I Fell for You, Don, I Feel for You...

First there was Dany Heatley. Then there was Marian Hossa. Now, Ilya Kovalchuk.

The Heatley situation was unique, and out of Don Waddell's hands. After the tragic car accident that took Dan Snyder's life, Heatley's desire to leave town made sense. It even worked out alright, with then-Ottawa Senator Marian Hossa coming to town - a trade that worked out well for both sides.

The Hossa move was tougher to swallow. Unable to sign the talented winger after a year of failed attempts to reach a deal, Waddell was essentially forced to move Hossa, or face the possibility of losing him in the summer for nothing. Waddell explained, "I've got to tell you, it was a long year. We did everything we could. You know it's hard to trade a star." The return - Colby Armstrong, Erik Christensen, Angelo Esposito, and a 1st round pick which turned into Daultan Leveille - hasn't translated into much.

And now, Waddell is facing a similar fate with Kovalchuk. Despite Kovalchuk's persistence in expressing his desire to stay in Atlanta, it's clear that he desires just the opposite. The two main offers posed by Waddell - 12 years, $101 million and 7 years, $70 million (would be the highest cap hit in the league by a wide margin of $500,000) - are more than he could hope to make as an NHL UFA. As for the Kovalchuk camp stating that they want the maximum - don't be tricked, that's just his way of saying "I want out."

There are rumors that "Kovy" is happy in Atlanta, but is unsure about the stability of the franchise, and the chance of the team moving. This is certainly plausible, and Kovalchuk may certainly be of this train of thought.

Do I think Kovalchuk is "wrong," or greedy? No, but it is unfortunate that he didn't inform Waddell of these intentions sooner (before the season, maybe) as opposed to now. Kovalchuk could've fetched a monster return with a year still left on his contract. Then again, he had no obligation to do so.

Regardless, I feel sympathy for Don Waddell. It isn't easy luring players to sign in Atlanta, and the desperation Waddell has shown in his attempt to make the Thrashers into a legitimate playoff team and develop the fan base (remember the horrendous Alexei Zhitnik deal that cost him Braydon Coburn and a 1st rounder?) hasn't resulted in one single playoff victory (they were swept by the Rangers in '06-'07 in their only playoff appearance).

Here's hoping Waddell is able to get a nice return for his super-star Captain. The Thrashers have some great building blocks for the future in Zach Bogosian, Evander Kane, and Bryan Little.

With Kovalchuk out the door, will the Thrashers franchise be bound for Atlanta much longer?

Only time will tell.