Bobby Holik says Ilya Kovalchuk’s contract is to blame for the team’s problems
An awful start to the 2010-11 National Hockey League season has had many hockey experts and fans asking who should be to blame for New Jersey Devils’ inability to win.
The finger-pointing has indeed begun, and many people seem to think that head coach John MacLean should be taking the blame for the Devils’ woes. However, ex-Devils player Bobby Holik
disagrees with that motion.
Holik, who played in New Jersey for 11 of his 18 seasons in the NHL, says that MacLean does not deserve to be thrown under the bus. Instead, the blame should be placed on the team’s management
for the signing of star left-winger Ilya Kovalchuk.
‘’I think he’s in a very tough spot,” Holik said. "Maybe I called for some coaches to be fired from the past. I would not comment on (if I would fire him). He was put in a tough spot by
management signing Ilya Kovalchuk for such a long-term deal.”
Over the summer, Kovalchuk was signed to a 15-year, $100 million contract by the Devils that was initially rejected by the league. Holik thought it was unusual for Devils’ general manager
Lou Lamoriello to sign a player to such a large-scale contract.
“I don’t know if it was all Lou’s doing, times (are) changing ... he may have a little less say about what direction the organization is going,” Holik said. “And obviously they are trying
... they are still in the process of going in a different direction.”
New Jersey is currently sitting on last place in the league standings. They have won only three of their first 13 games of the season, and have only seven points to show for it. The Devils
will have a chance to get back into the wins column when they play their next game against the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday, 3 November.
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