ESPN

The New York Islanders continued their strategy of locking up affordable veterans who have performed well when the club announced a one-year extension for goalie Al Montoya Tuesday.

Brought in late in the season to help alleviate problems caused by a never-ending string of netminder injuries, Montoya has posted a record of 8-4-4 with a 2.35 goals against average and a .923 save percentage.

I have yet to see the dollars of the deal reported anywhere, but whatever the price you have to figure this is a smart move for Montoya to re-up now. The Islanders have been pleased with his play since he came from Phoenix and the market for goaltenders this offseason figures to be brutal, as it was last season when Jose Theodore barely signed a deal before the start of the season and a Stanley Cup winner was cut after earning a $2.75 million salary through arbitration.

For the Islanders, the motivation is a little more complex. With Rick DiPietro pretty much under contract in perpetuity and a number of young goalies in the system, including Kevin Poulin and Mikko Koskinen, the crease might be a little crowded with Montoya in the mix. But with Montoya performing better than just about any goalie the Islanders have played the past three seasons, albeit just for 17 games, could the Isles really let a (partially) proven commodity slip away?

Assuming that the money is reasonable -- and let's be honest, that's not exactly a stretch -- it seems like a no-lose situation. At best, they've found a Tim Thomas-type who's finally harnessing his full talent. At worst, the goalies will have a little more competition when training camp starts.

We wondered yesterday exactly what kind of raise P.A. Parenteau would earn following his 35-point (and counting) campaign on Long Island. Now we know.

After previously locking up Matt Moulson, the Islanders took another step in shoring up next season’s roster by inking P.A. Parenteau to a one-year, $1.25 million extension. (The money was reported via TSN’s Bob McKenzie.) That’s a nice little raise from the $600K he earned this season.

The signing doesn’t necessarily preclude Parenteau from getting dealt before the Feb. 28 trade deadline, but it certainly removes him from the rent-a-player pile being mulled over by teams tight on cap space.

Parenteau becomes the just the sixth Islander forward under contract next season, joining Moulson, John Tavares, Frans Nielsen, Trent Hunter and Matt Martin. The biggest forwards still requiring extensions for next season are Josh Bailey, Kyle Okposo and Michael Grabner, all of whom are restricted free agents.

Doug Weight also remains unsigned, but that is unlikely to change between now and the start of the offseason I’d imagine.

Following the fallout from the Ilya Kovalchuk signing, long-term contracts have become a hot topic heading into the 2010-11 season. That's particularly true concerning players like Islanders C John Tavares, who will hit his first year of restricted free agency following the 2011-12 campaign -- the same time the league's collective bargaining agreement is set to expire.

With the NHL and NHLPA having already altered the current CBA, the Isles may want to lock up the former No. 1 pick and future franchise center with a career-length contract before any more restrictions are added. But if they did, would Tavares even be open to accepting one?

In a one-on-one interview this morning, Tavares supplied his view on that matter.

"There’s always pros and cons to it. You’d love to be in one place your whole career and you’d love to not have to worry about your contract coming to an end or talking to the media about it," Tavares said when asked if he could see himself signing a 15-year-plus deal with the Islanders. "But as we’ve seen with Kovalchuk’s contract, sometimes with these long-term deals there can be issues. Still, I think when you have that security and can be in one place for your whole career and not have to worry and just focus on playing, I think that can be beneficial for some guys."

Take it as you will, I'm sure we'll hear plenty on the subject over the next two seasons.

In the meantime, here's what Tavares had to say about Kovalchuk's courtship by the Islanders and ensuing deal with the Devils, as well as a few notes on the past and coming season:

Did you follow the summer drama with Kovalchuk’s contract?

"Yeah, everyone was wondering what was going to happen. I was hearing what was going on with us and thinking he could come here for a bit, but now he’s going to be in our division and be a weapon for the Devils. As for that contract itself, obviously it was sorted out and it’s probably something that will be sorted out more in the next labor talks."

Given what the Devils had to go through to get him, would you have liked to have him on the Islanders?

