After several weeks of fruitless contract negotiations late in the season, the Atlanta Thrashers traded star left wing Ilya Kovalchuk, along with defenseman and former Devil Anssi Salmela, to the Devils on February 4, 2010, in exchange for defenseman Johnny Oduya and forward Niclas Bergfors, prospect Patrice Cormier and a first-round draft pick in 2010. The Devils finished the season in first place in the Atlantic and second in the East. Their seeding matched them up against Philadelphia in the first round, who eliminated the Devils four games to one. Kovalchuk was held to two goals in the series.