The New Jersey Devils won the Ilya Kovalchuk sweepstakes, landing the talented goal scorer for a package of forward Niclas Bergfors, defenseman Johnny Oduya, prospect Patrice Cormier and a 1st round pick. Kovalchuk should provide a boost to the offense once he gets settled in with his new team, and will give them a much needed piece to make a big push for the Stanley Cup. Hopefully, the Devils can sign Kovalchuk to an extension at the end of the season, or it will end up being one very expensive rental. That might be easier said than done, considering Kovalchuk turned down a twelve year deal worth $101 million from Atlanta.
The Atlanta Thrashers remained busy, dealing goaltender Kari Lehtonen to the Dallas Stars. Lehtonen became expendable with the emergence of Johan Hedberg and Ondrej Pavelec, and should find himself a good home in Dallas, considering the team is looking to get younger. One thing we can assume for sure, is that this trade spells the end for Marty Turco in Dallas, who is a free agent at the end of the season. There is a good chance he will find himself with another team by the trade deadline, and should still have enough gas to provide any would be suitors with a veteran presence in goal.
The Washington Capitals are currently running away with Eastern conference thanks to a fourteen game winning streak. The Montreal Canadiens ended the streak earlier this week. However, it still vaulted the team into a tie for the league's top spot with 89 points. The Capitals have lost the past two games, but a team that talented will eventually bail themselves out of it. Washington is looking like strong Cup contenders with each passing day and if they keep scoring in bundles, then it will be hard to stop them. It might come down to their goaltenders in the end, but with three suitable players in Jose Theodore, Michal Neuvirth and Semyon Varlamov, they can ride the hot hand when it matters most.
The Los Angeles Kings were also on a fairly impressive streak, winning nine games in a row before the Anaheim Ducks put a stop to it. The run is a great sign for a young team looking to get into the playoffs for the first time since 2001-2002.
The Phoenix Coyotes put themselves on a good streak, winning six in a row before losing to the Dallas Stars. Six games might not seem like much compared to the fourteen and nine game streaks above, but the Coyotes have been an up and down team, so six in a row is a great sign of things to come. As long as Ilya Bryzgalov stays between the pipes, they have a good chance to put up more winning streaks in the future.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Edmonton Oilers are trying to salvage what can only be described as a disastrous season. The team ended a four game losing streak and an eleven game road losing streak the other night with a win over Los Angeles, but they still sit dead last in the league. That doesn't compare to the thirteen game losing streak the team ended at the beginning of February with a win over Carolina. The Oilers have flashes of brilliance, but injuries and poor play have taken their toll, and has left the usually quiet owner of the team outraged and demanding change. Watch for them to make a lot of noise with trades when the rosters un-freeze on February 28th.
The Boston Bruins are another team that was faced with a setback, falling into a ten game tail spin. The team managed to avoid tying the franchise record for losses in a row with a win over Montreal, but the ten losses still set the team back in the Eastern conference standings.
The focus in the NHL now shifts to the upcoming Olympic break, and the hockey world will be watching as a large number of NHL players suit up for their respective countries. The heavy favourites to win are the Russians, the Canadians, and the Swedes, but teams like the Czech Republic, the United States and Finland could make some noise and challenge for that coveted gold medal. It will all depend how the seeds work out, and whether or not there is a Cinderella team waiting in the wings to upset one of the aforementioned teams.
- Mark McLean - RotoKingdom Staff Writer