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Lou Lamoriello
Garth McLennan
sports editor
fter watching New Jersey Devils GM
Lou Lamoriello fleece Don Waddell
of the Atlanta Thrashers last week, it
wasn’t all that difficult to believe that Tony
Soprano may have had a hand in the trade (if
you can call it that) that sent Ilya Kovalchuk
out of Georgia and into the swamp.
The deal was so one sided that when
Sportsnet first broke news of the transaction,
Why the Thrashers got so little in the Ilya Kovalchuk trade
Ilya Kovalchuk
20
you had to do a double take just to make
sure that what you were seeing was actually
real. After all, there were no stars leaving the
Devils.
There was no Zach Parise or Travis
Zajac.
No Patrick Elias or Paul Martin.
All the Thrashers got in return for the
man who has been their franchise cornerstone
for eight years and their all-time leading goals
in Kovalchuk, say a Boston or an L.A., that
he won’t sign long term for anything less
than astronomical figures that would cripple
a team’s entire salary structure. That in turn
scares potential bidders off, who won’t give up
high draft picks and elite prospects for a rental
player who is free to leave as an unrestricted
free agent in four months. You think that the
Vancouver Canucks are going to part with a
Cody Hodgson or a Cory Schnieder just to get
Kovalchuk for a few short months? Of course
not, so that removes them from the table and
before long all Atlanta is left with in terms of
offers are the ones like Lamoriello’s. Waddell
basically gave up a treasure trove that he could
have received in return for
Kovalchuk.
And so Kovalchuk
goes to New Jersey, and
instantly propels them
into top contender status
on the same level with
Washington and Pittsburgh. The Devils run a
tight ship under head coach Jacques Lemaire,
but any team with talent like Parise, Zajac,
Martin Brodeur and now Kovalchuk has
to be considered a front runner for a long
Stanley Cup run. The Devils acquire a blue-
chip superstar who has consistently been
one of hockey’s best pure goal-scorers with
absolutely zero support down in Atlanta, a
perennially awful team. This is a guy who
“The Thrashers were on shaky ground in Atlanta with Kovalchuk; without
him, they’ve basically been handed a death sentence.”
and points scorer was a late first round draft
pick, a solid but unspectacular defenseman
in Johnny Oduya, a bottom-six roster player
in Nicklas Bergfors and a prospect with a
lot of baggage in Patrice Cormier. In fact, it
gets even worse for the Thrashers. The clubs
swapped second round draft picks, so that
causes the Devils to move up approximately
15 spots in the second round this year.
How did this happen? Wasn’t Waddell
able to broker a better deal for the best player
his team has ever seen and one of hockey’s
truly elite goal scorers than this mixed bag
of picks and prospects? It was no secret that
the Atlanta GM was anxious to rid himself of
the Russian sniper after Kovalchuk rejected’a
pair of mammoth offers from the Thrashers.
However, he made a horrible mistake when,
frustrated and out of anger, he went to the
media and announced that Kovalchuk had
spurned a 12-year, $101 million contract and
a seven year, $70 million offer, both of which
would have made him the highest paid player
in the entire world if he’d accepted.
By going public with that information,
Waddell shot himself in the foot. That sends
out messages to teams that might be interested
is easily on his way to a sixth consecutive
40-goal season, and that has been with such
standouts like Jim Slater and Todd White
centering his line. How many goals could he
score with some real stars to play with? 60?
70?
Down in Atlanta, life now goes on as it
always has for their beleaguered and ever-
dwindling fan base. This is a team that has
allowed stars like Dany Heatley, Marian
Hossa, Mare Savard and now Kovalchuk
depart the organization while getting very
little in comparative value back in return.
Without the Russian gunner, who at age 26 is
at the peak of his powers and can arguably be
considered the game’s most exciting player
(yes, that includes Alexander Ovechkin) and
without anyone dynamic coming their way,
where’s the incentive for fans to come out and
watch the games in Atlanta, which is chock
full of sports options and labelled with the
dreaded “non-traditional hockey market” tag?
Almost overnight, this has become a faceless
team with nobody who can sell tickets or
excite the fans. The Thrashers were on shaky
ground in Atlanta with Kovalchuk; without
him, they’ve basically been handed a death
sentence.
Garth McLennan
sports editor
fter watching New Jersey Devils GM
Lou Lamoriello fleece Don Waddell
of the Atlanta Thrashers last week, it
wasn’t all that difficult to believe that Tony
Soprano may have had a hand in the trade (if
you can call it that) that sent Ilya Kovalchuk
out of Georgia and into the swamp.
The deal was so one sided that when
Sportsnet first broke news of the transaction,
Why the Thrashers got so little in the Ilya Kovalchuk trade
Ilya Kovalchuk
20
you had to do a double take just to make
sure that what you were seeing was actually
real. After all, there were no stars leaving the
Devils.
There was no Zach Parise or Travis
Zajac.
No Patrick Elias or Paul Martin.
All the Thrashers got in return for the
man who has been their franchise cornerstone
for eight years and their all-time leading goals
in Kovalchuk, say a Boston or an L.A., that
he won’t sign long term for anything less
than astronomical figures that would cripple
a team’s entire salary structure. That in turn
scares potential bidders off, who won’t give up
high draft picks and elite prospects for a rental
player who is free to leave as an unrestricted
free agent in four months. You think that the
Vancouver Canucks are going to part with a
Cody Hodgson or a Cory Schnieder just to get
Kovalchuk for a few short months? Of course
not, so that removes them from the table and
before long all Atlanta is left with in terms of
offers are the ones like Lamoriello’s. Waddell
basically gave up a treasure trove that he could
have received in return for
Kovalchuk.
And so Kovalchuk
goes to New Jersey, and
instantly propels them
into top contender status
on the same level with
Washington and Pittsburgh. The Devils run a
tight ship under head coach Jacques Lemaire,
but any team with talent like Parise, Zajac,
Martin Brodeur and now Kovalchuk has
to be considered a front runner for a long
Stanley Cup run. The Devils acquire a blue-
chip superstar who has consistently been
one of hockey’s best pure goal-scorers with
absolutely zero support down in Atlanta, a
perennially awful team. This is a guy who
“The Thrashers were on shaky ground in Atlanta with Kovalchuk; without
him, they’ve basically been handed a death sentence.”
and points scorer was a late first round draft
pick, a solid but unspectacular defenseman
in Johnny Oduya, a bottom-six roster player
in Nicklas Bergfors and a prospect with a
lot of baggage in Patrice Cormier. In fact, it
gets even worse for the Thrashers. The clubs
swapped second round draft picks, so that
causes the Devils to move up approximately
15 spots in the second round this year.
How did this happen? Wasn’t Waddell
able to broker a better deal for the best player
his team has ever seen and one of hockey’s
truly elite goal scorers than this mixed bag
of picks and prospects? It was no secret that
the Atlanta GM was anxious to rid himself of
the Russian sniper after Kovalchuk rejected’a
pair of mammoth offers from the Thrashers.
However, he made a horrible mistake when,
frustrated and out of anger, he went to the
media and announced that Kovalchuk had
spurned a 12-year, $101 million contract and
a seven year, $70 million offer, both of which
would have made him the highest paid player
in the entire world if he’d accepted.
By going public with that information,
Waddell shot himself in the foot. That sends
out messages to teams that might be interested
is easily on his way to a sixth consecutive
40-goal season, and that has been with such
standouts like Jim Slater and Todd White
centering his line. How many goals could he
score with some real stars to play with? 60?
70?
Down in Atlanta, life now goes on as it
always has for their beleaguered and ever-
dwindling fan base. This is a team that has
allowed stars like Dany Heatley, Marian
Hossa, Mare Savard and now Kovalchuk
depart the organization while getting very
little in comparative value back in return.
Without the Russian gunner, who at age 26 is
at the peak of his powers and can arguably be
considered the game’s most exciting player
(yes, that includes Alexander Ovechkin) and
without anyone dynamic coming their way,
where’s the incentive for fans to come out and
watch the games in Atlanta, which is chock
full of sports options and labelled with the
dreaded “non-traditional hockey market” tag?
Almost overnight, this has become a faceless
team with nobody who can sell tickets or
excite the fans. The Thrashers were on shaky
ground in Atlanta with Kovalchuk; without
him, they’ve basically been handed a death
sentence.
Edited Text
Lou Lamoriello
Garth McLennan
sports editor
fter watching New Jersey Devils GM
Lou Lamoriello fleece Don Waddell
of the Atlanta Thrashers last week, it
wasn’t all that difficult to believe that Tony
Soprano may have had a hand in the trade (if
you can call it that) that sent Ilya Kovalchuk
out of Georgia and into the swamp.
The deal was so one sided that when
Sportsnet first broke news of the transaction,
Why the Thrashers got so little in the Ilya Kovalchuk trade
Ilya Kovalchuk
20
you had to do a double take just to make
sure that what you were seeing was actually
real. After all, there were no stars leaving the
Devils.
There was no Zach Parise or Travis
Zajac.
No Patrick Elias or Paul Martin.
All the Thrashers got in return for the
man who has been their franchise cornerstone
for eight years and their all-time leading goals
in Kovalchuk, say a Boston or an L.A., that
he won’t sign long term for anything less
than astronomical figures that would cripple
a team’s entire salary structure. That in turn
scares potential bidders off, who won’t give up
high draft picks and elite prospects for a rental
player who is free to leave as an unrestricted
free agent in four months. You think that the
Vancouver Canucks are going to part with a
Cody Hodgson or a Cory Schnieder just to get
Kovalchuk for a few short months? Of course
not, so that removes them from the table and
before long all Atlanta is left with in terms of
offers are the ones like Lamoriello’s. Waddell
basically gave up a treasure trove that he could
have received in return for
Kovalchuk.
And so Kovalchuk
goes to New Jersey, and
instantly propels them
into top contender status
on the same level with
Washington and Pittsburgh. The Devils run a
tight ship under head coach Jacques Lemaire,
but any team with talent like Parise, Zajac,
Martin Brodeur and now Kovalchuk has
to be considered a front runner for a long
Stanley Cup run. The Devils acquire a blue-
chip superstar who has consistently been
one of hockey’s best pure goal-scorers with
absolutely zero support down in Atlanta, a
perennially awful team. This is a guy who
“The Thrashers were on shaky ground in Atlanta with Kovalchuk; without
him, they’ve basically been handed a death sentence.”
and points scorer was a late first round draft
pick, a solid but unspectacular defenseman
in Johnny Oduya, a bottom-six roster player
in Nicklas Bergfors and a prospect with a
lot of baggage in Patrice Cormier. In fact, it
gets even worse for the Thrashers. The clubs
swapped second round draft picks, so that
causes the Devils to move up approximately
15 spots in the second round this year.
How did this happen? Wasn’t Waddell
able to broker a better deal for the best player
his team has ever seen and one of hockey’s
truly elite goal scorers than this mixed bag
of picks and prospects? It was no secret that
the Atlanta GM was anxious to rid himself of
the Russian sniper after Kovalchuk rejected’a
pair of mammoth offers from the Thrashers.
However, he made a horrible mistake when,
frustrated and out of anger, he went to the
media and announced that Kovalchuk had
spurned a 12-year, $101 million contract and
a seven year, $70 million offer, both of which
would have made him the highest paid player
in the entire world if he’d accepted.
By going public with that information,
Waddell shot himself in the foot. That sends
out messages to teams that might be interested
is easily on his way to a sixth consecutive
40-goal season, and that has been with such
standouts like Jim Slater and Todd White
centering his line. How many goals could he
score with some real stars to play with? 60?
70?
Down in Atlanta, life now goes on as it
always has for their beleaguered and ever-
dwindling fan base. This is a team that has
allowed stars like Dany Heatley, Marian
Hossa, Mare Savard and now Kovalchuk
depart the organization while getting very
little in comparative value back in return.
Without the Russian gunner, who at age 26 is
at the peak of his powers and can arguably be
considered the game’s most exciting player
(yes, that includes Alexander Ovechkin) and
without anyone dynamic coming their way,
where’s the incentive for fans to come out and
watch the games in Atlanta, which is chock
full of sports options and labelled with the
dreaded “non-traditional hockey market” tag?
Almost overnight, this has become a faceless
team with nobody who can sell tickets or
excite the fans. The Thrashers were on shaky
ground in Atlanta with Kovalchuk; without
him, they’ve basically been handed a death
sentence.
Garth McLennan
sports editor
fter watching New Jersey Devils GM
Lou Lamoriello fleece Don Waddell
of the Atlanta Thrashers last week, it
wasn’t all that difficult to believe that Tony
Soprano may have had a hand in the trade (if
you can call it that) that sent Ilya Kovalchuk
out of Georgia and into the swamp.
The deal was so one sided that when
Sportsnet first broke news of the transaction,
Why the Thrashers got so little in the Ilya Kovalchuk trade
Ilya Kovalchuk
20
you had to do a double take just to make
sure that what you were seeing was actually
real. After all, there were no stars leaving the
Devils.
There was no Zach Parise or Travis
Zajac.
No Patrick Elias or Paul Martin.
All the Thrashers got in return for the
man who has been their franchise cornerstone
for eight years and their all-time leading goals
in Kovalchuk, say a Boston or an L.A., that
he won’t sign long term for anything less
than astronomical figures that would cripple
a team’s entire salary structure. That in turn
scares potential bidders off, who won’t give up
high draft picks and elite prospects for a rental
player who is free to leave as an unrestricted
free agent in four months. You think that the
Vancouver Canucks are going to part with a
Cody Hodgson or a Cory Schnieder just to get
Kovalchuk for a few short months? Of course
not, so that removes them from the table and
before long all Atlanta is left with in terms of
offers are the ones like Lamoriello’s. Waddell
basically gave up a treasure trove that he could
have received in return for
Kovalchuk.
And so Kovalchuk
goes to New Jersey, and
instantly propels them
into top contender status
on the same level with
Washington and Pittsburgh. The Devils run a
tight ship under head coach Jacques Lemaire,
but any team with talent like Parise, Zajac,
Martin Brodeur and now Kovalchuk has
to be considered a front runner for a long
Stanley Cup run. The Devils acquire a blue-
chip superstar who has consistently been
one of hockey’s best pure goal-scorers with
absolutely zero support down in Atlanta, a
perennially awful team. This is a guy who
“The Thrashers were on shaky ground in Atlanta with Kovalchuk; without
him, they’ve basically been handed a death sentence.”
and points scorer was a late first round draft
pick, a solid but unspectacular defenseman
in Johnny Oduya, a bottom-six roster player
in Nicklas Bergfors and a prospect with a
lot of baggage in Patrice Cormier. In fact, it
gets even worse for the Thrashers. The clubs
swapped second round draft picks, so that
causes the Devils to move up approximately
15 spots in the second round this year.
How did this happen? Wasn’t Waddell
able to broker a better deal for the best player
his team has ever seen and one of hockey’s
truly elite goal scorers than this mixed bag
of picks and prospects? It was no secret that
the Atlanta GM was anxious to rid himself of
the Russian sniper after Kovalchuk rejected’a
pair of mammoth offers from the Thrashers.
However, he made a horrible mistake when,
frustrated and out of anger, he went to the
media and announced that Kovalchuk had
spurned a 12-year, $101 million contract and
a seven year, $70 million offer, both of which
would have made him the highest paid player
in the entire world if he’d accepted.
By going public with that information,
Waddell shot himself in the foot. That sends
out messages to teams that might be interested
is easily on his way to a sixth consecutive
40-goal season, and that has been with such
standouts like Jim Slater and Todd White
centering his line. How many goals could he
score with some real stars to play with? 60?
70?
Down in Atlanta, life now goes on as it
always has for their beleaguered and ever-
dwindling fan base. This is a team that has
allowed stars like Dany Heatley, Marian
Hossa, Mare Savard and now Kovalchuk
depart the organization while getting very
little in comparative value back in return.
Without the Russian gunner, who at age 26 is
at the peak of his powers and can arguably be
considered the game’s most exciting player
(yes, that includes Alexander Ovechkin) and
without anyone dynamic coming their way,
where’s the incentive for fans to come out and
watch the games in Atlanta, which is chock
full of sports options and labelled with the
dreaded “non-traditional hockey market” tag?
Almost overnight, this has become a faceless
team with nobody who can sell tickets or
excite the fans. The Thrashers were on shaky
ground in Atlanta with Kovalchuk; without
him, they’ve basically been handed a death
sentence.
Garth McLennan
sports editor
fter watching New Jersey Devils GM
Lou Lamoriello fleece Don Waddell
of the Atlanta Thrashers last week, it
wasn’t all that difficult to believe that Tony
Soprano may have had a hand in the trade (if
you can call it that) that sent Ilya Kovalchuk
out of Georgia and into the swamp.
The deal was so one sided that when
Sportsnet first broke news of the transaction,
Why the Thrashers got so little in the Ilya Kovalchuk trade
Ilya Kovalchuk
20
you had to do a double take just to make
sure that what you were seeing was actually
real. After all, there were no stars leaving the
Devils.
There was no Zach Parise or Travis
Zajac.
No Patrick Elias or Paul Martin.
All the Thrashers got in return for the
man who has been their franchise cornerstone
for eight years and their all-time leading goals
in Kovalchuk, say a Boston or an L.A., that
he won’t sign long term for anything less
than astronomical figures that would cripple
a team’s entire salary structure. That in turn
scares potential bidders off, who won’t give up
high draft picks and elite prospects for a rental
player who is free to leave as an unrestricted
free agent in four months. You think that the
Vancouver Canucks are going to part with a
Cody Hodgson or a Cory Schnieder just to get
Kovalchuk for a few short months? Of course
not, so that removes them from the table and
before long all Atlanta is left with in terms of
offers are the ones like Lamoriello’s. Waddell
basically gave up a treasure trove that he could
have received in return for
Kovalchuk.
And so Kovalchuk
goes to New Jersey, and
instantly propels them
into top contender status
on the same level with
Washington and Pittsburgh. The Devils run a
tight ship under head coach Jacques Lemaire,
but any team with talent like Parise, Zajac,
Martin Brodeur and now Kovalchuk has
to be considered a front runner for a long
Stanley Cup run. The Devils acquire a blue-
chip superstar who has consistently been
one of hockey’s best pure goal-scorers with
absolutely zero support down in Atlanta, a
perennially awful team. This is a guy who
“The Thrashers were on shaky ground in Atlanta with Kovalchuk; without
him, they’ve basically been handed a death sentence.”
and points scorer was a late first round draft
pick, a solid but unspectacular defenseman
in Johnny Oduya, a bottom-six roster player
in Nicklas Bergfors and a prospect with a
lot of baggage in Patrice Cormier. In fact, it
gets even worse for the Thrashers. The clubs
swapped second round draft picks, so that
causes the Devils to move up approximately
15 spots in the second round this year.
How did this happen? Wasn’t Waddell
able to broker a better deal for the best player
his team has ever seen and one of hockey’s
truly elite goal scorers than this mixed bag
of picks and prospects? It was no secret that
the Atlanta GM was anxious to rid himself of
the Russian sniper after Kovalchuk rejected’a
pair of mammoth offers from the Thrashers.
However, he made a horrible mistake when,
frustrated and out of anger, he went to the
media and announced that Kovalchuk had
spurned a 12-year, $101 million contract and
a seven year, $70 million offer, both of which
would have made him the highest paid player
in the entire world if he’d accepted.
By going public with that information,
Waddell shot himself in the foot. That sends
out messages to teams that might be interested
is easily on his way to a sixth consecutive
40-goal season, and that has been with such
standouts like Jim Slater and Todd White
centering his line. How many goals could he
score with some real stars to play with? 60?
70?
Down in Atlanta, life now goes on as it
always has for their beleaguered and ever-
dwindling fan base. This is a team that has
allowed stars like Dany Heatley, Marian
Hossa, Mare Savard and now Kovalchuk
depart the organization while getting very
little in comparative value back in return.
Without the Russian gunner, who at age 26 is
at the peak of his powers and can arguably be
considered the game’s most exciting player
(yes, that includes Alexander Ovechkin) and
without anyone dynamic coming their way,
where’s the incentive for fans to come out and
watch the games in Atlanta, which is chock
full of sports options and labelled with the
dreaded “non-traditional hockey market” tag?
Almost overnight, this has become a faceless
team with nobody who can sell tickets or
excite the fans. The Thrashers were on shaky
ground in Atlanta with Kovalchuk; without
him, they’ve basically been handed a death
sentence.
Garth McLennan
sports editor
fter watching New Jersey Devils GM
Lou Lamoriello fleece Don Waddell
of the Atlanta Thrashers last week, it
wasn’t all that difficult to believe that Tony
Soprano may have had a hand in the trade (if
you can call it that) that sent Ilya Kovalchuk
out of Georgia and into the swamp.
The deal was so one sided that when
Sportsnet first broke news of the transaction,
Why the Thrashers got so little in the Ilya Kovalchuk trade
Ilya Kovalchuk
20
you had to do a double take just to make
sure that what you were seeing was actually
real. After all, there were no stars leaving the
Devils.
There was no Zach Parise or Travis
Zajac.
No Patrick Elias or Paul Martin.
All the Thrashers got in return for the
man who has been their franchise cornerstone
for eight years and their all-time leading goals
in Kovalchuk, say a Boston or an L.A., that
he won’t sign long term for anything less
than astronomical figures that would cripple
a team’s entire salary structure. That in turn
scares potential bidders off, who won’t give up
high draft picks and elite prospects for a rental
player who is free to leave as an unrestricted
free agent in four months. You think that the
Vancouver Canucks are going to part with a
Cody Hodgson or a Cory Schnieder just to get
Kovalchuk for a few short months? Of course
not, so that removes them from the table and
before long all Atlanta is left with in terms of
offers are the ones like Lamoriello’s. Waddell
basically gave up a treasure trove that he could
have received in return for
Kovalchuk.
And so Kovalchuk
goes to New Jersey, and
instantly propels them
into top contender status
on the same level with
Washington and Pittsburgh. The Devils run a
tight ship under head coach Jacques Lemaire,
but any team with talent like Parise, Zajac,
Martin Brodeur and now Kovalchuk has
to be considered a front runner for a long
Stanley Cup run. The Devils acquire a blue-
chip superstar who has consistently been
one of hockey’s best pure goal-scorers with
absolutely zero support down in Atlanta, a
perennially awful team. This is a guy who
“The Thrashers were on shaky ground in Atlanta with Kovalchuk; without
him, they’ve basically been handed a death sentence.”
and points scorer was a late first round draft
pick, a solid but unspectacular defenseman
in Johnny Oduya, a bottom-six roster player
in Nicklas Bergfors and a prospect with a
lot of baggage in Patrice Cormier. In fact, it
gets even worse for the Thrashers. The clubs
swapped second round draft picks, so that
causes the Devils to move up approximately
15 spots in the second round this year.
How did this happen? Wasn’t Waddell
able to broker a better deal for the best player
his team has ever seen and one of hockey’s
truly elite goal scorers than this mixed bag
of picks and prospects? It was no secret that
the Atlanta GM was anxious to rid himself of
the Russian sniper after Kovalchuk rejected’a
pair of mammoth offers from the Thrashers.
However, he made a horrible mistake when,
frustrated and out of anger, he went to the
media and announced that Kovalchuk had
spurned a 12-year, $101 million contract and
a seven year, $70 million offer, both of which
would have made him the highest paid player
in the entire world if he’d accepted.
By going public with that information,
Waddell shot himself in the foot. That sends
out messages to teams that might be interested
is easily on his way to a sixth consecutive
40-goal season, and that has been with such
standouts like Jim Slater and Todd White
centering his line. How many goals could he
score with some real stars to play with? 60?
70?
Down in Atlanta, life now goes on as it
always has for their beleaguered and ever-
dwindling fan base. This is a team that has
allowed stars like Dany Heatley, Marian
Hossa, Mare Savard and now Kovalchuk
depart the organization while getting very
little in comparative value back in return.
Without the Russian gunner, who at age 26 is
at the peak of his powers and can arguably be
considered the game’s most exciting player
(yes, that includes Alexander Ovechkin) and
without anyone dynamic coming their way,
where’s the incentive for fans to come out and
watch the games in Atlanta, which is chock
full of sports options and labelled with the
dreaded “non-traditional hockey market” tag?
Almost overnight, this has become a faceless
team with nobody who can sell tickets or
excite the fans. The Thrashers were on shaky
ground in Atlanta with Kovalchuk; without
him, they’ve basically been handed a death
sentence.