First off, let's get the obvious out of the way. Yes, the Rangers flat-out bought Alexei Kovalev from the Pittsburgh Penguins for an indeterminate amount of time and a very large cash advance. Yes, it was impossible for Glen Sather to physically restrain himself when a deal like this presented itself. Yes, Alex Kovalev is probably the most individually talented player in the NHL. And yes, it's an absolute joy to watch him play, so long as you're not watching him play for or against your team, especially when they’re barely treading water and their GM/coach just threw them a life preserver made of toilet paper by guaranteeing a playoff berth.

Toilet paper? Alex Kovalev? He’s only the #2 leading scorer over the past four years, a force of nature that cannot be separated from the puck, a cannon for a slapshot and a snapshot that could twist metal. And he’s only 29 years old. How could anyone find a flaw with a player like that?

We were foolish to let him go in the first place, they say.

Apparently all the pucks that used to skip over his stick on the blue-line during the power play are forgiven. All the empty dipsy-doodle moves that left his teammates standing around confused and frustrated, all the rising shots that knocked off the plexiglass and sprung the opposition on an odd-man rush, all the meaningless moves at the top of the zone that fed perfectly into the opponent's trap—these things never happened. All the mistakes and the lack of discipline and prolonged periods of scoring nothingness are all stricken from the record because he put up some great years with Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr.

Ugh.

And yet...

While my gut and my eyes tell me that Kovalev, Version 2.0, really hasn't changed as much as people would like to think, and that his offensive explosion is really just the product of playing with some of the most exceptional athletes ever to tighten a pair of skates, crunching out some numbers would tell me a different story. Stats never lie, right?

-11, worst among scoring leaders that don’t play for the Atlanta Thrashers. 816 career penalty minutes, a significant number for a player that never drops the gloves and often confuses a back-check for a maneuver best performed thirty feet behind a speedboat. A history of ACL damage, playing on soft ice that has caused more rehab stints than a weekend in Vegas with Andy Dick. And then there’s the advantage of playing with Mr. Lemieux.

But is all this criticism fair? Sure, while the influence of Lemieux is a significant factor in Alex's current point total, the Pens themselves were 4-6-1 during the 11 game stretch in January without Lemieux, not a horrible record considering its almost the Pens’ current production rate even with the league's top point-getter. And again during that stretch, Kovy was actually a +3, notable for a player that was -18 in the months before. Of course, his scoring slumped big time (4 goals, 2 assists in 11 games, and that includes a hat-trick against Boston), but he wasn't quite costing the Penguins games either. Bear in mind that I pursued these stats in an assassination attempt. The elusive Kovalev took my bullet, shrugged his shoulders and moved on.

OK, so maybe he is a different player. And maybe he does help this team.

But I'm still bothered about this.

Am I bothered that the Rangers were able to take advantage of a team in an obvious financial crisis? Not really. Despite what Gary Bettman says, the current woeful state of the NHL has little to do with the Rangers spending (or rather, overspending). Contracts for players like Jarome Iginla and Jose Theodore set the market more than the paydays we throw at the old and feeble. No player the Rangers signed will be mentioned in his arbitration hearing this summer. How about blaming the yo-yo franchise that signed Jaromir Jagr for $10 million per years ago?

Am I bothered that the Rangers, obvious targets for the misguided attack above, drew more unnecessary attention to themselves? Not really. Kovalev was fair game. Any critics of the deal should question how they'd feel if he went to Colorado, Detroit, or Philadelphia.

Am I bothered that we're hated around the league again? Not really. Despite the fact that we're consistently the most compelling story in the NHL, no one shows us much love in return. And since we're an easy win on most nights, you would think that our rival fans would have nicer things to say. Screw them.

Am I bothered that the Rangers again show the same near-sightedness that has doomed the organization in the past five years? Not really. It's kind of their character now. Silly and stupid, but also quite fun. Would George Steinbrenner be the same person if he spent that much money but wore Armani suits instead of blazers with turtlenecks? Is a degenerate gambler much fun away from the craps table, or is a stumbling drunk much fun when he's sober? Isn’t it kinda humbling to know that the mighty Rangers will always act the foolish spend-thrift character, no matter who's steering the ship?

Am I bothered that the Rangers, again, tried to cover their obvious deficiencies by, again, overloading on the one thing they seem to do right? Not really. Hockey in New York has and will always be a circus, not a chess match. I'd rather lose four pawns to gain three clowns. I guess deep down I am one of those stereotypical big-city fans that chooses style over substance, glitz and glam over clutch and grab. Funny how this attitude gets criticized while the Ottawa Senators can't pay their bills.

Am I bothered that money was the motivating factor here? Not really. Actually, not at all. It's not my money. And I'd rather live with the illusion that the $50 I spend to get drunk at The Garden at least goes to a worthy cause, even if it really doesn't.

Am I bothered that we make it unfair for everyone else? Not really. Have you seen our record lately? Fairness has a way of evening itself out in the NHL.

Am I bothered about the youth we gave up? Not really. Mikael Samuellson was everything negative about Kovalev without the scoring. Joel Bouchard was an unfinished Raelian clone of Brian Leetch. Richard Lintner? Not here, not now, not ever. Rico Fata? Am I bothered about losing Rico Fata? Rico freakin’ Fata? Not really.

So what exactly am I bothered about?

I don’t know.

Maybe I feel the pain of Pittsburgh fans, men and women proud of their city and team, that have endured so much over the past few seasons and yet again are left nursing their Iron City beers in a half-empty arena of cold stone and AHL faces. Maybe it’s my love-of-the-underdog psyche that hates to see the big guy pick on the little guy. Maybe I hate to think that the only losers in this situation are the people that probably deserve to win the most. Maybe I’m embarrassed to admit that things have gotten this bad, that the system has to change, that honest hockey fans, just like myself, were completely screwed, really for no reason other than to line rich pockets with my money, money I withhold with complaint because I feel I deserve to see a little bit more than everyone else. Maybe I’m bothered because I have a conscience and a love of the NHL.

Or maybe I’m just not a fan of Alex Kovalev.

...

Eh. Whatever. Life goes on. Let’s Go Rangers!

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