Kovalchuk and Volchenkov, 1 and 3 respectively in Yahoo! Sports Top 50 Free agents

The NHL's top 50 unrestricted free agents
Sam McCraig Yahoo! Sports June 16, 2010

NHL free agency begins on July 1, the date when most of the league’s general managers leave sanity behind and spend ownership’s money faster than you can say “salary cap.”

Here’s a look at the top 50 players who are eligible for unrestricted free agency:

1. Ilya Kovalchuk, LW, NJ – Goals, speed and superstar street cred. Kovalchuk is easily the most talented player on the open market...


3. Anton Volchenkov, D, Ott – A shot-blocking, bodychecking, stay-at-home stud...few defensemen are more proficient in their own zone than Volchenkov.

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The Province's UFA of the Day -- Ilya Kovalchuk

Mike Halford The Province June 15, 2010

From now until June 30, we'll be taking a daily look at this year's unrestricted free agency class. Today's UFA of the Day? Ilya Kovalchuk.

Age: 27

NHL seasons: 8

2009-10 team/salary: Atlanta Thrashers/New Jersey Devils, $6.4 million

Why teams might want him: If there's a (goalscoring) problem yo, he'll solve it.

Point blank, Kovalchuk is a consistently elite sniper. He's posted six straight 40-goal seasons (and two 50-plus goal campaigns) which, in terms of goalscoring prowess, puts him in some pretty rarefied air. Since the lockout, only Alexander Ovechkin has scored more goals -- that puts Kovy ahead of snipe shows like Dany Heatley, Sidney Crosby, Marian Gaborik, Jarome Iginla and Marian Hossa, to name a few.

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What Would You Do To Land the Most Prized UFA?

What Would You Do To Land the Most Prized UFA?
Michelle Kenneth, Michelle Kenneth's Hockey and Musings Blog, June 8, 2010


The #1 UFA approaching the market is none other than Ilya Kovalchuk.

While most people think that Kovalchuk will sign in the KHL (because who wouldn’t want to be paid an exorbitant amount of money for a short amount of time), whoever said that Kovalchuk was all about money?

There are elements that people leave out in how Kovalchuk will make his decision. The #1 factor…Kovalchuk is a family man. He wants to go to a FAMILY ORIENTED TEAM.

There are things that Kovalchuk changed about the way he played and the way he was a team member, just to fit into the dynamics of the New Jersey Devils for a few months. What makes you think he wasn’t INTERVIEWING the Devils for the job as his new workplace?

Kovalchuk can go to just about any team in the world right now. But where he ends up going has everything to do with where he wants to relocate his family. Kovalchuk is a family man, so his decisions will be purely based on what team and location will benefit his family the most.


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For Devils, Kovalchuk Means Much More than Goals and Assists

The Devil's Advocate June 4, 2010

On the evening of February 4, GM Lou Lamoriello galvanized the fanbase and his slumping team behind the explosive Russian sniper Ilya Kovalchuk, the league’s most prolific scorer since 2004; and while Kovalchuk did not deliver the astronomical offensive production the Devils hoped for and needed, he did provide flashes of brilliance and a boatload of heart, something his teammates sorely lacked during their swift playoff exit.

Kovalchuk wasn’t flawless by any means, though. He frequently turned over the puck on the powerplay, and his insistence on skating through the entire opposing team was often met by pokechecks and groans from wide-open teammates. Yet his persistence and physicality was admirable, particularly considering the rest of the team looked nauseatingly indifferent. Kovalchuk’s ten goals were not enough to revitalize the Devils’ offense, but he was a point-per-game player in twenty seven regular season games and five playoff contests.

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Kovalchuk and Volchenkov, 1 and 3 respectively in Fanhouse Top 50 Free agents

NHL free agency begins July 1, as teams begin to wine and dine players hitting the market in hopes of filling holes and landing the guy they think can get them closer to the Stanley Cup.

