Devil of a Deal: NHL Approves Ilya Kovalchuk's 15-Year Contract

According to TSN, ESPN, and pretty much every other media outlet out there, the NHL will approve the Ilya Kovalchuk contract, which means for the first time this offseason, Kovalchuk is officially a member of an NHL team.

Kovalchuk is an elite talent in the NHL and there is no doubt about it. Kovalchuk showed that even more than usual when he became a member of the New Jersey Devils, as he tallied 27 points in 27 games. Surprisingly, that isn't very good for him, but if you look at the circumstances he was under it is outstanding. When Kovalchuk came over to New Jersey from Atlanta he had to deal with a new team, new players, and a completely different philosophy than in Atlanta and he played very well.

Kovalchuk's contract with the Devils is a 15-year deal with an annual cap hit of $6.66 million per season.

On a side note, the Devils are now approximately three and a half million dollars over the cap, which means they will have to move a player or two. The Devils will now look to clear some cap via trade. Bryce Salvador, Colin White, Dainius Zubrus, and Brian Rolston are the most likely trade candidates.

Whether any of them are moved remains to be seen but I am sure about two things:

1. Ilya Kovalchuk is a Devil.

2. Somebody will be traded.

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This article can also be found at MTRMedia.com and Sportshaze.com

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