After days of rumors, Atlanta Thrashers star Ilya Kovalchuk was traded to the New Jersey Devils. Kovalchuk along with Anssi Salmela were dealt to the Devils in exchange for defenseman Johnny Oduya, Niclas Bergfors, prospect Patrice Cormier and the Devils 2010 first round pick.

                The Thrashers had failed to come to terms with Kovalchuk, offering as much as a twelve year, $100mm deal. Kovalchuk refused to sign, forcing the Thrashers to get what they could for him. In return, they get Oduya who is a steady defenseman and will upgrade their blue line. Bergfors, a young forward on pace for twenty goals in his first full NHL year will he will fill some of the void of Kovalchuk’s loss. Cormier is a prospect that has not impressed much since his drafting in the second round of 2008, making headlines just weeks ago after elbowing a player in the head and being suspended the rest of the season. The first round pick will be late in the round as the Devils continue to stay near the top of the conference.

                Well, Thrashers GM Don Waddell did it again, not getting the return he should for the second time he dealt a super star (Marian Hossa). While Oduya and Bergfors will help, neither has the ability to be the top-flight player Kovalchuk is. Cormier, after his long suspension may never be the same and the Thrashers should have demanded one of the Devil’s better prospect. It is more than they received for Hossa, but not a whole lot. Neither Bergfors nor Oduya are what the Thrashers need to get over the hump.

                The Devils is about the oddest fit for Kovalchuk. An offensive juggernaut on a team that sees offense at anathema, it will be interesting to see how he fits into Lou Lamoriello’s defensive system. No doubt he will be a boon to their offense Kovalchuk will also be out to prove his poor performance in his single playoff appearance was a fluke.

                Kovalchuk is nothing but a rental for the Devils, who will not have the cap room to sign him long term without further trading away more depth. It is a high price to pay but there is little doubt Kovalchuk will have a major impact on the team. This move is very uncharacteristic for Devil’s GM Lou Lamoriello, who normally only adds smaller pieces during the playoffs, not willing to mortgage the team’s future. I have no doubt Lou will grab a defenseman at the deadline to replace Oduya.

                It’s obvious impossible to declare a winner at this point, Cormier and the first round pick still years away from making an impact, and the playoffs have yet to start. However, as long as Kovalchuk does not have a poor performance in the offseason, I would give this to the Devils because Waddell should have gotten more for such an elite player.

                Frankly, I am surprised that no Atlanta fan has gone John Wilkes Booth on Waddell yet. It is obvious this man is the reason the franchise continues to struggle, trading high-end talent for minimal return (Hossa, Kovalchuk and Coburn for Zhitnik a few years pack) and whose drafting record is one of the most abysmal in the league. Until this man is fired, Atlanta will never be good.

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