Despite rumours to the contrary, Cliff Fletcher flatly denies the Maple Leafs are pursuing Atlanta Thrashers star Ilya Kovalchuk."I can absolutely tell you there has been no conversations about any player with Atlanta, let alone the player you mentioned," said Fletcher.
Kovalchuk, one of the few pure snipers in the NHL, sounds as if he wants out of Atlanta. Russian newspaper Sports Express Daily said the Leafs and Montreal Canadiens were the front-runners for his services.
"The start of the season could have been better," Kovalchuk said. "Atlanta lacks stability to win (more) often. One match we play well, another only start well. And we must play on the same high level for all 60 minutes."
Thrashers GM Don Waddell said he was aware of the story but called it "a wild rumour. I have no interest in trading Ilya."
Kovlachuk also said he'd rather play in a full arena than in front of the sparse crowds Atlanta has been drawing. The Thrashers are 28th in home attendance, with an average of 13,795 a game.
"Empty stands influence the mood of course," Kovalchuk said. "But not everything depends on us. There is an economic crisis in the country and people think how they can survive in the current situation and not about sport. But if we start winning the stands will fill up."
Sports Express said Fletcher approached Waddell at the recent league meetings in Chicago.
"I might have said hello to Don," said Fletcher. "But I haven't really talked to him in months."
Fletcher said he doesn't expect trade talk to heat up until December. "It's not like trades are happening around us. Usually you get to the 20-, 25-game mark before trades start happening."
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