Below, we rank the Top 50 unrestricted free agents available. Restricted free agents weren't included because their movement is rare. After the first five or six players there's a pretty significant drop in terms of impact players. It's a shallow pool for forwards, and a bit deeper for defensemen. Shot-blocking, stay-at-home defensemen appear to be the strength.

Also note that this list would have included Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne, two unrestricted free agents, but both players are expected to either re-sign with their current team, the Ducks, or retire. Another team seems very unlikely for both

1. ILYA KOVALCHUK, F

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Age: 26 | Experience: 8 years | '09-10 Team: Thrashers/Devils

2009-10 Stats: 41 g | 44 a | 85 pt

The Skinny: There's only a small handful of quality wingers available in this year's free agent market, and Kovalchuk is the easily the best of the bunch. One of the most explosive goal-scorers in the NHL, Kovalchuk is coming off his sixth-straight 40-goal season and is going to command top dollar on the open market. It's not often that a player this talented, this young, becomes available on the open market to the highest bidder.


3. ANTON VOLCHENKOV, D

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Age: 28 | Experience: 7 years | '09-10 Team: Senators

2009-10 Stats: 4 g | 10 a | 14 pt

The Skinny: One of the best shutdown defensemen in the NHL and still on the right side of 30, Volchenkov is set to strike it rich on the free agent market, perhaps commanding a deal north of $5 million per season. After seeing the success of players like Hal Gill and Josh Gorges in the postseason, why wouldn't a team want to invest in one of the best defensive-defenseman in the NHL?



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Volchenkov Key to Senators Free Agent Puzzle

Andrew Rodger The Hockey Writers May 6, 2010

Vochenkov is the most important piece to the Senators’ free agent puzzle this summer. A key element in shutting down the opposition’s top forwards, he will be difficult to replace should he leave. With a salary in the $2 to $3 million dollar range the past few seasons, he is certainly entitled to a raise. However, the Senators have always operated with their own value system under Murray’s leadership. If Volchenkov asks for more then they think he is worth; he could be on the move for next season. In 428 NHL games, all with Ottawa, the native of Moscow has accumulated 16 goals and 94 points during his career and he is a +61. Last season, injuries limited him to 14 points in 64 games but he is not an offensive defenceman; Ottawa needs him for his hits and shot blocking abilities. In 352 games played since the lockout, Volchenkov has delivered 832 hits on his opponents and blocked an astounding 1,023 shots.

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Senators must keep Anton Volchenkov

THN.com Blog: Senators must keep Anton Volchenkov
Ken Campbell The Hockey News Blog April 21, 2010

Regardless of how the Ottawa Senators’ first round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins ultimately turns out, the team has some pressing concerns that need to be addressed, all of which relate to payroll.

It’s no surprise the Senators are in a salary cap crunch, given the fact they have 10 NHL-caliber forwards, five defensemen and two goaltenders under contract for next season. There are a lot of teams in the NHL that would kill to have the Senators’ cap woes.

Assuming the cap stays about the same – initial reports are that it should go up by about $800,000 to $57.6 million next season – the Senators will have a cushion somewhere in the neighborhood of $7.5 million going into the summer.

All of which looks great, but you have to remember that’s predicated on the assumption ownership will be willing to continue to eat Jonathan Cheechoo’s $3 million salary by keeping him in the minors next season. And when you consider they have to sign or replace restricted free agents Nick Foligno, Peter Regin, Jesse Winchester and Chris Campoli – and a huge unrestricted free agent in Anton Volchenkov – that cap space will evaporate in a hurry.

The most important of the signings is Volchenkov, given that the others are restricted and have far fewer options than the Senators’ best defensive and shot-blocking defenseman. There is little doubt Volchenkov will be looking for a substantial raise on his $2.5 million cap hit (he actually made $3.2 million in real money this past season) and a long-term deal that will include a no-movement clause and make him the Senators’ top-paid defenseman.

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