"[GM] Garth [Snow] said he was always inquiring and I think he thought we would improve with the team we’ve got going. So, he felt it was best to stay away and I think that’s going to allow a lot of our young guys to grow. You know, [Kovalchuk] is kind of at that point where he’s in his prime and we’re still a little young. Obviously he would be a good addition, but at the same time, you don’t want to mess up the chemistry we already have."

What was the hardest thing about last season for you?

"Just getting acclimated to everything on and off the ice. It’s a lot at first. I was lucky that Doug Weight was able to help me quite a bit. That took a load off so I could just focus on playing. That helped me to some early success."

How happy are you that the Islanders re-signed him?

"I was pumped. He’s been huge for me, a big mentor, also a great friend. I’m pretty close with him and his family, who have welcomed me with open arms. I think everyone likes him, our core guys benefit from his experiences and he’s still a great hockey player."

Around the middle of last season you had a bit of a scoring slide. Were you getting tired or how do you look back on that stretch?

"I think it was a combination of things. For a week or two I was trying to just get over the hump mentally, but after I thought I was playing some really good hockey. Some of those weeks when pucks weren’t going in I thought I was playing well and making things happen. It’s one of those things; you just have to tough it out. I really learned a lot about myself and how I could contribute in other ways. It was a good test for me and I think it will benefit me in the future."

What do the Islanders need to do this season to take that next step?

"In our division, we haven’t done so well the last couple of years. Last year, we were in the playoff race pretty late, which shows we were a competitive team. We were really close, but I know we didn’t have enough success in our division [Ed. note: 7-15-2 against the Atlantic in 2009-10], especially on the road with some teams [Ed. note: combined 0-9 against the Devils, Flyers and Penguins], and that’s tough when everyone in your division is trying to get in [the playoffs]. I think if we can finish .500 or better that will give us a great shot at the playoffs."

Defenseman Marc Staal and the Rangers may have closed the gap on a potential contract and could soon have a deal. Though GM Glen Sather earlier labeled the distance between the two sides a “chasm,” the Bergen Record’s Andrew Gross writes that two NHL sources now say progress has been made in contract talks with the restricted free agent and a deal could come as early as Thursday.

According to the report, money is the biggest sticking point. Gross says the Staal camp is seeking about $4.5 million per season. That would put him just outside the top 20 highest-paid defensemen in the league this season.

Term could also be an issue as Staal is seeking a shorter-term deal to get him to unrestricted free agency while the Rangers want to lock him up for as long as they can. Seems like a middle ground could be a deal that covers the first year or two Staal is eligible for unrestricted free agency.

Morning Links

• Blueshirt Banter takes a look at some of Sather’s most memorable quotes.
• Marian Gaborik joined his teammates at the MSG Training Center yesterday.
• The team’s site also offers some highlights of Wednesday’s scrimmage.
• Blueshirt Banter takes a look at former Ranger Jan Erixon. No. 20 in their Blueshirts by the Numbers series.
• The Prospect Park introduces some of the defensive prospects on the Rangers’ Traverse City roster.

With fewer than 10 days remaining before Rangers training camp, Marc Staal still doesn’t have a contract. The Blueshirts’ top defenseman is hoping for a big raise off the $765,000 he made in the final year of his entry-level deal, but the Rangers have been hesitant to meet his demands. With both sides at a stalemate, what's next?

Most believe Staal will still suit up for the first game this season since neither side has anything to gain by Staal missing game time. But between now and then, they still have to hammer out a contract.

As a restricted free agent, another team could ink Staal to an offer sheet and either force the Rangers’ hand or steal him away. That's unlikely though, since an offer hasn't come yet and most teams begin training camp in just a few days. The compensation for inking a restricted free agent makes it even more unlikely.

