How much is the Stanley Cup, North America’s oldest sports trophy, worth?
Ilya Kovalchuk has been the franchise player of the Atlanta Thrashers since the Russian superstar was drafted first overall in 2001. He is one of the NHL's leading offensive players, scoring 52 and 43 goals the last two seasons. Kovalchuk has already scored 31 goals this year in just 49 games played.
Kovalchuk will soon become an unrestricted free agent. Atlanta offered him a new $100 million contract but Kovalchuk wanted a max contract — $11.3 million per season. And he wanted it for the next 10 to 12 years. That left Atlanta with no choice but to trade him and that’s what they did yesterday when they sent him to the New Jersey Devils.
I am sure there was more to this trade than meets the eye. Was Kovalchuk just another greedy sports superstar or did he have a hidden motive? I don’t think greed had anything to do with his salary demands. He had to know that Atlanta would be forced to trade him and he was looking to land on a team that is a Stanley Cup contender, something the Thrashers have never been.
The Stanley Cup is so coveted by the NHL’s players that some of them would kill for it. The Devils were in contention for the Stanley Cup, and their chances of winning it have now been enhanced. And now Kovlacheck has a chance to have his name inscribed on the holy grail of ice hockey. That’s what he really wanted all along.
Of course there is no way of telling whether Kovalchuk will still be with the Devils next season. What with the NHL’s salary cap and his free agency, New Jersey may not be able to meet his salary demands. But in the meantime, both got what they wanted. The Devils now have a better chance to win the Stanley Cup and Kovalchuk now has a chance to have his name inscribed on the holy grail of hockey.
There is a downside to the trade. Atlanta has been struggling with attendance problems and some sports analysts believe that, without Kovalchuk in the lineup, the Thrashers will not be able to survive.
So how much is North America’s oldest sports trophy worth? At least a 100 million bucks.
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