Tidbits from Russia: Fedorov going, Zherdev staying?

by James Mirtle on May 26, 2009 12:37 AM CDT Comment 20 comments

Sergei Fedorov always looked half frightened, half excited every time Alex Ovechkin put on his post-goal Superman routine.

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I had a chat with a journalist over in Russia about some of the hockey-related happenings in the KHL and elsewhere yesterday, and he mentioned a few interesting bits of news from that side of the world.

Based on reports from the local media and his information:

As has been reported elsewhere tonight, he says that Sergei Fedorov "could" sign a two-year deal for $3.8-million a season with Magnitogorsk in order to play with his brother, Fedor, in the KHL and at the 2010 Olympics (assuming Fedor could make the team, I suppose). Sergei is set to land in Russia on June 5 to enter discussions with the team, but my guess is he'll wait and see what sort of offer he gets from the Capitals.
According to Russian media reports, Alexei Kovalev has been offered a one-year, $6-million by the Canadiens and could be the team's captain next season. Both he and Saku Koivu are unrestricted free agents so this is possible and $6-million would be a raise from the $4.5-million a season deal he was playing on.
Rangers forward Nik Zherdev, a restricted free agent, has turned down an offer from KHL club Salavat Yulayev Ufa and wants to play in New York next season.
And, finally, Slovakian star Zigmund Palffy, now 37, could make the jump to the KHL with SKA St. Petersburg after starring in the Slovak leagues since leaving the NHL. There may or may not soon be headlines stating they're "getting Ziggy with it."

Lots of activity and rumours going on over in Russia right now as it's essentially their free agent season already. I'll keep an eye on any reports coming out going forward.

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According to Russian media reports, Alexei Kovalev has been offered a one-year, $6-million by the Canadiens and could be the team’s captain next season. Both he and Saku Koivu are unrestricted free agents so this is possible and $6-million would be a raise from the $4.5-million a season deal he was playing on.

That would be an atrocious signing if there was ever one. I can only pray to whatever hockey gods are still interested in my team that it’s a false rumor…

by Habs on May 26, 2009 1:40 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Im as big a fan of Kovalev as anyone has ever been, but there’s no way Im signing him to a 1-year deal for MORE money. And why would someone give the captaincy to (1) a guy on a 1-year deal, and (2) a guy who was sent home by the team earlier in the season?

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by poploser on May 26, 2009 9:26 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Because he’s scheduled for a good year next year after having a shit year last year? I am assuming he’s still on his one-on-one-off pattern.

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by Doogie2K on May 26, 2009 11:29 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Apart from Markov, no one can conceivably have a worse year than they just had, Kovalev included. He may be worth 4,5M during a good year, but he’s never worth 6M. And he’s not ‘C’ material.
Get the egotistical coach-killer out of town and let’s move on.

by Habs on May 26, 2009 12:14 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

i didn’t realize Palffy was only 37.

I wonder if Zherdev doesn’t change his mind when he finds out how much money is out there for a RFA player with tons of baggage in a limited market given the cap situation over the next two years.

On the subject of Fedorov:

1179 points in 1248 games, a handful of individual trophies, and being one of the first big stars from Russia means that Fedorov ends up in the HHOF. But the second half of his career in Detroit from the Carolina offer sheet to his angry departure from the team led to his falling out of favor with an awful lot of fans. Does Detroit hang his number from the rafters? Me and my roommate go back and forth on this one occasionally, and I think it’s going up, but only several years after his retirement, kinda similar to Roy in Montreal.

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by IAmJoe on May 26, 2009 2:30 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

kinda similar to Roy in Montreal.

Roy? He went up the rafters incredibly quickly by Montreal standards. He went up a year after Bob Gainey and Larry Robinson, only two years after Serge Savard and Ken Dryden, and just three years after Boom Boom Geoffrion, Yvon Cournyier and Dickie Moore.

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by saskhab on May 26, 2009 9:29 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I really liked Fedorov, and believe a lot of what happened got blown out of proportion. However, I don’t think Fedorov’s number will be retired.

by hallock on May 26, 2009 10:25 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ziggy Palffy’s still alive?

"Hey! Farmboy! Maybe you can't count, but there are four of us and one of you."

"So get some more guys and then it'll be an even fight."

by Afino on May 26, 2009 6:35 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Not to derail this entry, but in my opinion the way Russian Junior Hockey will be managed in the future is significant.

The MHL is set to kick off on Sept. 4, 2009. To my knowlegde this is the first Pan-Russian junior league, and will be closely allied with the KHL .

http://en.khl.ru/news/2009/5/15/13645.html

http://en.khl.ru/news/2009/5/14/13641.html

http://en.khl.ru/news/2009/3/26/13543.html

by cubanpuckstopper on May 26, 2009 8:18 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

KHL draft is on June 1 for what it’s worth. There are 191 North American and European (non-Russian) players on the list, including some players who have already been drafted and signed by NHL teams-Kyle Beach, for example. The lists and rankings are at the KHL web site:the links at the English site don’t work but if you can navigate through the Russian site, the links there do work and the lists are in English and Russian.

by Big Picture Guy on May 26, 2009 8:28 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I’m curious to see how this will actually play out.

Are there going to be any Russian teams ballsy enough to take some of the North Americans? (Probably). Tavares is the No. 1 ranked North American skater…

"Without good hard work, it is impossible to reach the pinnacle of success." - Anatoli Tarasov

by PRC on May 26, 2009 9:56 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Kovalev reports

James, can you post a link to these Kovalev offer reports? I can’t even find anything on any message boards except for links back to this site.

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by saskhab on May 26, 2009 9:43 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

This should be it here.

Blogging on hockey at fromtherink.com

by James Mirtle on May 26, 2009 10:47 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

That just gave me the SovSport main page.

This should link to the Kovalev story specifically. (Delete the above, please; clicked Post instead of Preview and it didn’t work.)

SNN Sports - A theoretical Oilers blog (i.e. theoretically, I write stuff there)

by Doogie2K on May 26, 2009 11:34 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

So I’m supposed to believe that this Russian paper has gotten wind of not only Kovalev’s negotiations with the Habs, but Komisarek’s and Koivu’s as well?

Hockey blogging can't get any flatter.

by saskhab on May 26, 2009 12:20 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Maybe I’ll call this “rumours from Russia.” We’ll see what the batting record is on stuff like this when free agency season comes.

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by James Mirtle on May 26, 2009 12:39 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah… and any country that lacks a free press I’m generally skeptical of the inside scoops from.

Hockey blogging can't get any flatter.

by saskhab on May 26, 2009 2:03 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Another one out of D.C., rds.ca is reporting Viktor Kozlov has signed with Salavat of the KHL.

by cubanpuckstopper on May 26, 2009 11:47 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

The KHL, home to Europeans who are too old for the NHL

The Manic Ranger

by Ryan McFadden on May 26, 2009 1:39 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Man, my hockey pool prowess took a huge hit the day my favourite sleeper pick (Palffy) quit. Was there another player in that era (outside of Demitra) who consistently put up a point per game in such a quiet manner?

by Richard S. Argent on May 26, 2009 9:43 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs