The Devils made one of the biggest trades in recent NHL history when they landed Ilya Kovalchuk. The Russian currently boasts the third-highest points per game average among active players. The Devils sent a package that included Niclas Bergfors, Johnny Oduya, Patrice Cormier, and a first round pick.
Even if this is a half-season rental, the Devil got a pretty good deal. It’s tough to give up Oduya but the rest of the players sent are more than reasonable. Niclas Bergfors had been seeing less playing time as he was in the middle of a scoring slump. At the same time, Patrice Cormier is currently indefinitely suspended for a vicious elbow he launched in the juniors. The move should provide an immediate scoring boost for the Devils.
Long-term, the Devils may have a decent shot at re-signing Kovalchuk. Oduya accounts for a $3 million cap hit while Bergfors came in at $500,000. The Devils will come in at only $41.1 million with the contracts they have in place for next year. While they can fit Kovalchuk under the cap, they may have to decide between him and scheduled unrestricted free agent Paul Martin. Martin makes $4.5 million this year and is probably due for a raise. Other than Kovalchuk, the Devil’s actually have a top-heavy predicament with their forwards’ contracts. New Jersey has seven forwards that make more than $2.5 million this year and all of them are under contract for 2010-2011.
Tags: atlanta thrashers, hockey, ilya kovalchuk, johnny oduya, new jersey devils, NHL, niclas bergfors, patrice cormier, trades
fuckin ay right