NHL Decisions in Hindsight: Kovalchuk A Devil

Let me preface this by saying that I am a huge Ilya Kovalchuk fan, but I will try to remain as neutral as I can in this article.

Most hockey fans knew that Kovalchuk wanted to win a Stanley Cup, and few believed that he would begin the 2010-11 season in a Thrashers uniform.

Regardless, Atlanta GM Don Waddell repeatedly tried to ink the Russian superstar, finally offering him a deal worth $101 million over 12 years, and $70 million for seven years. After Kovalchuk declined, Waddell sought to put him on the move.

Interest was high for the three-time All-Star and 2004 Maurice Rocket Richard Trophy champion. It was unclear, however, where he would go.

Early rumours indicated many different teams were interested in Kovalchuk, but as the deadline got closer and closer, it appeared just three teams were in the running: the Philadelphia Flyers, the New Jersey Devils, and the Los Angeles Kings.

On February 4th, Waddell finally struck up a deal with the Devils which sent Kovy (along with a prospect and a draft pick) to New Jersey in return for defenseman Johnny Oduya, Niclas Bergfors, Patrice Cormier, and two draft picks.

The Devils, at the time, were a top team in the Eastern Conference who just needed that one extra push to help get them to the Stanley Cup. They needed a star to take pressure off their youngsters like Zach Parise and Travis Zajac.

Atlanta was headed in the opposite direction, with the playoffs still a possibility but an unlikely one. Many believed that Waddell had actually swung a great deal for his club, bringing a good crop of young and underrated talent.

Kovalchuk would go on to put up one point a game in 27 games for the Devils following the trade, helping to lead them to an Atlantic Division Championship as well as a second seed in the playoffs.

Come playoff time, the Devils faced a team they outbid in the Kovalchuk sweepstakes, the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers would go on to win in five games. Despite putting up six points, Kovalchuk looked invisible in the series, scoring just two goals.

On the other side of the deal, Oduya stepped up offensively, putting up nine points as he closed out the season with the Thrashers, more than double what he had put up in 40 games with the Devils. Bergfors scored 17 points, and the Thrashers look forward to recalling Cormier in the coming years.

I would argue that this move was good for Atlanta, as they knew that they had to move Kovalchuk or else they would get nothing for him when his contract expired.

But, what about for New Jersey?

Kovalchuk never looked like he really settled in to the Devils' defensive system, often looking out of place due to his history of offensive power and being THE guy on the team.

His defense was lackluster, possibly even hurtful to the team, and he had a tough time getting his offense going in the defensive-minded strategy that the Devils have always thrived on.

And now, it seems that the Devils are unwilling to pay what Kovalchuk is asking, so he could very well be on his way out of New Jersey. Some argue he may go to Russia, though I think a Western Conference team in need of a superstar is more likely.

Regardless of where he goes, if he does not stay in Jersey, they will have arguably given up key elements of their future for an early first-round exit (they were, after all, the first team to be eliminated from this year's playoffs).

Looking back now, was it worth it for the Devils to trade for Kovalchuk, or should they have stuck with their original squad for the stretch? Or, perhaps, attempted a trade for a different player on the market?