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Ilya Kovalchuk is eligible to sign a new contract in just a few days, be it with New Jersey or another team in a sign-and-trade.
As such, rumors involving the winger are starting to heat up.
Kovalchuk has been linked to several teams, with the Columbus Blue Jackets seemingly popping up the most of late.
On Monday, Elliotte Friedman told Sportsnet 960 the Jackets are looking for another scorer and Kovalchuk could be on their radar (
transcription via FanRagSports):
“I think Columbus is out looking for one more scorer. I think they’re hanging around Kovalchuk. I think they’re going to try to see if they can get someone else, and then they’ll circle back on him.
“I think Columbus is sending a message that they’re going for the Stanley Cup in the next two years – big time.”
On Tuesday, Blue Jackets President of Hockey Operations John Davidson confirmed the team's interest in Kovalchuk during an interview on Prime Time Sports in Canada.
It certainly is no surprise the Jackets are interested. Earlier in the off-season, GM Jarmo Kekalainen publicly said the team wanted to add another sniper.
The belief is they want to seriously contend for the Stanley Cup over the next two years, which lines up with the Artemi Panarin trade (he's a UFA a couple summers from now), and Kovalchuk would certainly help them do that.
Ray Shero would undoubtedly prefer to move Kovalchuk to a team in a different conference, or at least different division, but he'll trade Kovalchuk to Columbus if the return is worthwhile. That's where things get interesting.
The Blue Jackets want to win now so dealing important pieces from their team for Kovalchuk seems counterproductive.
At the same time, the Devils want to start taking steps forward so they'd prefer something that helps them now. If they don't get that, the piece(s) they land better not be far off.
A player frequently mentioned in a potential trade for Kovalchuk is Ryan Murray. The former 2nd overall pick is still young enough to possess value but is by no means a pivotal piece for the Jackets.
That's the problem, though. Most will admit Murray hasn't developed as expected, but I don't think people realize just how poorly he's played to date.
Take a look at how Murray's HERO chart stacks up to that of a 3rd pairing guy.
Murray is only 23, but his performance at the NHL level leaves a lot to be desired. Acquiring him would be similar to Mueller in that he's a high pick that hasn't necessarily found his game, although the former is more experienced.
You could argue a change of scenery would help Murray but the Devils need to add established, quality blue liners if they're going to take the next step. I don't see how they get better by filling their roster with underachieving defensemen, and that says a lot given how bad their defense was last season.
I'm really interested to see what Shero fetches for Kovalchuk if and when a deal comes to fruition. It's a tough trade to make.
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