Kukla's Korner Hockey
Kovalev Not Happy with His Role
by Paul on 12/10/10 at 12:59 AM ET
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from Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun,
Senators GM Bryan Murray confirmed to the Ottawa Sun before Thursday’s visit by the Rangers to Scotiabank Place that he met with Kovalev after Wednesday’s practice to discuss the winger’s diminishing role.
Unable to generate any offence on a line with Mike Fisher and Milan Michalek, Kovalev started vs. the Rangers playing with Jesse Winchester and Peter Regin, who returned to the lineup after being a healthy scratch for two games.
“There’s no question he’s unhappy, but that’s as far as it goes,” Murray told the Sun after the morning skate. “He wants to help. He’s a good guy. Despite (what the media say), he’s a character guy and a good veteran.”
Even though trouble appears to be brewing, Murray and Kovalev’s agent, Scott Greenspun, both insisted the 37-year-old — who is in the second of a two-year, $10- million US contract — hasn’t requested a trade.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Ottawa Senators, | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: alexei+kovalev
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Trading Kovalev would be one means of bringing in another one of the guys recently mentioned by Garrioch, but I think any such move would be lateral at best.
I think there’s a certain consensus in Ottawa that spending at least one season as a seller at the trade deadline isn’t the worst thing that could happen. There are a few expiring contracts on the team that could be used to bring in newer, younger, cheaper talent and picks while leaving some cap space to be a player in the off season.
I think any move that attempted to salvage this season that results in less room to manouvre in the next would be heavily criticized - even if it ended up being the difference between a short playoff run and missing the playoffs entirely. Ottawa fans are no longer content with making the playoffs - they want to see this team built back into a real contender again.
Posted by Da lil Guy from Guelph, Ontario on 12/10/10 at 03:37 PM ET