Kovalchuk To Jersey Might Be The Stupidest Hockey Trade Ever
by Robert L on Feb 5, 2010 1:46 AM EST
9 comments
Colour me baffled, but after weeks of hype and over a year of speculation the Ilya Kovalchuk deal that makes him a New Jersey Devils comes off as one big wet petard. How it looks, is that Devils GM Lou Lamoriello has paid the rental player rate for a player who essentially becomes just that. He's also gone out and gotten the most ill fitting player his team could have in terms of system adherence. The always defensively conscious Devils have now a player who rarely commits himself to his own end. Statistics and one good look will always bring on the assessment that Kovalchuk is a franchise player and supreme talent, but is he really? In Atlanta, during his time, the Thrashers have been a model of underachievement. He was the face of a franchise that played to half empty seats. Regardless of assessment, one can surely say that Lamoriello certainly didn't overpay. The performance of Atlanta GM Don Waddell in all this is also wholly questionable. For his franchise player, the man known as Teflon Don has received three midling talents with limited upside and a late first round pick in next years draft. Can anyone suggest there is excitement on the Atlanta hockey scene at the moment?
This blown deal likely represents the beginning of the end of NHL hockey in Atlanta for a second time.
Where Waddell burned this deal is in not allowing teams interested in Kovalchuk to discuss a long term contract with the player, hence upping the trade ante on what becomes a sure thing instead of a rental player proposal.
Compounding the ludicrousness, is that contract talks and numbers demanded by Kovalchuk were put forth throughout the entire process, which in turn lowered the number of interested teams and the trade return significantly.
It's no secret that Atlanta ownership is a mess. It explains in part why Waddell is still on the job after striking out on the Marian Hossa trade, in a blueprint scenario, two seasons ago.
Finally, Kovalchuk for his own part comes off painted as a selfish player by his own doings and by Waddell's refusal to let GM's speak with the agent and player. If Waddell's word is true and that Kovalchuk is primarily interested in a deal that pays him close to 20% of a team's cap space, then it can be said that the player's main interest surely isn't in winning a Stanley Cup.
Funny, but you can see where all this is headed come July 1, when Kovalchuk inks a mega deal with another franchise desperate for a markee name and going nowhere fast.
The performance of Kovalchuk's agent Jay Grossman can also be questioned. Unless his mandate from the player was "get me to hell out of here now" he's failed his client in some sense. The salary demands are insanity when considering the shrinking cap on the horizon.
Trades are great selling points for any sport, in that it extracts all kinds of excitement and speculation. The front page news and lead in discussions light imaginations, while fans in 29 cities consider scenarios.
When trades go down like this, it hurts the sport because all the fans see is one greedy player, who will not earn his future payday, getting his wish.
If there is any excitement in hockey today, after the trade, it should be in Quebec City. They have just moved one step closer to retreiving a lost hockey franchise.
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Your title, Rob, is what I would call hyperbole. The stupidest trade? Ever? You live in a city where once we traded Pierre Turgeon for Shayne Corson because our GM thought we had too many good centres. That trade wasn’t even the worst, and Montreal isn’t the only case study.
I think I see your issue with Kovalchuk and the New Jersey system, but unlike Jacques Martin’s vain efforts, or Ken Hitchcock’s, what needs to be understood about NJ is their system is not just a system that turns as players come in and out – it is an ethos and a way of being. Kovalchuk will fir the system as many unlikely candidates have before him because that is what happens when you get to NJ. I’m not saying he’ll win the Selke trophy, but because the players believe their success comes from the way they do things, I think it can’t possibly miss Kovalchuk.
But ven barring that, what Lamoriello did was acquire probably the most accurate shot in the league for a very low price. He also managed to unload Cormier, who is already two disturbing hits deep into being a problem child.
As for Waddell, he exceeeded his Hossa performance, so he’s learning. Unfortunately for Atlanta, Kovalchuk did not want to sign there, despite big offers. Their challenge will be to not build a winner, but build a team that looks attractive to free agents and indeed its own stars. It’s a big challenge. Acquiring a player like Oduya probably isn’t the home run in this regard, but a start – better than Colby Armstrong, for example.
I find your reaction to this trade quite amusing in contrasting it to last year’s Havelid trade. Back then we amicably disagreed as well. I’m starting to get the feeling you don’t think much of Anssi Salmela…
by Topham on Feb 5, 2010 6:39 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
The title? Yes, totally reactive hyperbole, I admit. Watching the Habs with friends when the trade was announced, one reacted by spilling that line immediately and it was seconded with resounding “no doubt!”
I agree Jersey is an erhos of player behavior, but there have also been many who didn’t fit in.
Truly though, the astonishment is on the Atlanta side and adding to what already confounds is that he’s taken on Cormier and given back Salmela.
On Turgeon, Houle traded him because the player asked out, plain and simple. Retrospectively it was far from intelligent and showed an obvious weakness in Houle’s will, but Corson was coming off a career highpoint at the time.
I never thought much of Turgeon.
by Robert L on Feb 5, 2010 6:59 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
When you say many didn’t fill the NJ ethos, it’s important to distinguish this from the many we use here in Montreal. Yes there have been misses over the years.
My point was that there have also been as many suprises. People thought Mogilny was a bad move for them, but he became a Devils player. Zubrus has become a Devils type player. Jeff Friesen changed as a player.