If teams decline to match an offer sheet signed by one of their restricted free agents, they'll receive steep compensation in the form of draft picks from the team that issued the offer. Here’s how the RFA compensation broke down for the 2009-10 season (I couldn’t find 2011, if anyone has it, I would love to know):

$994,433 or below - No Compensation
$994,434 - $1,506,717 - 2010 3rd round pick
$1506,718 - $3,013,433 - 2010 2nd round pick
$3,013,433 - $4,520,150 - 2010 1st and 3rd round pick
$4,520,151 - $6,026,867 - 2010 1st, 2nd and 3rd round pick
$6,026,868 - $7,533,584 - 2010 1st, 2nd, 3rd round picks and 2011 1st round pick
Over $7,533,584 - 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 1st round picks.

GM Glen Sather has made it clear that the Rangers will match any offer sheet, but in Staal’s case, assuming he’s even interested in leaving the Rangers, he’s unlikely to top that third tier. Why? Because first round picks are extremely valuable in today’s NHL and no one wants to be the next Toronto Maple Leafs and give up their chance at a future star like Tyler Seguin and shell out a contract that’s going to be over market value. And this is particularly true because most of the teams with the cap space to make Staal a solid offer have a great chance of finishing the season with a top-five pick.

The Rangers currently sit about $84K over the cap heading into training camp, but after a few cuts – and Wade Redden’s $6.5M albatross is the most likely candidate to leave the team one way or another – they’ll have the cash to afford Staal.

In terms of the new CBA rules we saw hammered out during the Kovalchuk contract drama, they don’t seem likely to apply. While Staal could command a deal over five years, without any significant leverage besides the threat of a hold out, it’s very doubtful the average salary for his three highest-paid years would top the $5.75M figure named in the amendment.

One last piece of food for thought: Staal may be worth a huge long-term deal, and while it may not come this season, the D-man could get rich very soon. Among players that logged at least 60 games last season, Staal ranked fourth in the NHL in Corsi Relative to Quality of Competition, ahead of Norris Trophy winner Duncan Keith.

Before you get turned off by a new stat, it’s pretty simple to understand. Corsi measures the difference in shots generated for and against a player’s team while he’s on the ice. And Quality of Competition simply rates the quality of opponent he faces on his shifts. Add the two together and you can see that Staal is an elite weapon in today’s NHL. Now will he command elite cash?

Morning Links

• The Daily News chatted with Brandon Dubinsky, a veteran of drawn-out contract talks. Dubinsky thinks “time just needs to play its course.” But is that course a par-3 chip-and-putt or Bethpage Black?
• Speaking of big bucks, well-compensated enforcer Derek Boogaard arrived at MSG Training Center yesterday.
• The Rangers have invited Ruslan Fedotenko to training camp, according to the Post’s Larry Brooks.
• The Daily News’s Jesse Spector tweets that the team has indeed talked to Fedotenko.
• Chris Drury cracks a list of the Top 10 Penalty-Killing Forwards.

The NHL and its players association reached an agreement regarding the future treatment of long-term contracts today, allowing the Devils' contract with Ilya Kovalchuk to finally gain the league's validation.

The approval of the $100 million, 15-year pact ends a long, tumultuous free agency for the all-star winger, in which his first deal with the Devils was nixed by the NHL. But while this stage of the seemingly endless saga is over, related storylines are already picking up speed.

Kovy Cap Casualties

With Kovalchuk on board, New Jersey must now maneuver to get back under the $59.4 million salary cap before the end of training camp. To do so, the Devils will have to dump a little more than $3M from their current roster. In order to fill out the 23-man roster, they'll need to clear out even more. We discussed the most likely candidates earlier, but the list is headlined by Dainius Zubrus and Bryce Salvador. Given the length of time it's taken to get Kovalchuk's contract approved by the league, it is thought that Devils GM Lou Lamoriello may already have some trades lined up, but there have been no solid rumors to date.

The CBA

As was reported earlier in the New York Post, in exchange for the approval of the Kovalchuk contract -- and the allowance of earlier pacts signed by the likes of Marian Hossa and Roberto Luongo -- the NHL required the NHLPA to adjust the current collective bargaining agreement to close a loophole exploited by excessive long-term contracts. Reports Friday afternoon signaled that the sides did agree on an amendment, but details are still emerging as to the exact changes to the CBA. Early reports via Twitter suggest the changes will impact contracts that extend players past the ages of 35 and 40.

