Thu, Feb 4, 2010 at 11:00pm

KOVALCHUK A DEVIL

The Atlanta Thrashers acquired winger Ilya Kovalchuk, defenseman Anssi Salmela and a second-round draft pick in 2010 from the New Jersey Devils for defenseman Johnny Oduya, winger Niclas Bergfors, center Patrice Cormier, a first-round draft pick in

What does it give the New Jersey Devils
In Kovalchuk, the Devils have landed a true game-breaker and the most sought-after player on the trade market this season. He's all offense, all the time. Will he mesh well with the Devils' systematic approach? Salmela is a former Devil, so he should be able to step into the lineup immediately as Oduya's replacement. The Devils also did well to swap second rounders in 2010 with Atlanta.

What does it give the Atlanta Thrashers
For the immediate future, Oduya is the key to the deal from a Thrashers perspective. He can log a lot of minutes and is both mobile and reliable along the blue-line. He may pair with fellow Swede Tobias Enstrom in Atlanta. Bergfors has a lot of skill, so he could step into the lineup to help replace Kovalchuk's offense, while the controversial Cormier is now Atlanta's future shutdown center. Adding a first rounder in '10 completes a decent, yet unspectacular package.

Fantasy impact