The Ilya Kovalchuk contract conundrum

When the New Jersey Devils acquired offensive superstar Illya Kovalchuk from the Atlanta Thrashers in February of 2010, the organization and its fans thought they had finally found their scoring machine. Both parties thought similarly again when the team signed the winger to a whopping 15-year deal worth $100 million later that summer.

But so far, the fruits of the contract have not been picked.

There’s no doubt that when at the top of his game, Kovalchuk is one of the most exciting players in the league. He can put the puck in the net, has an accurate shot, and also has tremendous speed. But despite that, some among the hockey community believe that the superstar’s impact has been somewhat hindered by him simply trying to do too much for his still-new franchise.

“I think his impact has been limited, which is the main problem,” says Steve Lepore, editor and publisher of Puck The Media. “Kovalchuk’s either been too concerned with fitting into the Devils style (under Jacques Lemaire) or just not fitting in (under John MacLean). He really just needs to be semi-responsible defensively and score goals to make everyone happy.”

On the other hand, Chris Wassel, senior fantasy hockey columnist for The Hockey Writers, believes that it’s still too early to judge the depth of Kovalchuk’s impact given that he’s only in the second year of his massive contract.

“The bigger question may be why are we asking this in the second year of a 15-year deal?” Wassel said. “If he produces at 60-65 points annually throughout the contract, then yes, the contract is worthless.”

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As it turned out, Kovalchuk put up exactly 60 points last season with 31 goals and 29 assists in 81 games. Overall with the Devils, he has 87 points in 108 games, which may be good for any other player but is well below expectations for a player of Kovalchuk’s stature (not to mention price range).

And therein lies the problem. Through his short tenure with the Devils, Kovalchuk has yet to show that the club’s offense is more dynamic with him in the fold. Obviously, it’s still very on in the contract but to Lepore, it’s enough to cause alarm.

“It is obviously worrisome that this guy is on the books for 15 years,” Lepore admitted. “You have to get what you pay for.”

Wassel believes that Kovalchuk can do several things for the Devils to show that he’s well worth the price.

“If Ilya Kovalchuk puts up around 35 goals and 50 assists for the next decade along with 7-9 game-winning goals, the Devils fan base can probably live with that,” Wassel explained.  “If he is solid in his own end, that will help quell the debate of whether the contract is worthwhile.”

It is easy to say that it could take awhile for the Devils and their fans to find out whether or not the contract is worth it, but there is no doubt that Kovalchuk needs to mean at least something to this franchise.

“He has to provide the team with a 1 or 1-A scoring option along with Zach Parise,” Lepore said. “One of them needs to score in at least 70-75 games this season for the Devils to have a real chance at contending.”

Wassel agrees that for the Devils’ to justify their spending, Kovalchuk needs to not only be a scorer, but also lift his teammates as well.

“From a financial and statistical perspective, Ilya Kovalchuk means more than most realize,” Wassel said. “It also sets the bar for Zach Parise, who will earn just about the same amount in New Jersey long-term.”

That such a concern has arisen so soon into the deal doesn’t bode well for the franchise, but it’s not too late for the investment to start paying off for the stagnant Devils franchise. If a Kovalchuk-powered offense can get New Jersey back into contention at some point before legendary goaltender Martin Brodeur retires, the infamously extravagant contract may not be considered such a burden after all.

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