Every hockey media outlet you look at today was buzzing about a possible impending trade between the Los Angeles Kings and the Atlanta Thrashers involving their high priced bauble, Ilya Kovalchuk. Reports of this are being disputed as of now, but Pierre LeBrun's sources over at ESPN say that the deal could be completed "by the weekend". I want to use my little piece of the inter-web google machine to ask the Kings to reconsider if they are really planning on pulling the trigger on this.
The Kings are an extremely young and talented franchise. They have four franchise type players all under the age of 25 (Quick, Doughty, Johnson and Kopitar). They have veteran leadership in Ryan Smyth. They have a decent secondary cast, which could always use improving. They are primed for their first real playoff run in a long time. This team needs to heed its own patient advice that has made them an after-thought for the better part of 10 years. If LA trades for Ilya Kovalchuk they must give up at least Jack Johnson, one of Wayne Simmonds or Oscar Moller and a bunch of picks/prospects. Obviously, this price is outlandish and no one would pay it, but it will still contain some of these pieces and the Kings need to retain these types of talent.
Fine, LA, you want Kovy? Sign him in July. Obviously the desire is there, along with the cap space to lure a player of his talents to Hollywood. These guys that are there now are what is going to attract Kovy to LA, not dumping them to Atlanta to try and sleep better at night about your playoff chances. He clearly is going to be a rental since Atlanta GM Don Waddell has said he will not give teams a window to speak with Kovalchuk's agent and LA should have as good a chance as any of them to get a chance to pay Ilya his absurd demands.
So, please don't do as the Rangers do and mortgage a very special core of players for one overpriced gun that you can buy at half the price in the summer.
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