As the NHL and NHLPA take tentative steps toward resolving this godforsaken, needless lockout, word comes from Russia that Dynamo Moscow might not be so willing to let Alex Ovechkin return to Washington without a struggle.
Via Russia's R-Sport:
"Is there the desire to retain Alexander Ovechkin at Dynamo after the NHL lockout? Dynamo has such thoughts," Dynamo president Arkady Rotenberg said.
"I heard that there are those thoughts too at the Army Sports Club in St. Petersburg [where Devils forward Ilya Kovalchuk plays]," he said. "So we are looking in that direction, we'll see whether it'll work out."
So, yeah.
Ovechkin is actually Dynamo's leading point scorer with 6 goals and 8 assists (14 points) since he arrived in the Russian capital, so it's no surprise that Rotenberg would want to keep Ovi around.
Legal analyst Eric Macramalla discussed whether Ovechkin and Kovalchuk could get out of their NHL contracts in a recent piece on Pro Hockey Talk. Here's the answer he gave.
If Ovechkin and/or Kovalchuk were really disenchanted with the new CBA, they could take steps to walk away from the NHL.
Something tells me, though, that's not going to happen.