NHL rejects Devils’ second offer for Kovalchuk

This is getting interesting. Someone doesn’t want Ilya Kovalchuk to sign with the New Jersey Devils. An arbitrator voided the contract he originally signed with the team, and now the NHL has rejected the latest proposed framework.

While no formal contract was submitted, the two sides talked conceptually.

Photo Caption: Devils executives are asked about the possibility of the NHL rejecting Kovalchuk’s contract terms.

“I think the guideposts are already out there,” NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told Yahoo! Sports. “I think the clubs and the players and the agents all understand what our response has been to certain types of contracts. And I think every contract is different.”

With the KHL season starting September 8th, there is speculation that Kovalchuk could just go over there to play in Russia.