RLD Hockey Talk - Episode 20 - 6/8/10

We will have Anthony Curatolo and Buddy Oakes as our co-hosts. Two great guests will join us! Draft prospect Nick Bjugstad and agent Jay Grossman are scheduled to be our guests. We'll also touch on the ongoing Stanley Cup Final, and whether will skate the Cup tomorrow... or if a Game 7 will be necessary. You don't want to miss this one!



Click Here to Listen to Jay Grossman on RLD Hockey Talk

Ilya Kovalchuk's 2009-2010 GVT Suggests His Defense Is Better Than Evengi Malkin

Ilya Kovalchuk Contributed More on Defense than Evgeni Malkin - A Look at Kovalchuk's 2009-10 GVT
John Fischer In Lou We Trust May 19, 2010

Ilya Kovalchuk is a fantastic sniper, a player who has put up 338 goals and 304 assists in 621 games. Standing officially at 6'2" and 230 pounds, Kovalchuk will be one of the hottest names on the free agency market this summer. The New Jersey Devils swung a deal in early February to pick up the erstwhile face of the Atlanta Thrasher franchise and ended up having a good, but not special time in New Jersey. He led the Devils in playoff scoring, but given how the Devils got eliminated, not many are likely going to use his playoff performance as reason why he'll command big dollars this summer.

Shortly after the playoffs, I defended the deal. It was a deal that had to be made. Now Kovalchuk has the option to test the waters for himself. He's in the prime of his career and he's really a special player even beyond the fact that he leads all active NHL players under 30 in goals. Based on observation, it's noticeable that Kovalchuk's puck handling is amazing; he's probably the only Devil who can take on a defenseman and win a one-on-one more than just occasionally; and he can get a shot off from anywhere on the ice.

The advanced statistics interest me more, and not just because they remove confirmation and observation bias. They can go into depth into how well Kovalchuk performed. Maybe we'll learn something beyond the narrative around Kovalchuk. Maybe it can provide a little suggestion into why Lou has begun talks with Kovalchuk's agent, Jay Grossman, about a contract before Paul Martin and his people were contacted, as per Tom Gulitti's article at NorthJersey.com. (Thanks to ILWT reader Bill for the heads-up via e-mail.) Maybe we'll find something about him that we won't particularly miss should he go elsewhere.

Click Here to Read Full Article

KuklasKorner: An e-mail Interview with Jay Grossman

I was lucky enough this weekend to do an e-mail interview with a hockey agent that is very much in the know when it comes to our sport - Jay Grossman.

Jay was kind enough to take time out of his extremely busy schedule and tell us about how he got into the game, what players he has represented, a little bit about his company as welel as some thoughts on how teams can succeed in this salary cap world.

PH: How did you get into hockey?
JG: I started representing NHL players when I joined Art Kaminsky’s firm, Athletes and Artists in 1985. I was referred to the firm by A and A clients Herb Brooks and 1984 US Olympic Coach Lou Vairo. I had worked for Herb for 2 years with the NY Rangers from 1983-85 while I was still an undergraduate at Union College. MSG President Sonny Werblin (a family friend, as my sister Leah was born at a Rangers’ playoff game in 1978) and GM Craig Patrick hired me and I developed the Rangers first video analysis program, which was in its infancy and something I had picked up from another great mentor in Roger Neilson, Captain Video. I worked for Roger when he coached the Canucks to the NHL finals against the NY Islanders and worked at his hockey schools for seven summers as well.

Continue Reading: http://www.kuklaskorner.com/index.php/glr/comments/an_e_mail_interview_with_jay_grossman/

President Jay Grossman Chats with The 6th Sens

We Are All Professionals: Ilya Kovalchuk Speaks About Status With Thrashers

To listen to Ilya Kovalchuk's entire media interview, please visit this link.

Kovalchuk Obstacles (Larry Brooks New York Post)

Larry Brooks of the New York Posts write in his Sunday column that Atlanta Thrashers GM Don Waddell will not allow teams interested in trading for prized winger Ilya Kovalchuk to negotiate a contract extension before a trade is complete. Brooks goes onto write that Don Waddell does not want Ilya Kovalchuk's agent Jay Grossman to control the process, but such thinking may not be wise considering Atlanta's track record in similar situations. To read Larry Brook's column in full, please visit this link.