Are the Atlanta Thrashers going to trade Ilya Kovalchuk?
Absolutely not. General manager Don Waddell has said publicly that he’s not dealing Kovalchuk, even though he can become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2010. Waddell will make a strong effort to re-sign Kovalchuk, and he will aggressively hunt for a comparable center to play with him. In fact, Kovalchuk may have two new linemates next season. The problem for the Thrashers is that it will be difficult for the fans if they are in a situation similar to what they experienced with Marian Hossa in 2007-08 when he wouldn’t re-sign and then Atlanta was forced to trade him at the trade deadline. The problem for Kovalchuk is an uncertain economy leaves him unsure how he can be paid on the open market. It’s possible the salary cap could go down in 2010-11 and teams will be scrambling to shed high-priced players. His best contract option may come from Atlanta. 3. Will the Columbus Blue Jackets trade Rick Nash? Not a chance. The only reason why this possibility has surfaced around the