More to come this weekend as the dust settles.

No, you’re not experiencing déjà vu. It’s Decision Day Deadline Day for Ilya Kovalchuk and the Devils, when the league and the NHL Players Association will might announce a verdict on the Kovy contract and other long-term deals under scrutiny by the NHL. Or they could delay the decision. Again.

The only certainty is that, by 5 p.m. Friday, the league will announce something about the status of its negotiations with the NHLPA concerning the future treatment of long-term contracts. As reported Wednesday night by the Post, Kovalchuk’s 15-year, $100 million pact with the Devils hangs in the balance.

Tom Gulitti sets the stage over at Fire and Ice, quoting a source last night as saying it’s too early to tell if the sides will reach an agreement by the 5 p.m. deadline. Another deadline extension would almost certainly push the decision beyond the holiday weekend. That could be problematic if previous reports are accurate that Kovalchuk's camp has the Devils on a deadline of their own and that he may play the season in Russia if it is not met. The Kontinental Hockey League begins its season Sept. 8. (A little more on that in the Morning Links below.)

ESPN’s Scott Burnside had heard from another source Thursday night that the NHL and NHLPA were close to an accord that would make both sides look good.

Gulitti also notes that the NHLPA has begun preparing a grievance to be filed on behalf of Kovalchuk should the deal again be disallowed. That would send the contract back to arbitration.

Morning Links

• SI’s Jim Kelley says that while it seems the league is muscling around the NHLPA, Commissioner Gary Bettman has a lot to lose if the Kovalchuk contract goes back to an arbitrator.
• In Lou We Trust assigns some blame to the parties involved in the Kovy contract fiasco, and finds that the majority lies with the NHL.
• A KHL vice president says the offer to Kovalchuk still stands, but that he expects him to remain in the NHL.

By 5 p.m. ET today we’ll finally have a verdict from the NHL regarding Ilya Kovalchuk’s latest contract. While the ruling will bring closure to this chapter of the seemingly endless saga of Kovalchuk’s free agency, the fallout will just be beginning.

If the contract is approved, it will start a chain reaction of roster moves so the Devils can shed approximately $3 million in salary cap space to get under the NHL’s $59.4M ceiling.

If the contract is denied, the NHL Players Association will have five days to -- again -- file for arbitration on behalf of Kovalchuk.

Should the deal be struck down a second time, Kovalchuk could also elect to play in his native Russia in the Kontinental Hockey League. That season starts Sept. 8 and he would not have to worry about contract disputes there. After all, the president of the team most likely to sign him (SKA St. Petersburg) is also the president of the league.

If Kovalchuk does go to the KHL, it’s been previously reported that he’d stay there for at least one season.

One other possibility today: The NHL could also choose not to observe the 5 p.m. deadline and let it pass without a decision, which would automatically register the contract under the CBA. Tom Gulitti of the Bergen Record has reported the league will render a verdict, however.

Though the Devils have previously stated their confidence this contract will meet the league’s approval, Gulitti points out two potential sticking points:

“... the contract expires when Kovalchuk would be 42. The NHL pointed out in the grievance hearing on Kovalchuk’s first contract that only six players in the last 20 years played to the age of 42.

The other potential sticking point is the three consecutive seasons at $1 million in Years 11, 12 and 13. After that, Kovalchuk would make $7 million in the final two years of the contract—if he played it out until its end. But, those three consecutive seasons at $1 million create a clear transition point in the deal from the first 10 years to the last five.”

The average of those final years is still higher than other long-term contracts previously accepted by the NHL. Should the league void this contract offer, it may signal future problems for other teams with lengthy, low-cap-hit deals on the books, such as the Chicago Blackhawks and their pact with Marian Hossa.

