for them. After all, they are the favorites to sign them after trading for him from the Atlanta Thrashers. According to the New York Post, the Devils are on the verge of signing him to a six-year, $60 million deal. It has not come to fruition yet, but to my best guess it looks like he will take that contract. He played a spectacular second-half for the New Jersey Devils, even though they came up short in the playoffs. To my estimate, Kovy will have another remarkable season playing for a team that can go to the playoffs every year. A new coach might be tough but for Kovy, who's been through at least one season with a new coach at his reigns, he'll have no trouble at all scoring goals and making good plays on the ice. We'll see what happens with Kovy. Will he take the deal? Or is it off to the KHL?

Any Chance for Modano?

Mike Modano was already given the door by the Dallas Stars. So now he is a lonely man walking the streets of the NHL world just hoping to find a suitable team that can take his money and his experience. He assumably played his final game in the city where he began his career with the Minnesota North Stars, but it might also not be his final game of his career.
The way I look at it, Mike Modano could still be used in the NHL, but for how long and how much playing time can he get? Teams are already getting younger at all their positions and that's how the Dallas Stars went, which is why they did close the door on him.
I think there are some teams out there who might be willing to take a chance at him. Those teams might be the Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild, Boston Bruins, Florida Panthers, and Carolina Hurricanes. Let's face it: these teams have all done poorly in some aspect last year and with a guy like Modano, there's a sure enough chance they can get back into the playoff picture.
The Minnesota Wild or the Edmonton Oilers might be the best fit, preferably Minnesota, where he started his career. He is getting old and having less and less playing time and goal production, but I still believe he has the smarts to become a mentor to these teams just trying to get back to the elite.
Hopefully, the door is not closing on Modano and these teams I mentioned will have a chance to take a look and see what Modano can do for them. We'll have to wait and see. Will he retire? Or there just enough skating legs left for him in the league?

Kris Versteeg Trade: Bad or Good for Blackhawks?

Stanley Cup champion teams like the Chicago Blackhawks would be expected to keep the players that they find for the good benefit of the team. Apparently, the Blackhawks thought that Kris Versteeg was not one of their good benefits. A multiplayer deal was finalized when the Blackhawks traded their young gun Versteeg to the Toronto Maple Leafs, along with several players. According to Stan Bowman, the GM of the Blackhawks, that was the game they were in today. With the free agent period coming up today at noon, it looked like he had to make several moves in order to free up salary cap space for new players. The trade of Dustin Byfuglien and Cam Barker to the Atlanta Thrashers was one of those trades to free up the space. Now, with all the Blackhawks have been doing, will it help their team or downgrade their team? I'm not sure it's going to downgrade their team. The Versteeg trade might hurt them in the long run but Patrick Kane, Antti Niemi, Jonathan Toews, and Marian Hossa will surely keep this team on its feet, heading into the free agency period and another season. So Stan Bowman might not shot himself in the foot a little bit for trading away a few great players, but I doubt he did anything to completely lose this team after winning the Stanley Cup.
I'm sure Kris Versteeg is surprised he's no longer on the Chicago Blackhawks. Months of watching him, you'd think he was on the Chicago Blackhawks for good, but no. The Maple Leafs acquired him and looking at him, he will help a Maple Leafs team that had a terrible start to the season and never recovered. The Maple Leafs are hoping he can bring something this season that will help them get back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Well, more and more moves could be coming for the Blackhawks. I don't believe it's the end of a wallop of trades for them. The free agency period comes up at noon ET and don't be surprised if the Blackhawks have to make a few more moves to get the players they want on their team.