The New Jersey Devils got Ilya Kovalchuk. OK, now what?
One thing seems certain: The Devils join a long line of teams that think they have a 1-2 punch to match Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin just because they have two decent offensive threats. Kovalchuk and Zach Parise are good. Sid and Geno, they aren't. Neither is as good as either.
Where does Kovalchuk fit in with New Jersey's regimented trapping system? Will he make it, or break it? Like-minded Marian Gaborik hated playing for Jacques Lemaire in Minnesota. Lemaire has decelerated Parise's production this season.
Who is Kovalchuk's playmaking center? Travis Zajac? Jamie Langenbrunner? Please.
Kovalchuk is a huge add on the power play. If you beat the Penguins on the power play – not exactly a daunting task – you can beat the Penguins, not that the Devils have had any trouble dealing with the Pens so far this season.
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