Congrats to Hockeybuzz readers "NYIsles16," "Iginla," "Leafsdevils88," "Jsaquella," and "Agent." You have all one a year's season ticket to Hockeybuzz for your trade proposals. A season ticket frees you from autoplay videos and makes you one of the "cool kids"...To buy a season ticket and support the site for $20 a year go
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1000+ Comments later, countless emails, facebook messages, and twitter replies later...
Here are the five Kovalchuk offers that I think are reasonable and Atlanta "should" take if they were offered. You may or may not agree. You may think these are overpaying or unrealistic...let us know... I was going to give away a season ticket to the best proposal, but instead I was so impressed by the effort and work folks put it I have decide to give away 5 season tickets to these five offers.
Tell me what you think of these...
#1 THE ISLANDERS GET KOVALCHUK
Ironically, the first proposal was the second comment made of over 1000
To ATL: Kyle Okposo, Mike Comrie, 1st Rounder 09, 2nd Rounder 09, 2nd Rounder 2010
To NYI: Ilya Kovalchuk
Ek's Note: Had Tavares continued on to look Crosby-esque I would have thought longer about this. The situation on the Island is grim. I love the head coach, the organization has ben nothing but good to me, and Bill Guerin is as solid of an individual as you will find in hockey....
However, unfortunately from all I hear the Isles are in trouble of becoming the Las Vegas Islanders (Irony to move an "island to the desert." ...and while I think the NHL should expand to Vegas I plan on fighting long and hard to do what I can to try and keep the Isles on the Island. I will sign petitions, answer calls, whatever is needed. As I did in Nashville and Pittsburgh I believe that if I can in any way help keep a team where it is I will do it. I am certainly not implying that I can save the Islanders or that I did save the Pens or the Preds. I did what could to mobilie people. I can't do anything more than get the word out about the Islanders situation and help somehow garner the roughly 8 million hockey hockey fans that visit this site to unite behind a common part of our blood.
Why? It is simple. think about the kids..think about how YOU would have felt had someone moved your team as a kid. I would have been devastated. My life would have been forever lessened.
So it is with the Isles future on the Island in mind that I am making this trade. The NY Islanders need a Superstar that is a guarantee to be a superstar. A superstar that can become a local personality. A superstar that is ready to go immediately. Kovalchuk is their man. Kovalchuk on the Island can have every bit the effect that Ovechkin has had in Washington. Maybe more.
Islanders fans are among the most passionate I have ever seen. The numbers they come to hockeybuzz in is largely due to our amazing writer BD Gallof but beyond the numbers there is something in the "voice " of Islanders fan that is unique to them. They are a proud bunch.
I am not usually a big fan os slogans, but the best one I have seen in the last three years may sound simple and plain but if you are an Islanders fan or even know and Islanders fan you understand its depth.
"WE ARE ALL ISLANDERS."
It is perfect in its simplicity and in the statement it makes.
To find out about the Lighthouse project that can save the Islanders go to
THIS SITE and go to the
THE LIGHTHOUSE PROJECT PETITION and sign if you feel so moved to do so.
It is a far more politically charged situation and the odds are by all accounts far greater than we overcame in Nashville or Pittsburgh, but through numbers anything is possible.
#2 THE FLAMES GET KOVALCHUK
Hockeybuzz reader
Iginla prposed this deal...
To Atlanta: Regehr, Lombardi, 2009 1st, 2010, 2nd
To Calgary: Kovalchuk
Ek's Note: I like it and I feel this is EXACTLY the kind of move the Flames need to be making. One can only guess how much stronger this would make both teams. In my opinion Lombardi and Reghr both would become All-Stars in Atlanta and Kovalchuk and Iginla would win or compete for at least four Cups in Calgary.
#3. THE COYOTES LAND KOVALCHUK
Hockeybuzz reader
LeafsDevils88 proposed this deal and wrote the following...
The Phoenix Coyotes and the Atlanta Thrashers are two teams that seem to be going in opposite directions. Phoenix is a great looking, up and coming team while Atlanta has some nice prospects (Esposito, Bogosian) but doesn't really have anything going for them in terms NHL-ready young players (Bryan Little, Enstrom are the only 2 that i feel are). Phoenix, on the other hand have tons. Mueller, Turris, Boedker, Tikhonov, Hanzal, Lisin and Porter are all under 25 years old and all are NHL regulars.
Phoenix had high hopes of making the playoffs this year but unfortunately things haven't gone as planned. Bryzgalov has struggled and Turris hasn't flourished
this year as was hoped.
I think they still hope Turris becomes that star #1 pick they used to draft him so I don't think he's tradeable. Boedker is probably in that same boat.
Mueller is no doubt one of the best yound players in the league, but you gotta give up greatness to acquire greatness.
With Doan on the RW, Jokinen at C, what LW could make this one of the, if not the best line in hockey?
My trade proposal is....
Atlanta gets:
Mueller
Michalek
1st rder in 2009
4th rder in 2009*
Phoenix gets:
Kovalchuk**
4th rder in 2010
*Phoenix has an extra 4th rder in 2009 making this pick somewhat expendable
**Kovalchuk would fit under cap as Phoenix has 9M left. He is a UFA in 2010-11 (2 yrs) and may walk, making this deal risky, but with linemates like Doan and Jokinen (which hes never had) he may wanna stay around success. Plus they should have the funds to throw his way.
Ek's Note: Want to blog for the Coyotes for us? Very well done and argued. Impressed to say the least.
#4: The PENGUINS GET KOVALCHUK
Jsaquella put this trade up.
Atlanta gets:
Jordan Staal
Tyler Kennedy
Alex Goligoski
1st rounder
The Penguins get:
Kovalchuk
Conditonal 2nd rounder
Ek's Note...This deal is outstanding for both teams and the only question left to ask would be do the Penguins win 4 or 5 Cups in the next ten years...
#5 THE SAN JOSE SHARKS GET KOVALCHUK
Hockeybuzz Reader "Agent" Proposed this...
Kovalchuk is outstanding but you don't see big trades anymore mid season. You have to go back to the Thornton trade where the Bruins got Sturm, Stuart and Primeau. The Bruins probably didn't get enough but not too many people would trade big Joe for Kovy straight up so this is the type of trade you'll see.
You have to think the Thrashers will trade him out of the conference and they will want at least 1 established nhl player and at least 1 very good prospect.
San Jose would be a terrific destination and he might be the guy to put them over the top. They are very strong on the right side but their only natural left winger is Jody Shelley (yes, that's a fact). They'll have a lot of cap space when his contract comes due and with Thornton under contract for just two more years you have to think Wilson knows he has a small window. The ever cagey Burke will do what he can to get a stud defenseman like Niedermayer next year or Pronger the next and you can bet he'd love to bring Joe home to Toronto where he'd be an absolute mega star. San Jose's best chance to win is within the next 1-2 years.
To San Jose:
Kovalchuk
Schneider
2nd round pick in 10
To Atlanta
Michalek
Pavelski
Ehrhoff
Ek's note. I like your thinking on quite a few levels here, and the Cap Space is definitely there to make this move on San Jose's part...
+++++
So there you have it. Let me just say that I am constantly amazed by the level of hockey intelligence that the hockeybuzz readers have. I always laugh when people say that since this is my site I can write anything I want and not be held accountable by anyone...Everything I write is watched by a few million people who let me have it when I screw up in the slightest. And as long as it is done out of respect in a respectful manner I love being held to that standard.
I mean dont think I won't be hearing Richard Park jokes for the rest of my life.
Again thanks for playing and I will be back in a bit with more rumours for you all.
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