Oh you bet we're going to talk about the New Jersey Devils today

Devils owner Jeff Vanderbeek and GM Lou Lamoriello has a sad today. They both believed in Ilya Kovalchuk enough to trade away talent, draft picks (including a #1) to the Atlanta Thrashers now the Winnipeg Jets Redux. They were penalized by the NHL a #1 draft pick for a ham handed attempt to circumvent the salary cap. They inked Kovie to a 15 year $100 million dollar contract of which he was three years into. Yesterday he "retired" from the Devils and the NHL, only be reported to sign a deal Monday to play for SKA St. Petersburg in Russia's KHL.

The great Harry Neale, former NHL head coach and brilliant CBC Hockey Night in Canada analyst, said it best when he said sometimes the best trades are the ones you don't make. Boy is he right.

But Johnny, how did it come to this? Why would Kovalchuk retire from the NHL, leave the Devils devoid of offense and sign to play in Russia? Let us count the ways.

Kovalchuk's mother was asked by Yahoo if he had enjoyed his time playing in the KHL during the lockout last year:

Did he like SKA during the lockout?
“Of course. Otherwise this question about leaving the NHL wouldn’t even be raised. And so it happened… Besides, there were some problems in New Jersey. You know there will likely be a change of ownership there. It’s unclear how everything will turn out.”

Wow, he only liked it because he got to try it. Yes the tax free thing is nice but again he wasn't hurting for money here.

So, what caused the lockout? Let's ask Gary Betteman and better yet Jeff Vanderbeek. Vanderbeek argued  for the lockout and that's when Kovalchuck fell in love with the KHL. In love so much when told by Lamoriello to report to the 'hurry up there's a season training camps', Kovalchuk decided to stay behind in Russia and play in the KHL all-star game. Ruh ro.

Ya know that 100 million dollars you reached deep and found for Kovie, Mr. Vanderbeek? If you'd have spent that better and paid Zach Parise a portion of that in renegotiations he'd still be a Devil. You knew Parise would never bolt in the middle of a contract. HE was a leader. While we're speculating if you'd have taken another portion of the $100 million you'd still probably have David Clarkson.

So now the Devils have nothing. No offense. A huge risk in Ryane Clowe after his concussion issues. Maybe one more year from Marty Brodeur. Ownership is in let's call it, flux. Money is needed. Ticket sales will suffer because of the product on the ice. The new playoff format is even more foreboding and unforgiving. Kovalchuck saw this too and did what Ilya Kovalchuk has done everywhere he's played, soiled his wittle baby diaper and left.