The Atlanta Thrashers were forced to trade away superstar forward Ilya Kovalchuk this week, after the winger rejected two very lucrative contract extensions from the team. After Ilya turned down a reported 10 year, $70 million dollar deal and a 12 year $102 million dollar deal, GM Don Waddel knew he had to make a move soon. He decided to finalize a deal with the New Jersey Devils and is pleased with what he got in return, although it wasn’t the huge, impact move that many Thrashers fans expected.
New Jersey gave up defenceman Johnny Oduya, rookie forward Niclas Bergfors, junior forward Patrice Cormier and a first round pick in the 2010 entry draft. The Devils received Kovalchuk as well as defenceman Anssi Salmela and the teams also switched second round picks in the draft.
Kovalchuk has been the subject of trade rumors for quite some time as he seemed disinterested in negotiating a contract extension with the team and seemed poised to want to move onto a contender. The star winger said he is very excited about moving to a contending team such as the Devils, but appreciates everything that was done for him during his tenure in Atlanta.
The Russian star was selected as the first overall pick in the NHL entry draft in 2001 and has totalled 328 goals and 278 assists in his career so far. This year he has already picked up 31 goals and 27 assists, while keeping hold of a plus rating even though the Thrashers have not been playing good hockey. One of his best years in the league was when he picked up 52 goals in the 2007-2008 season and when he won the Rocket Richard trophy with 41 goals in 2003-2004.
The Thrashers have been trying to work out a long term deal with the star for years, but when those negotiations fell apart Waddell moved face to move his disgruntled player and see what he can get in return. Oduya is the prize of the trade and is a solid and reliable defenceman, while both Bergfors and Cormier have quite a lot of potential and could become top notch second line players in the NHL. And of course, there is always the first round pick which we will have to wait and see how it turns out.
The winner of this trade will not be decided at least until the end of the year, and it depends quite a bit on whether Kovalchuk resigns with the Devils or helps them take a big run at the Stanley cup.
Searches:
Ilya Kovalchuk,
New Jersey Devils,
Johnny Oduya,
Niclas Bergfors,
Patrice Cormier,
Anssi Salmela,
NHL
