From Russia, With Scorn

The summer's biggest hockey battle has not been over free agents, the ownership of the Penguins, or even which story has been the most embarassing (that one goes to Garth Snow as the new GM of the Islanders). Harken back to 1980, that legendary USA team that defeated the Russians which you might have caught at your local theater or video store, it was a time of unrest and the United States fought the Russians the best way they could, with a hockey puck. Flash forward 26 years later and things have changed quite a bit, now the battle is fought with legal loopholes and scathing remarks. It's been a trying time particularly for the Metallurg team in Russia, who happened to have the original rights to one Evgeni Malkin, drafted #2 overall in this year's 2006 NHL Entry Draft. He' s a powerful center with amazing promise who would only be second to Sidney Crosby on the Penguins. Things aren't so simple it seems, as Malkin and the Pens would love to be doing business together, but Metallurg wouldn't have it. So Malkin made what's become a popular trend all of a sudden, he gave his club 2 weeks notice that he was outta there. Yes a legal loophole in Russian law allows any worker there do that and after such time, they can be on their merry way. Turns out that Malkin wound up fleeing Eurasia entirely and wound up in...Los Angeles. It's a wonder he ever made it out of there alive, L.A., not Europe. If you think Russia is tough, try LAX. But the feeling is that Malkin wanted out and there's little Metallurg can do about it, especially now that Malkin signed a contract with the Penguins. But why?

Here's why, the IIHF Transfer Agreement. A little document that lets the NHL transfer players to their league from European counterparts and compensates those teams accordingly. Russia refused to sign it, the only country that backed out of it, so now the NHL may have no reason to covet any Russian laws or claims because there is no recognized agreement between them. What makes it all the stranger is that Alexei Mikhnov and a funny named kid called Taratukhin managed to get themselves over to Alberta, Canada with so much as a 2 weeks notice and have had zero backlash from Metallurg. In fact they are essentially free to go as they please and each has signed with their respective clubs in Edmonton and Calgary. So why all the fuss over Malkin? He's a stud center and the other two, while good in their own right, aren't nearly as important to Metallurg as Malkin is, and I wonder if the Alberta boys don't question their worth now. After all, Malkin is a great talent, but I'm sure they're glad to be in the NHL considering their Russian team isn't even going to fight for them. How does this story end? As far as I see it, Malkin having signed with Pittsburgh, is going to walk straight into Mellon Arena and not look back. Russia's hockey federation will have no real precedent or ability to enforce their laws here, especially with such a loophole, and won't be compensated for as much as they desire. Malkin's a Penguin and it's time to get used to that.

But the story doesn't get simpler from there. It only gets weirder, and by weird, I mean the one and only Nikolai Zherdev. He's a top wing prospect for the Columbus Blue Jackets, or at least he was until he rejected his contract offers from GM Doug Maclean and signed with a Russian team. Zherdev was drafted by Columbus while playing in Russia, but as then as it is now, Maclean had to fight and spend around $600,000 just to get him out of there. Zherdev had a pretty nice season last year, a bit of a puck hog and certainly and ego to match, but even without the injured Nash he excelled by the end of the season. Now he's seeking more than Maclean is willing to dish out, and as a second year player, it's hard to believe he could command several million dollars. But by bolting back to Russia, it makes things harder in the relationship between him and Maclean. It's insulting in fact, and now Zherdev has only until Oct 6th to sign a contract or he'll be wasting away in the real winter and Columbus will be down a huge talent. The same problem holds true for GM Jay Feaster in Tampa Bay, where second year talent Evgeny Artyukhin ran roughshod back to Russia rather than be a Lightning again. My personal hatred for the Lightning aside, Feaster was furious and has a right to be. They worked hard on having him on the team but as Feaster put it, "He spat in my/our face". I can see why he would with that club's attitude sometimes, but leaving the Lightning for Russia? That's a little more harsh than they deserve. Almost. See you at the red line.