It is out of a great sorrow that the Sabres organization announced the departure of Ilya Kovalchuk, One of the CMHL's greatest players...
Next are the GM's possible Explanations...
''We wish to announce the departure of one of our core players: Ilya Kovalchuk'' Those words not only made the medias go silent, but felt like the impossible just happened.
Kovalchuk, the point per game superstar, was traded to the New York Islanders. It was done and the only option left was to analyze the situation.
- Yes, Kovalchuk was completing the productive line of Koivu and Alfredsson. Yes, the player was a point per game and enjoying a good reputation in the locker room. Yes, the team was enjoying a good streak and little was to say about the performance of each and everyone... Except maybe for that 3rd line and maybe, i insist maybe, the start of the beginning of an answer can be found there.
- Tanguay was playing out of position and was wasting his interesting ratings on a 3rd line which wasn't producing effectively. With Kovalchuk gone, he can log more ice time on the first line and the change will be benefic, as the man proved he was worthy of it with a solid performance (8shots, 1 goal, 2 assists) replacing injured Toews on the 2nd line.
- Patrice Bergeron, while having a so so NHL year, is of a young age and will switch between him and Mikko Koivu every season to keep the 3rd line producing.
- Sam Gagner can be seen as the center piece of the trade coming back to the Sabres. Great talent, incredible vision, he could end up being another franchise talent for years to come... or not. Time will tell.
As for Brian Lee, he is the man that probably made the deal happen or at least washed out any doubts of dealing a superstar like Kovalchuk. With him around, another great potential completes the Sabres Future. And with Bergeron, Gagner, Toews, Price, Bieksa, M. Koivu, Vanek, Meszaros, Pitkanen, and 4 first rounders that could end up a top 3 picks if everything goes steady, the sabres have on their hands a dynasty in the making, nothing less.
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