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Report: Kovalchuk sets deadline to be signed or else KHL option becomes real

Ilya Kovalchuk

New Jersey Devils star forward Ilya Kovalchuk, of Russia, listens to a reporters question during a news conference in Newark, N.J., Tuesday, July 20, 2010. Kovalchuk is staying with the Devils after agreeing to a staggering 17-year, $102 million deal with the team. (AP Photo/ Mel Evans)

AP

If you’ve been wondering what the deal is with Ilya Kovalchuk and the New Jersey Devils is The Ilya Kovalchuk soap opera has taken a stunning turn of events today. Yahoo’s Dmitry Chesnokov has the details.

For Ilya Kovalchuk(notes), his representatives, the New Jersey Devils and the NHL, time is running out. Weeks after Kovalchuk’s 17-year, $102 million contract was rejected by the NHL, a difficult decision for the free-agent winger could come in the next 24-48 hours.

Sources close to Kovalchuk have told us that if the NHL does not approve any of the proposals submitted informally by the Devils, Kovalchuk may decide to play in the KHL next season.

This just about fries it for me as far as how things go for the NHL on this matter. We outlined what was going on with this nonsense the last two days when word came out both about the NHL pooh-poohing more contract framework and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman tap-dancing around questions about that happening. The point now is that the league has left Lou Lamoriello, Jay Grossman and Ilya Kovalchuk wandering around aimlessly trying to lock down a deal that works for everyone without having a blueprint to follow. Sure they could try to model things after Vincent Lecavalier’s 11-year contract, but who’s to say that 11 years is going to be too long to appease Commissioner Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly?

The NHL prides itself on being the home to the greatest hockey talent in the world and while the KHL pales in comparison both in talent level and in league stability, it remains the main option for anyone looking to continue playing professionally that can’t get a job in the NHL. Losing a star like Kovalchuk to the KHL over a squabble like this one, seemingly made to prove a point to other teams as well as agents and the NHLPA is insanity at its highest. With Kovalchuk setting this deadline to get a deal done, he’s making sure he at least has somewhere to play. The KHL season begins on September 8th.