The NHL is waiting until the last possible moment to make a decision on this second Ilya Kovalchuk contract. They have to make a decision by 5 PM Eastern on Wednesday, and if the rest of this crazy, Ilya-filled summer is any indication, they’ll make that decision at 4:59ish.
Kovalchuk Contract Details Leak On Eve Of NHL Decision
But on this night before the decision is made, the details of the contract have leaked, at least according to one reporter.
On Rogers’ Sportsnet in Canada this evening, Nick Kypreos talked about those details. Tom Gulitti of The Bergen Record passed them along via Twitter.
Here’s what the contract looks like, according to Kypreos.
2010-11: 6 million
2011-12: 6 million
2012-13: 11 million
2013-14: 11.3 million
2014-15: 11.3 million
2015-16: 11.6 million
2016-17: 11.8 million
2017-18: 10 million
2018-19: 7 million
2019-20: 4 million
2020-21: 1 million
2021-22: 1 million
2022-23: 1 million
2023-24: 3 million
2024-25: 4 million
15 years, $100 million.
So now, we ask the question: will this deal pass the test? Those three years at $1 million could be an issue, and if the Devils argument for having those “diveback” years at the end of the deal is that they believe Kovalchuk will be worth that little money at the tail end of his career, how can they argue in favor of the increase at the end of the deal?
It’ll be interesting to see what happens tomorrow, and it’ll be interesting to see if we’re going to another arbitration hearing if this thing is rejected.
17 days til camp.
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