Morning Links

• Sportsnet.ca’s Nick Kypreos breaks down the financial details of the entire second Kovalchuk contract.
• In Lou We Trust wonders why this hasn’t already been approved by the NHL, comparing it to Vincent Lecavalier’s deal in Tampa Bay. The league is on the record as having “no issue” with that 11-year extension.
• Should Kovalchuk’s contract be approved, SI’s Allan Muir doesn’t think Travis Zajac will be moved, and an NHL executive agrees with him. Muir suggests that Brian Rolston and his $5 million cap hit could be offloaded (despite Rolston's no-trade clause) if he’s paired with a top prospect like Mattias Tedenby to sweeten Rolston’s sour deal.
• Damien Cox of the Toronto Star notes that every team will be listening with great interest to today's decision. There are also some interesting notes on potential fallout for the Devils.
• Steve Politi of the Star-Ledger writes that the NHL is showing it cares more about contract structure than star power … okay so the headline sort of says it all.

Doug Weight (finally) finalized his one-year contract extension today, signing on for another go with the Isles after an injury-plagued 2009-10 campaign.

Staring down his 40th birthday this coming January, Weight’s production has declined since his all-star days, but the vet’s value will likely be derived from his leadership and ability to share his experience with the Isles’ young roster.

Don't expect Weight to be content merely riding herd on the team’s young players, however.

“I’m not a teacher,” Weight told NHL.com in a February article. “I think it’s all about being who you are. Sure, I’m going to take more time with the young guys since that’s part of my job, but I’m here to play. When I get off the ice, I want to make sure the coach is looking at my number and wants me right back out there.”

Shoulder problems shortened Weight’s season to just 36 games last year, in which he posted a goal and 16 assists. A year earlier he played 53 games for the Islanders, but produced at a .7 ppg clip. Safe bet the Islanders would take that figure again, but doubtful they're expecting it.

The NHL remained silent yesterday in regard to the latest contract for LW Ilya Kovalchuk submited by the Devils, but details of the new agreement have begun to trickle out.

Arbitrator Richard Bloch ruled that the first pact between Kovy and the Devils was a form of salary cap circumvention due to a precipitous drop in salary over the deal's final years. This latest version of the contract appears to address that issue. Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos (yes, that Nick Kypreos) reported that the final three years of the newly-submitted contract will average $2.6 million, including $4M in the final 2024-25 season. That change should alleviate league concerns and possibly cover the cost of Kovalchuk's new recreational spacecraft and a downpayment on his floating apartment on Mars.

As noted in Kypreos's tweet, the NHL would be opening a big can of worms if it voided this deal, since two other long-term contracts promise Roberto Luongo and Marian Hossa far less money over their final three years. Luongo's deal averages just $1.2M over the final three years, while Hossa's averages $833,000.

While the hockey world waits for the NHL’s verdict on the re-submitted contract for LW Ilya Kovalchuk, the New York Post wonders who goes if Kovalchuk stays. The Dallas Stars are thought to be a possible destination for D Bryce Salvador, with Dainius Zubrus – a target we looked at a little Friday – also mentioned. Other possibilities are far more complicated given no-trade-clauses in their contracts, but one name may cause the faithful to groan at the continually rising cost to keep the Russian sniper.

According to a new blog post from the Post early this morning, C Travis Zajac is rumored to be on the trading block should Kovalchulk’s deal be approved. The center makes $3.89 million per season, which would help solve the Devils’ salary cap concerns, but he also put up 67 points last year as the team’s top pivot.

On one hand, trading Zajac would be a serious hit to this team, as newly acquired C Jason Arnottwould inherit top-line duties and the Devils would likely have to promote their second-line center from within the organization. On the other, the trade market for Zajac would be far more lucrative than for either Salvador or Zubrus, meaning GM Lou Lamoriello could earn some decent low-salary pieces for the future (prospects, draft picks) in return. The Washington Capitals have been searching for a second-line center all summer and would almost certainly be interested in Zajac. The Caps also have one of the deepest farm systems in hockey and could send the Devs some solid value.

But even then it's far from an ideal solution. There is a thought that centers and defensemen are the building blocks of Stanley Cup champions in today’s NHL, with the elite blue line of the Detroit Red Wings (2008 champions) and Chicago Blackhawks (’10), and the three-deep center corps of the Pittsburgh Penguins (’09) often used as examples.

