By Ray Flowers
February 5, 2010 12:21pm CST

Carrie Underwood is going to marry Mike Fisher. Wait a second, that's another article (I just wanted an excuse to use her photo on this piece at Rototimes.com, so forgive me for that digression).

Ilya Kovalchuk, the man who leads the NHL in goal scoring since 2002, is now a member of the New Jersey Devils. A perennial powerhouse thanks to goaltending and defense (they are currently second in the Eastern Conference in points), the Devils have often lacked sufficient firepower to make it all the way to hoisting the Cup (they are currently 13th in the Eastern Conference in goals scored). Will the addition of Kovalchuk be enough to allow them to challenge the likes of the Capitals and the Penguins, and will the deal change the fantasy value of Kovalchuk who will now be placed in a defensive system in Jersey?


THE DEAL

Devils Receive: F Ilya Kovalchuk, D Anssi Salmela
Thrashers Receive: D Johnny Oduya, F Niclas Bergfors, F Patrice Cormier and a 2010 first round draft pick
*** The teams will also swap second round selections in 2010

Wow.

Obviously the big news is that the Devils re-acquired Salmela who skated in 18 games for them last season. Psyche.

You know the deal is huge when the team acquiring the player actually puts up a running diary of his first day with the club.

Here is the Kovalchuk file, and it is mighty impressive.

* Since 2002 no NHL player has scored more goals than his 299 (Dany Heatley is second with 264).

* Since 2002 Kovalchuk is the only skater who has scored at least 38 goals in each season.

* Since 2002 no NHL player has scored more power-play goals than his 108 (Heatley is again second at 104).

* Since 2002 Kovalchuk is second in the NHL in points with 564 (Joe Thornton has 666).

* Since 2002 Kovalchuk is second in the NHL in shots with 1,994 (Alexander Ovechkin has 2,046).

When you list a series of statistical leaders and the only names that come out ahead of you are Heatley, Thornton and Ovechkin, clearly you are a special player.

The Devils are picking up one of the most dynamic scoring options in the league, and it can be argued, quite persuasively I might add, that if you need to score a goal that there is no one on earth you would rather have the puck on the stick of than Ovechkin, though Kovalchuk is a pretty darn close second.

As for the Thrashers haul, it wasn't too bad given that Kovalchuk is an impending free agent with a cloudy future (you can read about that below).

Oduya will be immediately inserted on the Thrashers' blue line, an area that they certainly need help in (they are 26th in GAA). He carries with him a contract for two more seasons, and has the ability to log more than 20 minutes of ice-time a game. Oduya had a hard time fitting in this season with the Devils after signing a 3-year deal worth more than $10 million as he has just four points and a +2 rating in 40 games. For a skater who averaged 28 points and a +24 the past two seasons, well, let's just say a change of scenery isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Bergfors is a rookie forward who has scored 13 goals, with an unimpressive (7) rating in 54 games this season. A 2005 first round pick, opinions are split over his long-term value. Some think he might have a decent career as a second line player, while others point to a lack of top end speed or size and think that he is more suited for third line work.

As for Cormier, everyone seems to think he will be a solid third winger, or at worst a fourth line physical presence for years to come. OF course, there is that messy on-ice incident that caused him to be suspended for the rest of the season, so it remains to be seen if he can keep his emotions in check long enough to reach his long-term potential (you can read about his suspension in Puck Daddy's column).

For more thoughts on the deal, make sure to check out the Fanball Sports Network by checking in with our Devils' correspondent Carlos Figueiredo at Speaking of the Devils.


FANTASY IMPLICATIONS

Bergfors might see some prime ice-time with the Thrashers, but even so he doesn't figure to improve upon his previously seen rates, especially in the plus/minus category.

Oduya, as mentioned above, will likely take up a spot in the top-4 for the Thrashers, and he should see some power-play time, but his value doesn't change much at all since he is clearly going to an inferior team. He should produce more points but nowhere near enough to be relevant except in the deepest of fantasy pools.

As for Kovalchuk, he could score if he was playing with his eyes closed, so don't worry about him. A lot will be made about the Devils and their defense-first philosophy, but let me say this to waylay your concerns - you don't buy a Ferrari if you are part of a carpool that takes the kids to the rink each day to practice. You buy a Ferrari to run it, and run it hard. Look for the Devils to adopt this same setup and allow the most gifted offensive weapon in the history of the club to do his thing.

The biggest loser in this deal is likely Nik Antropov. The Thrashers' leader amongst forwards in assists (he has 29, six behind Tobias Enstrom's 35), who will he pass to now? The Thrashers have some talented forwards, but let's be honest; you don't replace The Playmate of the Year with the runner up for prom queen from your local high school. Look for Antropov to struggle, not significantly mind you (the man has talent), but enough so that you've likely seen the best he will have to offer this season.


WHERE WILL HE END UP?

Where will Kovalchuk end up? That remains the question of the day. He reportedly turned down a deal for more than $100 million to remain with the Thrashers, which leads to one of two thoughts. (1) He wanted more money - to be the highest paid player in the league. (2) He wanted out of Atlanta for a chance to win, and no matter how much loot was thrown at him he wasn't signing on the dotted line (in his Thrashers' career the club has won a total of zero playoff games).

Whether he stays in New Jersey long-term or not remains an open ended question, but if the Devils ride his offense to an appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals, I don't think too many from the Garden State will be too concerned about that.

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