The news Thursday that Ilya Kovalchuk had announced his retirement from the NHL shocked the hockey community and left a normally stable New Jersey franchise in one of the toughest spots of Lou Lamoriello’s tenure.
The 30-year-old Russian superstar, who was thought to be the team’s cornerstone after signing a 15-year, $100 million contract, decided to abandon the Devils to return to Russia. While the news was indeed shocking, Kovalchuk had been pondering the decision since the end of last season's lockout.
The three-time all-star forward posted 201 points in 222 games in just over three seasons with New Jersey. He was arguably the most skilled player the franchise had ever seen.
He suddenly leaves the team feeling empty in the scoring department.
Emotions aside, the Devils must now look forward and address the burning question: How will they fill the void left by Ilya Kovalchuk?
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Article written by Benjamin Zweiman
How Will New Jersey Devils Fill Scoring Void Left by Ilya Kovalchuk?
July 13th, 2013 by Benjamin Zweiman Leave a reply »
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