Kovalchuk day is here again

Will the Ilya Kovalchuk saga finally end today? So far only the NHL knows the answer whether to accept or reject the latest contract that was submitted by the Devils. The saga has dragged on for more than two months since July 1st, when Kovalchuk became an unrestricted free agent. He was the #1 most coveted free agent to be this summer and spurned a lucrative offer from the Los Angeles Kings to stay with the Devils that is until the NHL rejected the 17 year deal he signed with the team. Now comes the climax of this soap opera. By 5 PM today we should know if we have closure in this saga in which the NHL took the full five days to complete a review of the current submitted deal by the Devils, a 15 year $100 million dollar one. One GM believe the deal will be rejected again, but he has no input on the NHL decision. This contract seems to address the flaws the initial 17 year deal had, but the fact that it is taking so long for the NHL to review could be an indication that the league is thinking of reasons to reject this one. However, many sources believe it will be reluctantly accepted. We shall see come 5 pm what the outcome will be, but today could be the end to one of the most bizarre offseasons in NHL history especially for the Devils since they really never sgined a player of Kovalchuk's caliber, but lost him because of the league's stance on front-loaded contracts. So, lets all hope this deal gets approved and that Gary Bettman can save his reputation.