What is Lou Lamoriello thinking?

When the New Jersey Devils general manager acquired sniper Ilya Kovalchuk from the Atlanta Thrashers on February 4, he made the following statement during a conference call about the blockbuster deal: “He [Kovalchuk] can do things that a lot of people can’t do, and put him into our lineup, he will become a part. He will be no different than any of our other players. He’ll be a part of who we are and help the team win.”

While most analysts agree that New Jersey wins the deal in the short-term–Kovalchuk adds dynamic offence while Atlanta gets solid second-tier material in rookie forward Nicklas Bergfors and D-man Johnny Oduya–Lamoriello is in for a nasty surprise if he honestly believes that Kovalchuk “will be no different than any of our other players.”

This, of course, mirrors the attitude New Jersey has parlayed into three Stanley Cup (1995, 2000, 2003). Everyone is expected to stick to the system. The team currently boasts the NHL’s lowest goals-against (125) with its defence-first attitude under coach Jacques Lemaire.

But Kovalchuk, in so many ways, couldn’t be a worse fit for this club.

The two-time 52-goal scorer is accustomed to being treated like a superstar. He’s known for taking extra-long shifts. In his seven previous NHL seasons, he has never finished with a positive plus-minus rating.

Does that sound like a guy who’s going to fit into Lemaire’s master plan? Certainly, he’s more mature than he used to be, but he hasn’t changed that much.

At age 26, Kovalchuk is a great, explosive player. But he isn’t going to bring the “Sure coach, whatever you say” attitude that made Sergei Brylin the most successful long-term fit among Russians in New Jersey.

And Kovalchuk reportedly turned down more than $100-million in a 12-year offer from Atlanta. It’s dubious in the extreme that the notoriously cost-conscious Lamoriello is going to step up at the end of the year and say: “Ilya, we’d be happy to pay you $3 million or $4 million more per year than veteran team leaders like Patrik Elias or Martin Brodeur.”

What does it all mean? Kovalchuk will get his share of goals with New Jersey, but will also likely end up at loggerheads with Lemaire. In the off-season, when he’s unrestricted, expect to see him either get his monster payday from a rich NHL club that needs to make a statement (like Philadelphia, Los Angeles, or the Rangers) or jump to the KHL, where even greater wealth awaits.

Playing in Russia wouldn’t just be about the money for Kovalchuk. He’s intensely patriotic, and suiting up in the KHL would enable him to represent Russia at the IIHF World Championship each spring. He’s done that three years in a row–in fact, he has played for Russia in some major international competition every year since 2000 (the World U18).

Lou? Enjoy Ilya while you’ve got him. Because this is anything but a marriage made to last.

Originally published in Prospects Hockey in 2009
By Lucas Aykroyd
The world was a tumultuous place in 1979. The Iranian Revolution, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and the Three Mile Island nuclear accident made headlines. But the annual NHL draft offered a ray of light for hockey fans with an unprecedented influx of talent, mostly from the […]

Originally published in Eishockey News in 2009
By Lucas Aykroyd
Sam Gagner has a long way to go to catch up with his father Dave. To be precise, Sam trails by 791 career NHL games and 629 points. But the 20-year-old Edmonton Oilers center is gradually learning what it’ll take to match the consistency of the senior […]

Originally published in Eishockey News in 2009
By Lucas Aykroyd
The London Pro Knights beat Switzerland’s EV Zug 7-4 on August 31 to win the final of the inaugural Euro-Can Cup. Hosted in London, Canada, the week-long, eight-game tournament also featured Austria’s Black Wings Linz and EHC Munchen of Germany’s 2nd Bundesliga, which finished third and fourth […]

Originally published in Eishockey News in 2009
By Lucas Aykroyd
Nowadays, in a hockey-mad country like Canada, the NHL trade deadline gets the kind of news coverage more typically associated with giant earthquakes and Beatles reunions. On March 4 this year, TSN and Sportsnet, the two dedicated cable TV sports networks, went head-to-head as usual with hours […]

Originally published in Eishockey News in 2009
By Lucas Aykroyd
If you compare the first NHL season of Steven Stamkos to the rookie campaigns of other recent top draft picks like Alexander Ovechkin (2004) or Sidney Crosby (2005), it might seem like a failure. But as the 2008-09 regular season heads toward its conclusion, the 19-year-old Tampa […]

Originally published in Eishockey News in 2009
By Lucas Aykroyd
In January, the Vancouver Canucks looked like they were about to freeze to death. In February, the club has begun to smell as sweet as springtime flowers.
After an overtime loss to the Minnesota Wild on January 31, the Canucks had truly hit rock bottom, registering their ninth […]

Originally published in Eishockey News in 2008
By Lucas Aykroyd
When Roberto Luongo strained his groin while making a routine save on Pittsburgh defenseman Philippe Boucher on November 22, Vancouver Canucks fans had genuine reason for concern.
Their superstar captain has amassed 11 wins, five losses, and two ties for his team so far this year, along with […]

Originally published in the official 2009 World Junior Program
From the 19th century to the 21st, Ottawa’s hockey heritage is legendary
By Lucas Aykroyd
Even if it was just about checking birth certificates, Ottawa’s contribution to hockey history would be huge. Dozens of NHLers were born in the host city for the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship, […]

Originally published in the official 2009 World Junior Program
Canada’s 1988 World Junior team reunites to celebrate its amazing run to gold
By Lucas Aykroyd
Many things have changed since 1988. Back then, Brian Mulroney was Canada’s Prime Minister, and pop artists like George Michael and Def Leppard ruled the charts.
However, memories of Canada’s heart-stirring gold medal run […]