4. Ilya Kovalchuk

Published in Top 50 Winnipeg Jets
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Ilya Kovalchuk plied his trade with the Atlanta Thrashers for seven and a half years, and while the Russian forward played for a team that wasn’t exactly exceptional, he was a star for the franchise.

The former first overall NHL draft pick proved to be a good scorer, and in the 2003/04 season, he would win the coveted Maurice Richard Award for netting the most goals in the National Hockey League. At present, Kovalchuk still holds most of the offensive records for the team, and while he was never a Jet, it will be a while before he relinquishes this spot on our list.

No matter what, Kovalchuk will always be the best Atlanta Thrasher of all time. We will let you decide what that is worth.

The Bullet Points

Position: Left Wing
Acquired: Drafted in the 1st Round, 1st Overall in the NHL Draft 6/23/01.
Departed: Traded to the New Jersey Devils with Anssi Salmea and the 2010 Second Round Pick for Johnny Oduya, Niclas Bergfors, Patrice Cormier and New Jersey’s 2010 First and Second Round Pick.
Games Played: 594
Notable Statistics: 328 Goals
287 Assists
615 Points
429 PIM
1.04 PPG
-84 Plus/Minus
56 Blocked Shots*
95 Hits*
118 Takeaways*
202 Giveaways*
74.5 Point Shares

4 Playoff Games
1 Goal
1 Assist
2 Points
19 PIM
0.50 PPG
-1 Plus/Minus

*These became stats in the 2007-08 Season.
Major Accolades and Awards: Maurice Richard Trophy (2004)
Second Team All-Star (2004)
All-Star (2004, 2008 & 2009)
Most Goals (2004)
Most Power Play Goals (2006)
Notable Top Ten Finishes: Top Ten Hart Trophy Finishes:
10th in 2004