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Ilya Kovalchuk traded to the…………New Jersey Devils!!!!!
By admin | February 4, 2010
Per AFP:
Russian sniper Ilya Kovalchuk was traded by the Atlanta Thrashers to the New Jersey Devils as part of a blockbuster trade involving players and draft picks.
Kovalchuk and Finnish defenceman Anssi Salmela were dealt to the Devils for Swedish defenceman Johnny Oduya, Swedish forward Niclas Bergfors, and suspended forward Patrice Cormier.
The Thrashers also get a first-round and a second-round draft pick this year while the Devils get the Thrashers’ second round pick this year.
Kovalchuk has been in contract talks with Atlanta general manager Don Waddell and recently rejected a massive 12-year, 101 million dollar extension offer from the Thrashers.
Kovalchuk will be one of the key players for Russia in the men’s hockey tournament at the Vancouver Olympics which begins in just over a week.
Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello said they got one of the best goal scorers in the world without giving up too much in return. Kovalchuk becomes a free agent at the end of the season.
“We felt Kovalchuk was a player who could come and fill the need that we felt we had for an explosive scorer and someone who could add a different dimension to our power play with the type of shot,” Lamoriello said. “Then it was just the case of trying to make it work some how where we could not sacrifice tomorrow.”
Kovalchuk is expected to play his first game as a Devil on Friday against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The top overall pick in 2001, Kovalchuk has scored more goals (328) than any other NHL player over the past eight and a half seasons.
In 49 games this year, he has 31 goals and 27 assists but he has played in just one career playoff series. He missed six games earlier this year with a broken foot.
The 25-year-old Salmela had a goal and four assists in 29 games this season for Atlanta. He has represented Finland at the 2008 World Championships in Halifax, Canada but was passed over for the team that will go to the Vancouver Olympics.
The 28-year-old Oduya will play for reigning gold medal Sweden at the Winter Games. He has two goals and two assists in 40 games with the Devils.
Bergfors is also Swedish and is fifth among NHL rookies with 27 points, including 13 goals.
The 19-year-old Cormier captained Canada at the 2010 World Junior Championships where they finished second to the US. In 31 games with Rimouski and Rouyn-Noranda of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League he has 11 goals and 20 assists.
Last month Cormier was slapped with a season-long suspension for a vicious check to the head of Quebec Remparts defenceman Mikael Tam.
Topics: Atlanta Thrashers, Ilya Kovalchuk, Johnny Oduya, NHL, New Jersey Devils, Niclas Bergfors, Patrice Cormier |