Like it or not, the Senators are, first and foremost, a business. The players on the team, although the heart and soul of the community and modern-day heroes to whom kids look up, are employees of that business. And that business is entertainment. Canada's version of Hollywood.



So when coach Corey Clouston relegated star winger Alex Kovalev to the 4th line last week, it didn't take long for Kovie's agent to get in the mix. Following close behind was Cory Clouson bringing it up in the press, and then Kovie himself, calling a press conference to vent his own spleen. Kind of reminds you of a star actor complaining about the movie's director, with the agents and producers getting into the argument.

Let's be frank, the Senators walked into this deal eyes wide open. Kovalev has been a streaky player, worse since the lock-out. He cares at times when it matters to him. The rest of the time, he doesn't care really. This is no surprise. He was famously sent home for a week by then Canadiens GM Bob Gainey, the equivalent of sending your kid to his room. Putting Kovie on the 4th line is the same thing, and it was done for the same reasons.

This is the last year of Alex Kovalev's contract with the Senators. He, of course, wants to show enough talent to keep playing professional hockey in the NHL. There was never any mention of his hanging up the skates at the end of the season. A renewal of his contract is doubtful in Ottawa. So putting him on the 4th line actually affects Kovalev's bottom line. Demoting him to so few minutes on ice removes his showcase and may affect his desirability come trading or contract time. So Kovalev had to fight back to make a show that he cares. In effect, he was just fighting for his chance of another lucrative contract in the NHL.

In the end, Kovalev played one whole game on the 4th line, and a bit of the game following his press conference. Just enough to drive the point home that Alex Kovalev works for the Ottawa Senators, specifically for coach Cory Clouston, and not the other way around. On the flipside, the organization also understands that if they want something of value in a trade for Kovalev, he needs to be showcased, he was therefore bumped to the top line after a few shifts of obscurity.

I expect AK-47 to show some hard work in the coming weeks, in an effort to showcase his talents to teams who may be looking. If his work ethics benefits the Senators, so much the better. A trade early in the new year would be no surprise. Seeing someone else brought in to fill in the roster after that trade would be no surprise either. In the end, the business has to go deep into the playoffs to support sagging ticket sales, and I'm not sure that Kovalev cares enough to contribute that much.

GO SENS GO!!