Kukla's Korner Hockey
Report- Kovalchuk Drama Ends Tomorrow
by Paul on 07/11/10 at 05:52 PM ET
Comments (8)
via a Daren Millard tweet,
Kovy-gate comes 2 an end tomorrow. Kings win the process.. Don’t want announcment 2 get overshadowed by WC.
added 6:25pm, via Rich Hammond of LA Kings Insider,
No confirmation yet. One strong team source has just said that there is “continued engagement,” but that no announcement is imminent. Updates will be forthcoming if necessary.
added 6:52pm, via Pieree LeBrun tweet,
For all those asking, yes - Kings and Kovalchuk are talking again.
added 7:00pm, via Darren Dreger tweet,
Lombardi tells TSN. “Ilya Kovalchuk is coming to Los Angeles for face to face discussions, just like any free agent would. We are a long way from agreeing on a contract.”
added 7:20pm, via Helene Elliott tweet,
Hold off on buying Kovalchuk King jerseys. Lombardi: “reports of us signing him are utterly false.”
via Rich Hammond of LA Kings Insider, “
Kovalchuk is only coming here for a visit,” Lombardi said. “It is a great opportunity for him to meet us and us to meet him. Reports of us announcing a signing tomorrow are utterly false.”
added 7:48pm, via a Pierre LeBrun tweet,
“Ilya is coming out to LA,” Kings GM Dean Lombardi told ESPN.com Sunday night. ``We’re going to meet face to face. But reports that we are announcing his signing tomorrow are utterly and completely false. We have no deal. We’re not even close. I mean, who knows, maybe we’ll get close tomorrow but we have no deal right now.”
added 8:30pm, from Sportsnet,
While Lombardi has said a contract announcement is not imminent, sources tell Sportsnet that Kovalchuk has been adamant this past week in finding a way to bridge the negotiating gap between the two parties.
The source also says, despite the Kings’ demands to sign Kovalchuk to a term and dollar amount that fits their plans, L.A. has been the No. 1 choice destination for the Russian winger and his wife since free agency started July 1st.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Los Angeles Kings | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Ilya+Kovalchuk,
Comments
Man, I feel bad for the Kings. They had a solid foundation going and if they would have been a little patient they could have really turned that franchise around.
Instead they are allegedly going to bring a soft Eastern Conference player over to the West for what will almost certainly be an absurd length and term and end up getting royally hosed on the deal.
Doughty and Johnson will be due significant raises after next year and the Kings already have two other high paid forwards. Locking up Kovalchuk at 7-8+ per year will really make things tough on themselves.
Posted by HockeyinHD on 07/11/10 at 07:16 PM ET
Kovalchuk is only coming here for a visit,” Lombardi said. “It is a great opportunity for him to meet us and us to meet him. Reports of us announcing a signing tomorrow are utterly false.”
UMMM Yep Rich 11 Days into FA KovalCHOKE is going out to survey LA likeit Mars & he’s Never Been there 
Posted by Evilpens on 07/11/10 at 07:24 PM ET
They had a solid foundation going and if they would have been a little patient they could have really turned that franchise around
I agree. LA really has a great thing going right now, finally. Lets just hope that both sides came to a “reasonable” deal. It would be a shame if one player’s contract distroyed it.
Posted by UMFan from Denver, Colorado on 07/11/10 at 08:14 PM ET
If he signs with the Miami Heat, I’m going to punch somebody.
Posted by Snap Wilson on 07/11/10 at 08:17 PM ET
Posted by Snap Wilson on 07/11/10 at 08:17 PM ET
LOL. That was awesome.
I love watching the Kings whenever I stay up later on a weekday or on a weekend during the season. They definitely have the most players I like that are not Penguins, and I have liked the team as a whole for awhile now (very similar to the Penguins history without any Cups though).
Posted by UMFan from Denver, Colorado on 07/11/10 at 08:14 PM ET
You are right on that. If it’s a reasonable deal that allows them to keep most of their core, it could be something that pushes them over the top.
Posted by pens fan in baltimore on 07/11/10 at 09:00 PM ET
KovalCHOKE is going out to survey LA likeit Mars & he’s Never Been there
Right, because that’s what they said was happening. Not that he was going to LA to meet with people from the organization.
Because that never happens.
Ever.
Posted by Garth on 07/12/10 at 08:38 AM ET
Until Ecklund gives this an E5 I’m not going to believe any of these rumors. 
Posted by hockey1919 from mid-atlantic on 07/12/10 at 10:55 AM ET
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Just for Clarification Rich Hammond works for the Kings & wouldn’t want to let the Secret out if his employers didn’t want it out
Posted by Evilpens on 07/11/10 at 06:59 PM ET