Thrashers trade Kovalchuk to New Jersey

Sports Columnist

Feb. 4, 2010 6:07 PM PT

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The Atlanta Thrashers, intent on trading free-agent-to-be Ilya Kovalchuk after reaching an impasse on contract talks, reportedly have dealt the two-time 50-goal scorer to the New Jersey Devils for defenseman John Oduya, forward Niclas Bergfors, prospect Patrice Cormier and a first-round draft pick.

The Kings were in the hunt but ultimately balked at a request by Thrashers General Manager Don Waddell to give up two players from the three-man group of Dustin Brown, Jack Johnson and Wayne Simmonds, according to a source familiar with the discussions.

That’s a lot to trade for a player they can’t be sure of keeping after July 1.

More later at www.latimes.com/sports

-- Helene Elliott

Sports Now

Helene Elliott

Helene Elliott was with the Los Angeles Times’ Sports department from 1989 to 2024, first as a staff writer and then, starting in 2006, as a columnist. She became the first female journalist to be honored with a plaque in the Hall of Fame of a major professional sport as the 2005 winner of the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Elmer Ferguson Award, awarded to writers “who have brought honor to journalism and to hockey.” A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., and graduate of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, she has covered 18 Olympics.