Ilya Kovalchuk traded to N.J.

[hockeytown]

I didn't really see this one coming but I guess Atlanta tried to sign Kovalchuk and decided since they could not they better get something in return for him. Here is a statement from the G.M. of Atlanta

The Atlanta Thrashers have released a statement, and general manager Don Waddell claims the team offered a 12-year deal worth over $101 million.

"Ultimately, we offered Kovy more than $101 million over 12 years, which would have been the highest contract signed by an impending unrestricted free agent in the history of the league. If accepted, this contract would have been the second highest offer ever to any NHL player. We also met his desire to be the highest paid player based on average annual salary with a separate offer of 7 years at $10M per year ($70M). This offer is $0.5M higher per year than any other player. If we went beyond these offers, we would not be able to retain the young players on our roster when it came time to sign them, or invest in other top tier players needed to assemble a truly competitive team. Therefore, we are aggressively exploring all of our options as we move forward."

I am glad I am not a Thrashers fan...I would be sick from this trade!!!