Kovalchuk staying in KHL...

[ericdaoust]

Word. This whole thing has been a tempest-in-a-teapot if I ever saw one.

I just find it funny that people play up the team aspect so much. I mean, a guy I work with talked to me about potentially wanting to move on to a different job at some point. I didn't immediately pull him aside and chew him out. I don't give him a dirty look every time I see him in the hallway thinking HOW DARE YOU! Kovalchuk will return to New Jersey and life will move on.

[Carcillo]

so how does that work exactly if a player does that and stays in the KHL? lets say a guy has 5 years left at 5mil per year and he stays in the KHL for 4 years and then wants to come back to the NHL to play when he's 40 or something. Is the team on the hook for his salary at that point or can they goto arbitration or something?

I don't think there's any predefined rules for that. Just look at Tim Thomas situation. Bruins can't declare the contract as void. They can suspend the player and not have to pay anything to him. They could also do as Nashville did with Radulov and extend the year the player owes to the team when the player wants to return to NHL. But they can't immediately just get rid of the deal like it's never happened.

In your example, if the team wouldn't want the player back I guess they could take it to arbitration. Or trade the player. But not sure they can just flat out refuse to have anything to do with that final year of the deal. The players have it really good with their guaranteed contracts in NHL.

[ericdaoust]

I don't think there's any predefined rules for that. Just look at Tim Thomas situation. Bruins can't declare the contract as void. They can suspend the player and not have to pay anything to him. They could also do as Nashville did with Radulov and extend the year the player owes to the team when the player wants to return to NHL. But they can't immediately just get rid of the deal like it's never happened.

In your example, if the team wouldn't want the player back I guess they could take it to arbitration. Or trade the player. But not sure they can just flat out refuse to have anything to do with that final year of the deal. The players have it really good with their guaranteed contracts in NHL.

I think it's case-by-case. The Bruins are letting Thomas sit out but on the other hand I remember the Sens getting Alexei Yashin to honor that year he skipped. The Predators also were able to get Radulov to finish the final year of his ELC when he returned.

[mister_mcgoo]

I don't think there's any predefined rules for that. Just look at Tim Thomas situation. Bruins can't declare the contract as void. They can suspend the player and not have to pay anything to him. They could also do as Nashville did with Radulov and extend the year the player owes to the team when the player wants to return to NHL. But they can't immediately just get rid of the deal like it's never happened.

In your example, if the team wouldn't want the player back I guess they could take it to arbitration. Or trade the player. But not sure they can just flat out refuse to have anything to do with that final year of the deal. The players have it really good with their guaranteed contracts in NHL.

that's interesting...and yes it really does benefit the player...because if a team signs you to a multi-year deal in your early 30s they're expecting prime production from you. So if you were to sit out in Europe for several years and then come back at the end of your career, you're not exactly worth what you once were in terms of salary and production

[lucifer316]

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=650160

"I said we would take it day by day and when it did get close, although I could not give him official permission simply because of injury situation if that took place, I did understand that this was something that was important to him. He played 30-plus games and I had no problem with this situation."

of course all bloggers/pundits who made the big to do about nothing will not admit to being wrong in their assessment of the situation

[tequilamonster]

I don't think there's any predefined rules for that. Just look at Tim Thomas situation. Bruins can't declare the contract as void. They can suspend the player and not have to pay anything to him. They could also do as Nashville did with Radulov and extend the year the player owes to the team when the player wants to return to NHL. But they can't immediately just get rid of the deal like it's never happened.

In your example, if the team wouldn't want the player back I guess they could take it to arbitration. Or trade the player. But not sure they can just flat out refuse to have anything to do with that final year of the deal. The players have it really good with their guaranteed contracts in NHL.

GUARANTEED contracts are what kill the NHL. A joke really. Thats why ONLY the NFL can claim to have the best players available at anytime. NHL has alot of 'name' garbage that arent worth half their paycheque.