Should the Devils move Zajac, his most likely replacement is Swedish C Jacob Josefson (drafted 20th overall in 2009), ranked as the second-best prospect in New Jersey’s system (behind Mattias Tedenby).

Josefson spent last season playing in his native country (20 points in 43 regular-season games for Djurgardens), but inked an entry-level deal with the Devils in May. Thought to be a heady, two-way player capable of reaching the NHL this season, he may now play a far more pivotal role than expected.

Trading the 25-year-old Zajac just as he enters his prime is certainly not an appealing avenue for the Devils to pursue, but the team will have to do something to clear the necessary space, thought to be at least $3.07M.

The Post's speculation on Zajac is only attributed to rumors, and it's doubtful he's the team's top trade option. But with so many players enjoying no-trade clauses in their contracts (Patrik Elias, Colin White, Brian Rolston, Jamie Langenbrunner and Johan Hedbergamong them), Zajac may not be as far from the top of the list as you might think.

Morning Links

• Lamoriello told Fire and Ice he feels confident about the contract and that it will be approved by the NHL. We could hear as early as today. Wednesday is deadline day. Also, one small detail has emerged: The first year of Kovalchuk’s contract pays $6M.
• In Lou We Trust wonders when Mike Mottau will be signed.

After Ilya Kovalchuk’s Russia-based agent hinted that a deadline was looming and his client might take his talents to the Kontinental Hockey League, the Devils have submitted a new contract to the NHL. The league now has five days to review the pact and issue a ruling on whether or not they will accept it, which means a verdict will be issued before the end of Sept. 1.

If the league rejects the contract -- and if Kovalchuk is serious about spending the season in Mother Russia -- the window for further negotiations with the Devils will be small. The KHL season begins Sept. 8.

However, the Devils and the league have been in contact throughout the week regarding an acceptable contract structure. Presumably both the Devils and Kovalchuk’s representation would have had a pretty good idea how the NHL would react before the latest contract was submitted Friday. The Bergen Record’s Tom Gulitti is reporting the proposal was not pre-approved by the league, however.

TSN’s Darren Dreger tweeted that the contract is believed to endure for fewer years and have a more balanced distribution of salary. He also noted that the deal is rumored to be for 15 years and $100 million, placing the cap hit at an oh-so-apt $6.66 million for the Devils.

If those terms are correct -- and the NHL approves -- that places the Devils about $3.07M over the cap for next season, according to CapGeek.com. If so, then New Jersey will have to do a bit of juggling to free up enough space, and may have to dump multiple players to accommodate Kovalchuk’s cap hit.

Previous speculation placed Bryce Salvador, Dainius Zubrus and even captain Jamie Langenbrunner in peril of being pushed out the door. However, only Zubrus carries a cap hit over the needed $3.07M ($3.4M for the next three seasons). That duration, his age (32) and middling production (.48 points per game over the last three seasons) will also make him hard to move.

It seems more likely the Devils will try to divest themselves of multiple contracts. Aside from Zubrus the only players that would clear enough cap space by themselves are Martin Brodeur ($5.2M), Patrik Elias ($6M), Brian Rolston ($5.06M), Travis Zajac ($3.89M) and Zach Parise ($3.13M). And obviously the recently-acquired Jason Arnott, Henrik Tallinder and Anton Volchenkov aren’t going anywhere.

Perhaps the Devils will follow the plan of the Chicago Blackhawks, who alleviated their cap crunch by loaning G Crisotbal Huet to a team in Switzerland. The NHL is on the record as stating such a move is permissible (scroll down), calling it “cap maintenance.” If GM Lou Lamoriello can convince Zubrus to take a year-long sabbatical to Europe, that could solve the problem.

