DEVILS SIGN KOVALCHUK TO 17 YEAR DEAL

With superstar forward Ilya Kovalchuk the target of overtures from all over the world, the New Jersey Devils decided to secure his services for the longterm by signing him to a 17 year deal worth a reported $102 million (US).  This means that Kovalchuk’s contract will be on the books until the 2026-27 NHL season at which point he’ll be 44 years old.  The former Atlanta Thrashers’ draft choice was also courted by the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings and New York Islanders, as well as SKA St. Petersburg from Russia’s KHL league.

Kovalchuk turned down $101 million (US) contract extension for 12 years with Atlanta earlier this year, at which point the Thrashers traded him to New Jersey.  The Devils will take a $6 million annual salary cap hit from the deal.  This type of deal has become increasingly common in the NHL as a way for teams to pay superstars more money under the salary cap guidelines.  The contracts are usually heavily ‘front loaded’ with very little money paid out in the later years of the deal.

Agent Jay Grossman described the negotiation process that led to the mammoth deal:

"This was a long, arduous process that has taken frankly a little longer than I thought. But you know what, nothing is worth anything unless you work for it. I can tell you he is very happy to be with the New Jersey Devils."

Asked if his client had chosen to sign with New Jersey to better facilitate a Stanley Cup championship, Grossman demurred:

"This was so far complex that I don't want to get into those questions. Obviously his goal is to win the Stanley Cup. If he didn't think there was an opportunity to do that, then he would not have gone there."

Devils’ linemate Zach Parise thinks that Kovalchuk will be a much better fit in his first full season with New Jersey:

"It'll make a big difference. You are throwing someone in midseason when sometimes it is tough when you are comfortable with certain situations."

Parise also praised team GM Lou Lamoriello for trying to improve the team:

"Just the way the seasons have ended the last three or four years, there has been a lot of disappointment out there. Lou looks like he's really striving to make changes and get things going in the right direction, because we have not been performing the past few years when it counts."

The Devils are coming off their third consecutive early exit from the Stanley Cup playoffs.  This year they were ousted by the Philadelphia Flyers in the opening round.  In 2009, they suffered a shocking last minute collapse in Game 7 against the Carolina Hurricanes to suffer elimination.