Alexei Kovalev rejects Penguins' initial offer Aug 28, 12:57 PM (ET) PITTSBURGH (AP) - Alexei Kovalev rejected the Pittsburgh Penguins' initial offer on a long-term contract extension. "I hope we will have further discussions," said Scott Greenspun, the agent for the right wing. The Penguins declined to comment Wednesday. Kovalev is in the final year of a contract that will pay him $4.6 million this season. He said last week that he wants to be among the league's top-paid players. Kovalev was 11th in the NHL in scoring last season with 76 points (32 goals, 44 assists) despite missing 15 games with a knee injury. Penguins owner Mario Lemieux expressed interest in retaining Kovalev. "He's one of the top players in the league, in the world," Lemieux said on Monday. "He's great to have on your team. If we can sign him for a few years and have him stay with the organization for a long time, I think it's great for everybody."
