Just as quickly as the Ilya Kovalchuk sweepstakes sprung wide open when GM Don Waddell told reporters that he was exploring all options, it ended with a bang.

Kovalchuk was dealt within a matter of hours to the New Jersey Devils, a team with plenty of star caliber talent, but who have been struggling to put the puck in the net with regularity.  Martin Brodeur may have a slew of the records for goaltenders in the NHL record books, but you aren't going to win a ton of games when you aren't scoring yourself.

Going to the swamplands of New Jersey are Kovalchuk, who has tallied at least 41 goals each of the last five seasons and has 31 in 49 games this year, along with Anssi Salmela, who was a former Devils blueliner that was dealt to Atlanta in the Niclas Havelid deal last year at the deadline.  In exchange, the Thrashers get Johnny Oduya, rookie Niclas Bergfors, prospect Patrice Cormier and the Devils first round selection.  The teams also exchanged second round picks in the deal. 

Devils GM Lou Lamiorello has stated that he has yet to talk with Kovalchuk about an extension.  He will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1 should a deal not be struck.   If Lamiorello fails to secure Kovalchuk for some period of time, and merely has him as a rental for the rest of the season, whether they win the Cup or not, the price he paid will have been too steep.   Trading away a promising rookie (Bergfors) and a top prospect (Cormier) plus a first rounder for what is a short term investment doesn't seem like the soundest of strategies to me.  It's a lot like trying to find the best under eye cream when you're sporting a pair of shiners: kind of useless.

You have to give Waddell credit for the way he dealt with the situation.  He tried his damndest to get Kovalchuk to resign with the team.  He pitched several different offers only to be rebuffed.  Therefore, he did what he needed to do.  In this case, it was to cut his losses and try to do what was best for the franchise going forward.   That it meant dealing the team's centerpiece and prized asset was an unfortunate circumstance.  Still, he got past that and made the move, knowing that while it might hurt the team in the short term, he gained assets that can build the team going forward. 

Bergfors is fifth among NHL rookies in scoring with 13 goals and 27 points.  Oduya is a defensive zone specialist who is going to play for Sweden in the Olympics.  Cormier has some rough edges, as evidenced by his suspension from the QMJHL for the rest of the year after an elbowing incident, his third such incident in the span of a month.  Waddell did the best he can in a tough situation.   This is the problem when multimillionaire prima donnas manipulate teams to force their hands.

While I can understand Kovalchuk's desire to go somewhere that he can play in the postseason, he shouldn't have stated that he was interested in finishing his career in Atlanta if he had no intention of ever doing so.  I hope the deal works out for both sides, but one has to hope that Don Waddell doesn't have to take the fall because of having to make deals like this.