The New Jersey Devils received a surprise trade asset when general manager Ray Shero announced Ilya Kovalchuk would return to the NHL. The team should not accept just draft picks in a trade for the sniper.
Ilya Kovalchuk is returning to the NHL, at least, that’s what he wants to do. All roads leading the Russian sniper back to North America go through New Jersey, the team he left high and dry four years ago.
While the Devils could be left with nothing if the team doesn’t get a deal done this offseason (he can sign as a free agent next season thanks to a rule allowing players over 35 years old to come off the retired list), Shero still shouldn’t act desperate.
This being a basic freebee for the Devils, it could be easy for the team to accept a draft pick or two and call it a win. That isn’t the case here. Kovalchuk could be a very good piece for a team that needs offense right now.
The Devils need something established in a trade for Kovalchuk. Whether that’s a player who can help the team today, or prospects that the team understands and bring a high likelihood of working out. A draft pick will take anywhere between 3-5 years before the Devils know what they are getting. The front office doesn’t have that kind of time to wait to make this team better.
The value of Kovalchuk is hard to determine. Some experts think teams would be willing to give up a very good player, even rumors say the Tampa Lightning would be willing to part with Jonathan Drouin, but that could be a pipe dream. Still, the Devils need to get something that helps the team by 2018 in any trade for Kovalchuk.
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Obviously, the Devils and its fans would love to get a player that could help them on the defensive end in a trade. The issue with that, most teams in a position to need Kovalchuk probably wouldn’t be willing to part with a top four defenseman in return for a one-year rental (if that’s what Kovalchuk ends up being).
The Devils cannot sign Kovalchuk until July 1st. That means any trade for a pick would have to be in the 2018 draft. It just isn’t worth the wait to see where that pick would come. A first round pick might turn into a bottom of the round choice, which in hockey is a crap shoot. That’s why the Devils need to make sure the return for Kovalchuk needs to be something that can help them now.