Where the contract leaves the team for 2011-12, when Parise is up for a new contract, is another issue. The Devils are already on the hook for $41.8M. Add Kovalchuk's $6.66M hit and that leaves just $11M for a Parise raise and about 10 more empty roster spots, if the cap ceiling remains at $59.4M. If Parise's extension matches that of Chicago's Patrick Kane ($6.3M) that leaves the Devs with just $5.3M remaining. Good news if you're a recent Devils draft pick, I guess.

The reported 24-hour window in which many were expecting to see Ilya Kovalchuk sign a contract has come and gone with no progress towards keeping the star winger in New Jersey. The reason? The NHL is still not satisfied with the Devils' second proposed deal.

The New York Post is reporting that the New Jersey Devils’ re-worked contract with Kovalchuk did not pass muster after a meeting with NHL officials Monday to discuss the proposal conceptually. The Post also incorporates some not-so-subtle undertones that the NHL may be forcing Kovalchuk to the KHL by continuing to oppose the contract.

Mike Mazzeo of the Newark Star-Ledger writes that the Devils would not confirm anything on the Kovalchuk contract at an Atlantic City press conference yesterday. They did announce that the team’s AHL affiliate in Albany will play four games at Boardwalk Hall, which is clearly the next best thing to Kovalchuk news.

“Until something’s done, it’s not done,” GM Lou Lamoriello said of the Kovalchuk contract. In a related story, the sun will rise in the East tomorrow. Stay tuned for updates.

Morning Links

• Lighthouse Hockey discusses how the Patric Hornqvist and Bryan Little contracts affect the Isles’ Kyle Okposo and Josh Bailey.
• The Rangers continue their “Road to the Rangers” series with a look at how Vinny Prospal came to be on Broadway. Worth a look if only for the awkward 2009 headshot they include at the top of the article.
• The Isles’ Kyle Okposo and Devils’ Zach Parise took batting practice with the Twins. It doesn’t seem like they’d be a big help to a big-league roster however. Well, maybe the Mets.
• The Devils offer more details on their development team games at Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall.
• The Rangers Report welcomes a guest blogger who opines that the mid-summer spending spree known as NHL free agency will soon be no more.
• Blueshirt Banter wonders what happened to the Rangers’ shooting. Some great stats to dive into.
• If you care to put aside any Boston bias for a few minutes, NESN takes a look at the 2010-11 Rangers.
• Longtime Carolina Hurricane, but one-time Ranger, Aaron Ward hung up his skates yesterday. Rumors of a broadcasting future have already started.
• The head of the IIHF, Rene Fasel, told the media he would “fight like hell” to prevent NHL expansion onto European soil. That makes for an interesting balancing act, since Fasel desperately needs the NHL’s continued participation in the Olympics in 2014. ESPN’s Scott Burnside provides the details.

The local press has a little more on the Ilya Kovalchuk development from yesterday. Mark Everson of the New York Post points out that the window may be closing for NHL teams to reach a deal with the Russian LW, as the KHL starts up play Sept. 8. Kovalchuk has shown little interest in that league to date, however. Yahoo!’s Dmitry Chesnokov reported on what Kovalchuk might receive from a KHL club earlier this month.

The Post story also credits a source as saying the Devils are working to move D Bryce Salvador, perhaps to the Dallas Stars, to free up his $2.9 million in cap space.

Tom Gulitti of The Record adds a quote from NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly confirming that no new contract was submitted at yesterday’s meeting.

With the flurry of activity yesterday, most seem to expect a new contract to be submitted today, though there has been nothing concrete reported. While you’re waiting on the edge of your seat for breaking news, scoot a little closer and check out today’s links.

