The Ilya Kovalchuk question...
From the Garden, business as usual so far.....Here's one quick run at this....
Remember the phrase: Do, or do not. There is no 'try.'?
With the trade deadline approaching, a growing hue and cry is that the Rangers should be sellers. I doubt the team will be bailing out, unless they are 10 points out of eighth place. And who’s going to want their top-heavy contracts anyway?
The players who might go, should it be decided to throw in the towel, logically could be UFA Chris Higgins, Ales Kotalik (two more years at 3 mil per) and perhaps RFA Dan Girardi. What about UFA Vinny Prospal (he could re-sign in the summer)?
Initially, Kovy's price shouldn't be an issue.
To rent Kovalchuk, 26, the Rangers would have to clear about $3 million in cap space. Long-term, well, another story.
Does he really want $10 mil? Whoever lands him can worry about a long-term deal in the summer, when a financial decision can be made. In the case of the Rangers, jettisoning Wade Redden or Michal Rozsival.
One school of thought is that the prime years of Marian Gaborik and Henrik Lundqvist are wasted in a rebuild. There's also a looming sales issue, doesn;t it seem as if tickets are available for every game? Will the Blueshirts need two stars in
What would it take to get Kovalchuk? A quality player, a prospect and a pick, for sure. Does that mean parting with (gulp) Brandon Dubinsky and a d-prospect such as Bobby Sanguinetti or Ryan McDonagh and a No. 2?
Do you offer Kots or Higgins as well? Or send them elsewhere to reclaim a draft choice and clear space?
Other teams certainly have more assets. The Flyers are loaded up front. The Bruins can use scoring. And Vancouver and Calgary could use Kovy, no?
But take a lesson from the Yankees: If the Rangers don’t block an Eastern rival from getting him, they could be mired in Playoff Dreamland for years.
Let's see Kovy and Gabby would be 29 when Evgeny Grachev and maybe Derek Stepan could be here, as well as Marc Staal and Mike Del Zotto. Ryan Callahan and Sean Avery and Enver Lisin and Matt
Just sayin' ...
Whatcha think, Blue Noters?
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