Truth & Rumors > NHL

Report: Habs offer Kovalev captaincy, new deal

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A Russian sports newspaper said that the Canadiens have offered the team's captaincy to pending unrestricted free agent Alex Kovalev and that Saku Koivu is no longer in plans for the team, according to report on TSN's website. Sovietsky Sport said the Canadiens don't intend to re-sign Koivu and would opt to re-sign Kovalev to a one-year deal worth between $6 million and $7.5 million. The story also claims that Kovalev would be awarded the captaincy. The paper adds that Kovalev wants to remain with the Canadiens and negotiations with the team would continue when he returns from holiday.

Montreal Gazette

Alex Kovalev, Elsa/Getty Images Alex Kovalev, Elsa/Getty Images
May 29, 2009  08:29 AM ET

Sovietsky Sport is Russian for "The Moscow Sun". Nevermind this garbage.

May 29, 2009  09:20 AM ET

So the Habs want to toil in mediocrity for another year with their overpriced, under-effort forward core eh? To name this guy captain is a disgrace to the Habs jersey and I'm sure give Gentleman Jean Beliveau heartburn like nobodies business.

May 29, 2009  10:52 AM ET

T&R is fulfilling the "Rumors" part of the equation on this one.

May 29, 2009  12:04 PM ET

Kovalev to get $6-7.5 million?????? He only shows up for 20 games a year, at most he will get $4 million.

May 29, 2009  12:18 PM ET

Aw, the Canadiens and Kovie feelin the love again. How sweet.

May 29, 2009  12:19 PM ET
QUOTE(#2):

To name this guy captain is a disgrace to the Habs jersey and I'm sure give Gentleman Jean Beliveau heartburn like nobodies business.

Yeah, Beliveau can get some Tums from Guy Carbonneau.

May 29, 2009  01:20 PM ET

What a shame. If this really happens, it will be an outright shame. Georges Laraque deserves the "C" over this clown.

May 29, 2009  05:37 PM ET

Commited to a captain who they only want to sign to a ONE year deal?

Load of shit.

May 29, 2009  06:25 PM ET

No way this can be true. If it is, I hope Saku joins Mikko in Minny.. They know how to treat players way better than one of the oldest franchises in history, which is just sad. I'm not even going to comment on Kovalev...

May 29, 2009  07:57 PM ET

lol hes 36 whats he going to do for a couple of years

May 29, 2009  09:51 PM ET

How's his French?

May 30, 2009  01:53 AM ET

oh boy...this post is three days old, the article ran in the russian paper on monday. It has not been picked up as a rumor by anybody and the gazette made sure to mention that the russian paper was the only source. Everybody, including ovalev`s agent has said that there is zero substance to the rumor.

May 30, 2009  08:02 AM ET

this has a smell of The New York Post all over it.

May 30, 2009  01:49 PM ET

They want to make a guy captain who was sent home last season for lack of passion, and whose career is best known for doing nasty things to a dog? God bless Bob Gainey if this is true, because he truly has lost his last strand of hair.

RIP Larry Fine.

May 30, 2009  02:38 PM ET

So they are going to offer the captaincy to a guy who they have asked to stay home on at least one occasion rather than accompany the team on a road trip? Sounds like a great choice to be the team leader.

May 31, 2009  02:54 AM ET

With a salary space the size of a football field then why not? Despite all the negatives that kovy brings, kovy is better than no kovy. The real kicker in this story is something read between the lines i think. The habs in the upcoming season is well below the min cap limit so the one year 7.5 mill kovy is getting isn't really a reward he earned (far from it) but probably something to fill the gaping hole to reach the min limit. Unless the habs get Lecavalier's crazy 10 mill contract or pump for both sedin twins there really is no legit way for them to fill the space. So the next best thing is to overpay FA's for 1 year which gives them leeway to dump them the next year when someone that really deserves it comes along.

 
June 3, 2009  11:44 AM ET

I thought the deal with Tampa for Vinnie was a done deal? HAHAHAHA God, the stories are so crazy they don't even make sense to one another. You'd have me believe that the Habs would bend over backwards to bring Local-Home-Boy Vinnie and then give the captaincy to a Russian? oh that's rich!

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