Morning Links

• Beyond the Blueshirts has a translated interview with Alexander Frolov from Russian site Sportbox.ru, explaining why he picked the Rangers over the KHL. He says the Rangers are a respected franchise and blah, blah, blah … Look, it’s a great interview, but when it comes to the KHL, forget the money. Forget the rep of NHL teams. There are other factors at play.
  In the NHL your worst road trip is the long flight to Vancouver. In the KHL it’s to Khanty-Mansiysk, located in the heart of that thriving tourist Mecca known as Siberia. One of Khanty-Mansiysk’s most notable enterprises? Its “large beast farm.” Rick Steves is all over that one.
  Check out the town on this map. Oh, and be sure to scroll out to see how, uh, close it is to other Russian cities. I-95 looks pretty appealing now, eh Alex? Who wants Roy Rogers?
• Former Providence College standout Mark Fayne inked a deal with the Albany Devils. Fayne, a defenseman, was drafted by New Jersey in the fifth round in 2005.
• The Islanders’ Behind the Number series hits you with some knowledge on No. 23, which belonged to Bob Nystrom.
• Blueshirt Banter goes waaaaay inside the shootout with some serious Rangers-related stats.
• Newsday’s Steve Zipay tweets the Rangers will unveil their third jerseys in November. SNY Rangers Blog’s Adam Rotter says they’ll likely be throwbacks to honor the team’s 85^th anniversary.
• Lighthouse Hockey compares the Islanders’ forwards current salaries with those on the 2008-09 squad. It’s a stark contrast.
• Chris Botta writes on NYI Point Blank that Butch Goring will succeed Billy Jaffe on MSG’s Islanders broadcasts.
• The World Hockey Summit began Monday, bringing some of the sport’s most influential figures to Toronto. ESPN’s Scott Burnside has more.
• While the NHL spent part of last week sampling new rules for future implementation, at least one change will take effect for next season. As E.J. Hradek reported, the NHL will now use overtime and regulation wins as the first regular-season tiebreaker, excluding shootout victories. That change wouldn’t have had much impact last season, but it would have flipped Florida and Montreal for the final Eastern playoff spot in 2008-09, with the Habs owing seven of their 41 wins to the shootout.

On-again-off-again Devil Ilya Kovalchuk remains a free agent, but for how much longer?

Sources confirmed to ESPN’s E.J. Hradek that Devils owner Jeff Vanderbeek, GM Lou Lamoriello and Kovalchuk agent Jay Grossman convened at the NHL offices in New York today.

Does that mean a contract is imminent? Not necessarily. Last week in Toronto, Commissioner Gary Bettman was asked by the media if the league would advise teams on what an acceptable structure for Kovalchuk’s contract might be. He said that the NHL would provide such a service, but would not confirm if any team had approached the league. Perhaps that’s what the Devils were doing today. Or perhaps Kovalbucks is about to cash in a new deal in a matter of minutes and hours.

Since the Devils’ original deal was voided there’s been the lingering sentiment that Kovalchuk and New Jersey will reach another accord. But the salary cap is proving a serious complication.

The Devils only have a little under $3.7 million remaining in available cap space (according to CapGeek.com). And even if they dumped a contract -- say, Dainius Zubrus and his $3.4M hit -- they’d still only free up a total of around $7M.

If they restructured the deal so Kovalchuk was playing until 40 instead of 44 -- probably the longest term the Devils could get away with -- the average cap hit spikes from $6M to $7.8M per year. Now, even if they moved Zubrus and reduced the term to a more reasonable length, the most they could offer Kovalchuk is $91M total -- which gets the deal in at $7M per. But that would mean the Russian wing would leave $11M on the table from his voided deal. The Los Angeles Kings, thought to be another serious suitor, could offer a deal to top that quite easily, if they’re so inclined. So could the spendthrift Islanders for that matter … well, if their name wasn’t always prefaced by “spendthrift.”

But even if Kovalchuk takes less money and the Devils do a deal at $7M per, the team puts itself in a bind next year when Zach Parise’s deal comes up. Based on my English major math skills, add a Parise cap hit on par with Patrick Kane’s $6.3M on top of Kovalchuk’s $7M to the team’s existing contracts and you’re looking at about $7M (give or take a few $100K) to fill half a roster in 2011-12. It’s not impossible, but it’s quite a squeeze for future years.

So could the Devils dump a contract bigger than that of Zubrus?

As tweeted by Dmitry Chesnokov, in order to afford Kovalchuk, a former Devils trainer told a Russian paper he believes the team will deal Patrik Elias. File that one under: “Bold Moves.”