Kovalchuk Signing Signals End of an Era in Jersey

Kovalchuk is a catalyst of change in NJ, where Brodeur is nearing the end.

For the first time in almost 17 years the Devils have changed their philosophy. There was no press conference or news release, no formal announcement or interview announcing it, but it’s written all over the 17-year contract that winger Ilya Kovalchuk signed today.

For almost two decades the Devils were considered the most boring team in the NHL; content relying on a lethal defense, the dreaded trap, and a moribund offense, scoring goals was almost an afterthought in New Jersey. But could you blame them? The one constant over the last 17 years has been Martin Brodeur, arguably the greatest to ever stand between the pipes. The Devils were also blessed with one of the greatest defensive tandems of all time in front of him for the better half of the last two decades. With Scott Stevens and Scott Niedermayer manning the ice in front of Brodeur, the Devils were hockey’s version of Fort Knox, their net guarded like the country’s gold reserves.

Through the years of defensive dominance the Devils patched together scoring lines like an heirloom quilt; Claude Lemieux, Alexander Mogilny, Bill Guerin, and Doug Gilmour all passed through Jersey, but none stayed long enough to help establish a consistent offensive threat. The closest the Devils ever got to a legitimate offensive threat was their A Line of the late 1990s-early 2000s, with Petr Sykora, Jason Arnott, and Patrik Elias forming what amounted for the Devils as a prolific set of forwards; however, compared to the rest of the prolific lines in the league, they were merely adequate for a team stacked on the blue line.

But all of that changed this afternoon. When Lou Lamoriello outbid the Kings for Kovalchuk’s services he eschewed Devils tradition and the philosophy that led to three Stanley Cup trophies and 13 straight playoff appearances, the second-longest streak in the NHL. Never has Lamoriello found a forward this valuable, especially with Brodeur in net. But Lamoriello isn’t considered one of the best in the business, and all of sports for that matter, for nothing. He recognized that while Brodeur still shows flashes of the brilliance that led to him holding virtually every meaningful goalie record in league history, he’s no longer the pillar he once was. Goaltenders like Brodeur and Patrick Roy don’t come around very often and other than maybe the Buffalo Sabres and Ryan Miller, teams aren’t building around goalies anymore.

After being ousted by the Flyers in this year’s playoffs, I think Lou watched the rest of the playoffs and realized that while goaltending is important, it’s no longer crucial to winning Cups. Neither of the Stanley Cup Finals participants benefited from stellar goaltending, with the Flyers’ Michael Leighton and the Blackhawks’ Antti Niemi being just good enough to keep their team in the game. It was Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, and Marian Hossa who led the Hawks to the Cup, not Niemi—not by a long shot. Goaltending used to be the rock that champions were built on, now it’s just another layer in the sedimentary foundation of a winner. Lou knows this now.

While some people see the 17-year, $102 million (with bonuses and escalators it has the chance to top $150 million) contract as a bit lavish, and even ridiculous, it is simply a sign of the times. Recently, the Hawks and Flyers have signed Marian Hossa and Mike Richards, respectively, to excessively long contracts; Alexander Ovechkin with the Capitals, Rick DiPietro with the Islanders, and Henrik Zetterberg with the Red Wings have all done the same. With the chance to re-sign the NHL’s leading goal scorer since 2001 Lamoriello had no other choice than to go for the gusto, loosen the purse strings, and empty the coffers on Kovalchuk’s lap. The Devils aren’t the defensive stalwarts they once were; Brodeur is no longer an immovable force in net. The Devils have to get offensive to survive in today’s NHL and Kovalchuk was the best candidate to drive the transition. He’s not just a goal-scorer; he’s an agent of change.

But Kovalchuk can’t do it alone. While Kovalchuk’s contract seems outlandish at first sight, it only gets out of hand for six years starting in 2012, when it kicks up to $11.5 million; the other years provide the Devils with quite a bargain, of course that is if Kovalchuk is still skating at 43. But with all that money tied up in one player, Lamoriello is going to have to prove his genius in surrounding Kovalchuk with quality role players who can get him the puck in the right spots so he can finish, as well as sufficient scorers on the lesser lines to give them much-needed depth. But that’s not their biggest concern.

The biggest problem facing Lamoriello now is what to do about Zach Parise, whose contract is up at the end of next season. Parise is the future of the Devils and the likely bearer of the captaincy once Jamie Langenbrunner decides to hang up his skates, possibly before. The Devils have been trying to unload some payroll to make room for both Parise and Kovalchuk, but so far have been unsuccessful. If the Kovalchuk contract prevents the Devils from signing Parise, it’ll have been a catastrophic mistake. But it’s highly unlikely that Lamoriello would let that happen.

With Parise and Kovalchuk the cornerstones of the Devils future, the Prudential Center will be witness to highlight reel goals the likes of which Devils fans have never seen. Kovalchuk may have struggled last year after coming over from Atlanta, but with a full off-season to work with his new teammates he should be acclimated when next season, and the Devils new era, kicks off. The days of the Devils being Brodeur’s team are coming to an end. As hard as that is for Devils’ fans to grasp, it’s the cold, hard reality of the situation.

As fans brace for Brodeur’s farewell tour, Kovalchuk and Parise will try to bring him one more chance at hoisting the Cup. But even if Brodeur leaves without a fourth, Kovalchuk and Parise will help usher in a new era of Devils hockey, and give their fans a reason to hope for the future.