Kovalchucked

The NBA made a huge issue of LeBron courting suitors for his services, going so far as to make a giant televised F-U Cleveland by airing his decision as a one hour special. But there was a bigger free agent story that didn't get the coverage...because it's hockey.

Since free agency began July 1st, the headline was based on where Russian sniper Ilya Kovalchuk would end up...and how much it would take to get him there. For those not aware of the particulars, Kovalchuk was basically the lone bright spot in an otherwise forgettable Atlanta teams. Drafted number one in 2001, he's averaged more than 40 goals a season, and at 27, has 642 career points in 621 career games. Looking for the longevity (and dollars) that fellow countryman Alexander Ovechkin (aka Sidney Crosby's nemesis) has carved out for himself, the word was Kovy wanted to hit the $100 million mark when he became an unrestricted free agent. When Atlanta gave him up to New Jersey before the trade deadline this year, the situation became more combustible.

Kovalchuk rejected Atlanta's bid to get him back at $101 million over 12 years, leaving two suitors in true contention - the New Jersey Devils and, yep, the Los Angeles Kings. What followed for more than two weeks was worse than a hostage crisis negotiation. There were rumors on both coasts about possible offers and rejections, and more back and forth than the saws at a tree mill. LA Kings Insider kept tabs and Yahoo! Sports NHL / Puck Daddy pulled together the various speculation (just look at the glut of posts tied into Kovalchuk alone). Things looked promising when Kovy made a visit to LA over the weekend, but no announcement was made...until late last night.

Kovalchuk agreed to a staggering 17-year, $102 million deal with New Jersey.

There was the obligatory press conference, and huge reaction to the deal around the interweb. The best out of the west was 15 years at $80 million, but not the zinger that Kovy was looking for. My beloved Kings, who have still not resigned (coming off a $4 million salary) the sometimes M.I.A.-during-games LW Alexander Frolov - and were obviously hoping to win the Kovy derby, lost out on Simon Gagne as an option later in the day. With two capable players for that spot and a thinning supply of free agent wings, will Frolov still have a place? Are there trades to be had later in the off-season?

Kovalchuk would have been one of those final pieces to make LA a serious playoff threat, like Pittsburgh and Chicago's prior team building moves that gelled for both and earned them Stanley Cups. But I credit Dean Lombardi for not giving away the farm to get Kovy, especially with the awesome Drew Doughty, Jack MF Johnson, Wayne Simmonds, and other youngsters about to enter contract year negotiations. It's far better to keep the talented core together then gamble on one player...even if that player would have made us that much better.