Devils never had trade offer for Kovalchuk, GM says

The New Jersey Devils never received an offer to possibly trade forward Ilya Kovalchuk to an NHL team, general manager Ray Shero told Northjersey.com this week.
Kovalchuk will stay in the Kontinental Hockey League this season after trying to work with the Devils to return to the NHL. The Devils held Kovalchuk's rights and would have had to sign him to a contract before trading him.
Shero said despite efforts by Kovalchuk and his agent, it never reached that point.

"No not really,"
Shero told the website in remarks published Tuesday.
"It was, 'I talked to this team, that team, do you mind following up?' Which I did, and like I said, I never had an offer I turned down. He had to get a deal somewhere. That was step one. … That never happened, at least to bring to me for me to consider anything. So again, whatever happened in that process, I don't know. It wasn't my business, it was theirs. I was ready for point B but never got there. Again, I wish him luck, and it didn't seem to work for him …"
Agent Jay Grossman confirmed on July 4 that Kovalchuk will play this season in the KHL. Kovalchuk, who turns 35 on April 15, would be an unrestricted free agent able to sign with any NHL team if he tries to return after this season.
"Like I said many times, I didn't really have the expectations because it more or less came out of the blue, and I knew if he was not signed this year, he'd go back to Russia, he'd potentially be a free agent next year if he wants to come back a year from now," Shero said. "I couldn't control any of that. He was kind of our asset, but kind of not, if you know what I mean. I didn't control where I could trade him, sign and trade him. It was really up to him and what was good for him and his family. I never got involved in that part with teams, because that was up to [him].
"He's a really good player, and if he had been back this year it would have been fantastic, and if it's going to be next year for himself, that's great. It won't be in New Jersey."
Kovalchuk voluntarily retired from the NHL on July 11, 2013, with 12 years and $77 million remaining on a 15-year, $100 million contract he signed with New Jersey on Sept. 3, 2010. He signed a four-year contract with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL on July 15, 2013.
When Kovalchuk left the NHL, his contract was terminated and he was placed on the voluntary retirement list. That allowed the Devils to maintain his NHL rights until he turns 35. Prior to then, if Kovalchuk wanted to sign with another team he would have needed approval from all 31 NHL teams.