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08:33 AM ET 09.26 | Slap Shots can inform you that GM Lou Lamoriello was on the phone with NHLPA attorneys on the day the union and league were crafting the amendment to the CBA to allow for Ilya Kovalchuk's uncontested 15-year, $100 million contract registration. Slap Shots has been told that the delay of approximately 12 hours in finalizing the agreement reached in the early hours of Sept. 4 was caused by the PA's insistence that the Devils not be penalized with a loss of cap space for having been found guilty of circumvention by arbitrator Richard Bloch on the first Kovalchuk contract submission. The NHL, we're told, finally yielded after it became clear that the union, protecting up to $3 million of New Jersey's potential payroll, was not going to surrender on the issue.

Ilya Kovalchuk, AP

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September 26, 2010 09:12 AM ET

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In this case the union was right and the Devils should not have had a cap space penalty since the deal that was originally offered had already been precidented by other teams, Vancouver, Chicago, Philly...but I actually am glad that those sort of deals have to be shelved going forward.

Baun-ded=PH in…

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September 26, 2010 09:48 AM ET

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The Devils are going to have to dump a lot of talent. Teams like Denver, who are under the minimum are in a great position to grab that talent.

Home Theater Guy

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September 26, 2010 11:12 AM ET

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QUOTE(#4):

Originally posted 09:48 AM ET 09.26 by Home Theater Guy

The Devils are going to have to dump a lot of talent. Teams like Denver, who are under the minimum are in a great position to grab that talent.

Yes they are, and they should, bolstering their line-up to make it deeper this year. If they could pick up a good D man, for a decent price, that would certainly help Anderson out.

kingeraaa

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September 26, 2010 07:07 PM ET

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I don't think the union did the Devils any favors. I hope Shero takes a close look at what's happening in New Jersey and doesn't do anything as stupid.

Burgh-Fan

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September 26, 2010 07:27 PM ET

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QUOTE(#8):

Originally posted 07:07 PM ET 09.26 by Burgh-Fan

I don't think the union did the Devils any favors. I hope Shero takes a close look at what's happening in New Jersey and doesn't do anything as stupid.

He won't as he has the least greedy Russian in the league(for his abilities), as this guy could make more, but decided to stay in Pittsburgh at 8.7 million a year, which is the same as Crosby.

Guys like that, who will take a pay cut, just so they can play on a better team, are few and far between! I like Geno, and hope he has a great season. I like Shero, he's done a fine job!!

I would think that more players would not want that kind of attention, but hey Kovie thinks he's the best Russian hockey player, and leader, like when he mended the situation between Ovie, and Geno!

Yup. That was worth a 15yr/100 million $ contract! With all those awards..........wait.........sorry bout that. I just realized he's won 1 scoring title.........that he shared with 2 others?

All that being said I do hope he plays well for the Devils!

kingeraaa

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September 26, 2010 09:18 PM ET

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Penguin fans are pretty smug about the amount of talent they have at bargain basement prices. Sid is the one who started things rolling by giving Pittsburgh a huge home town discount. Geno followed suit and, to an extent so did Fluery. Without those guys wanting to play in Pittsburgh, the Pens could easily be in a cap hit situation like New Jersey or Washington for that matter.

Burgh-Fan

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September 30, 2010 02:00 PM ET

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QUOTE(#11):

Originally posted 09:18 PM ET 09.26 by Burgh-Fan

Penguin fans are pretty smug about the amount of talent they have at bargain basement prices. Sid is the one who started things rolling by giving Pittsburgh a huge home town discount. Geno followed suit and, to an extent so did Fluery. Without those guys wanting to play in Pittsburgh, the Pens could easily be in a cap hit situation like New Jersey or Washington for that matter.

But Brodeur did the same thing. He worked a deal with Lou without an agent so he could help the team with their cap at the time. The cap situation the Devils have is because Lou made some moves that I'm sure he wishes he could do over. Add to that, the owners urgency to fill the Pru Center, and whammo - cap problems!!! But through it all, this team still sits atop the league year after year. Hopefully this year is no different.