We don’t know how Kovalchuk will react, but calling him “the most ill fitting player his team could have in terms of system adherence” might be premature. It takes a talented player to make such an adaptation, but talent is something that Kovalchuk can’t be begrudged. It only remains to see how he’ll play with a defence behind him for the first time in the NHL.
Turgeon may have been an imperfect example, but as you admit, last night’s trade was not worst, not by a long shot. I react to the title with a comment. I’d say stimulus:effect.
I liked Turgeon. He needed a coach who could understand and exploit his talent. I think given Houle’s human resources deficiencies, it’s safe to say he’d never have had that in Montreal. So the trade probably didn’t cost us much.
by Topham on Feb 5, 2010 9:30 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I can think of two trades in the last few years involving the Sharks that were worse than this one.
Dan Boyle for Matt Carle, Ty wishart and picks.
Joe Thorton for Marco Sturm, Brad Stuart, Wayne Primeau
Both at least as lopsided as this one, especially given the non-rental status of both players
by Jpynn on Feb 5, 2010 9:10 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Kudos and a Comment
First of all: Robert L and Francis B: Thank you for that great mid-60s Habs documentary. Fantastic! That and the brilliant, long piece about historical hockey in Vancouver made my day.
The comment: Lamoriello is an odd duck, but he’s also one of, if not THE best GMs in the game. Believe me: I know what you’re saying here. Still, what I think Lou did was roll the dice à la Sam Pollock in 1971. I can count on one hand the number of times Sammy traded a young player the caliber of Mickey Redmond—Redmond, Danny Grant, and Rogie Vachon, maybe Chuck Lefley if you like, are the ones that come to mind. Pollock traded Redmond (and two other players) for the missing piece on that 1971 team: Big Frank Mahovlich. Kovalchuk is not the Big M, but he’s the scorer Jersey desperately needs. I just watched the Devils go through a bad patch recently where they simply didn’t have an offense. Lou is no kid, and Jacques is no kid. These two are going for the whole shebang: The works. The Cup. And, even with Kovalchuk’s obvious defensive failings—but with Martin Brodeur in goal—it’s a reasonable gamble: Hey, a Devils’ first rounder ain’t going to be a Top 5. It’ll be a Bottom 2-3. I don’t know if I would have done this deal but they did it. And I understand why they did it. We’ll see.
by JohninOssining on Feb 5, 2010 7:41 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Statistics and one good look will always bring on the assessment that Kovalchuk is a franchise player and supreme talent, but is he really? In Atlanta, during his time, the Thrashers have been a model of underachievement. He was the face of a franchise that played to half empty seats.
Hm, I didn’t know that Kovalchuk was also the coach and GM of the Thrashers.
If Waddell’s word is true and that Kovalchuk is primarily interested in a deal that pays him close to 20% of a team’s cap space, then it can be said that the player’s main interest surely isn’t in winning a Stanley Cup.
Let me pose you a question. You have two job offers. One is a 30 minute daily drive, the other is a 1 hour daily drive. The first allows you to be home for an extra hour per day, while the second condemns you to be in the car for another hour per day. How much more money would you require in order to take job #2? I think that Kovalchuk’s main interest is playing somewhere he can win (i.e. not Atlanta).
If there is any excitement in hockey today, after the trade, it should be in Quebec City. They have just moved one step closer to retreiving a lost hockey franchise.
Yeah, because we all know how much Bettman has been working at getting a 7th team in Canada.
We require, as a team, proper levels of pugnacity, testosterone, truculence and belligerence.
DION F*****G PHANEUF
by Belligerent Burkie on Feb 5, 2010 2:33 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
And to be fair, Robert, you are kinda stretching it some: I’m old enough to remember the trade that made the Big Bad Boston Bruins: Phil Esposito, Ken Hodge and Fred Stanfield for Gilles Marotte, Pit Martin and Jack Norris. I used to think that was the worst trade ever, but that was until Corey and Houle managed to give Patrick Roy away.
by JohninOssining on Feb 5, 2010 3:01 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
I have to disagree with your sentiment here. I think the trade unquestionably makes sense for Atlanta. Kovalchuk wasn’t coming back, at least not for a deal that made any sense for the Thrashers, so the issue became picking the highest bid. Could Waddell have messed that up? Of course – but for the moment there’s no reason to assume he did. Two guys who already look like solid NHLers, a first round pick, and another guy who’s projected to be useful is about as good as you could get for three months of anyone.
Are the Thrashers worse off moving forward than they’d be with Kovalchuk? Probably. But just like how in the business world sometimes you realize you can’t make a profit and your goal becomes to minimize loss, as a GM sometimes your goal is to minimize the damage to your team.
I think it’s unfair to assume Grossman has failed, though. His job’s to do what his client wants, not make him sign the biggest contract offer. That might be Kovalchuk, and while I think he’s interested in getting paid, I also think he’s interested in going somewhere he can win – that’s been the word out of Atlanta the last two years and I don’t think it has changed any.
If there is any excitement in hockey today, after the trade, it should be in Quebec City. They have just moved one step closer to retreiving a lost hockey franchise.
And why? I don’t see any reason to believe this, at least not at this point.
by David M. Getz on Feb 5, 2010 5:38 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
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