As everyone knows, the contract of Ilya Kovalchuk was denied by the NHL which to be honest is no surprise to me and maybe devil fans. With Only around 2 million of available cap space remaining, how would it even be possible for Lou to sign such an elite sniper.
Also, as a gm of a team, i don't believe many players by the age of 44 can still play. Over the years, the devils haven't made the smartest signings.
Brian Rolston, for example, came off a 59 point season when he was signed, was not a player to pay a 5 million cap hit at the age he was at. Patrik Elias may not be a player who's name you hear every game on the score sheet, but when hes healthy he can be a top 4 forward on many teams. Last but not least, if any thoughts were on signing Kovy, why make a trade for Jason Arnott, who has passed his prime time.
Looking at all these contracts the devils have, what team do they have in the next 3 years? Rolston, Elias and future HOF Brodeur are soon to retire. You know what that means, the cap space will be amazing for this team. For Lou, maybe it would have been better thing for Kovy to be in Russia for a single year and sign next season.