Devils GM Lou Lamoriello remains optimistic that the new 15-year, $100 million contract he signed star Ilya Kovalchuk to will be approved by the NHL.
Kovalchuk, 27, originally signed a 17-year, $102 million deal, but that contract was rejected. The two sides have gone back and forth, several times, trying to iron out a new deal.
"It's just waiting for the league to give, hopefully, their approval," Lamoriello told The Bergen Record.
"We feel good about what we submitted. I'm not going to get into anything else at all because it could be misleading or misrepresented."
Kovalchuk's annual cap hit would be $6,666,667, fitting considering the deal comes with the Devils.
The Devils currently have approximately $3.6 million in available cap space, which means the team will have to do some roster juggling to fit itself under the league-imposed $59.4 million salary cap.
Another factor for Lamoriello is a new contract for sniper Zach Parise, who has one-year left on his contract before becoming a restricted free agent.
Devils forwards Patrik Elias and Jason Arnott have no-movement clauses, while forwards Brian Rolston and Jamie Langenbrunner have no-trade clauses.
Files from:
Bergen Record
