Friday, January 15, 2010

Should I Stay or Should I Go?



Millions can be made in North America. Millions more can be made in Russia. Hmm, where to make your millions? Such a tough decision. Ilya Kovalchuk is receiving advice on how much he can earn, the amount he should earn and where he should earn it with every passing day.

He told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Wednesday that he was not concerned about the status of his talks with the Thrashers. Today, there is Mike Brophy of Sportsnet talking about the threat the Kontinental Hockey League poses not only on the National Hockey League's ability to retain Kovalchuk, but also it's grip on Alexander Ovechkin.

Poor us if those two stars leave for the tax-free world of the KHL. Well, yes, fans of the NHL would be poorer for not having their talent around. But in terms of hockey, we are at the point where you can see games from around the world on the Internet. It'll cost you some cash, but there are few people left out there who watch a hockey game free of charge.

You pay for cable, a dish or Internet service. So paying to watch the KHL or another European league is not out of the question (unless your computer is old and the games viewed on the older models resemble the cartoon flipbooks you made with your notebook or Big Chief tablet rather than listen to your grade school teacher).

Odds are, you will see Kovalchuk and Ovechkin play anywhere. The bigger issue is the level of talent they will have around them when they sign their next contract. Atlanta, at least on paper, used to be a team of the future. Dany Heatley and Ilya Kovalchuk. Star 1 and 1A.

Heatley's involvment in the death of his teammate Dan Snyder led to a trade with Ottawa: Marian Hossa for Heatley. Hossa eventually wants out. Hossa to Pittsburgh. Prospects to Atlanta. Keith Tkachuk rented from St. Louis. Tkachuk returns to St. Louis. Coaches come and go. Young prospects remain prospects, but the clock is ticking.

So you can see why Kovalchuk is taking his time. Smart man. Why rush after a big pile of cash when you can calmly walk and collect said pile at your convenience.

I'd miss not seeing him in the NHL, but I am closer to paying for an Internet subscription to games overseas than I am to parting with a wad of cash for a newspaper in North America that would limit news of Kovalchuk's exploits to agate type or worse, ignore it all together.

Now as for where he might go should he decide or the Thrashers decide it's time for a split, any number of teams have been mentioned. Today, Larry Brooks of the New York Post offers up the New York Islanders.

Talk about jumping from one shallow yet murky pool to one of similar quality. Atlanta has attendance issues, so does the Island. The Thrashers play in the shadow of the Falcons, Hawks, Braves, Bulldogs, Yellow Jackets and general fan indifference to any team that is not winning.

The Islanders play in the shadow of everyone, winning or not. The main newspaper on the Island owns the Rangers and the main cable television system that serves the Island.

According to Brooks, the Islanders would offer the Thrashers a boat load of prospects, but the Thrashers need players, stars if you will, to entice Georgians to get back in the car and navigate through the snarl that is the Interstate highway system there to reach downtown for a game.

Surrounding Thrashers prospects with more prospects? I don't like the prospects of that situation. And neither will Atlantans. Like most cities that came to obtain their franchises through expansion and or failure in another city, Atlanta has had to endure years of bad Braves, Hawks and Falcons teams all packaged with the IOU of good years down the road. Pay to watch prospects now and we'll show you stars later.

You are not a bad fan if you wish to avoid that kind of shell game; you're a smart one who likes to get value when you spend your money. A glance at some back issues over the years will tell you that all those empty seats photographed at the Omni and Fulton-County Stadium came with a promise from the fans.

I promise to fill this seat when you give me a reason to care, to be optimistic. The same, I imagine, is true for Kovalchuk. He'll make his money, no matter what. He needs a sign that management can do more than make promises before he fills that empty seat at the table and signs on the dotted line.

THE SCOREBOARD
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
At Toronto 4, Philadelphia 0
Ottawa 2, at N.Y. Rangers 0
Buffalo 2, at Atlanta 1 OT
At Montreal 5, Dallas 3
At Detroit 3, Carolina 1
Florida 3, at Tampa Bay 2
At St. Louis 1, Minnesota 0
At Chicago 3, Columbus 0
At Phoenix 4, New Jersey 3
Pittsburgh 3, at Edmonton 2
At Los Angeles 4, Anaheim 0
Boston 2, at San Jose 1 SO
The standings are here.
Recap by Sportsnet.
Three stars by Puck Daddy.

AMEDICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE
Chicago 5,at San Antonio 3
The standings are here.
The roundup is here.

QUEBEC MAJOR JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
Prince Edward Island 3, at Cape Breton 1
At Acadie-Bathurst 6, Baie-Comeau 3
The standings are here.
The roundup is here.

ONTARIO HOCKEY LEAGUE
At Peterborough 5, Belleville 1
Barrie 4, at Windsor 2
Sault Ste. Marie 4, at Saginaw 3 OT
At Niagara 5, Kitchener 4 OT
The standings are here.
The roundup is here.

UNITED STATES HOCKEY LEAGUE
Indiana 6, at Des Moines 3
The standings are here.

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