Quick Hits: Young Panthers, Belanger and Kovalchuk
  • George Richards: The Panthers have just over $10 million in cap hits including bonuses for Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau and Erik Gudbranson. $1 million base plus salary.
  • Renaud Lavoie: Eric Belanger signed a one year contract with Yekaterinburg of the KHL.
  • Igor Eronko: The KHL salary cap ceiling has been approved to $40 million, with the floor still remaining $8 million. SKA is still well under the salary cap after the addition of Ilya Kovalchuk.
  • Allen Muir in SI: Ilya Kovalchuk:

    “I have no regrets,” he said. “I’m sure I made the right decision.”

    “I am very pleased that I played so long in the strongest league in the world, he said. “But I wasn’t able to win the Stanley Cup. I was close last year, and experienced the challenge of the NHL playoffs. But there’s no disappointment. I take a step forward in my career. I turn another page to a new goal and other possibilities.

    “I still have the will and desire and passion for hockey. I have never in my career been a league champion. I hope I can make it happen in St. Petersburg.”