Alexander Korolyuk is an enigma wrapped in a puzzle, wrapped in bacon and smothered with a tangy sauce? Well, he’s hard to figure out. Being a Sharks fan, I know all about this guy and all about how good he was supposed to be. The on again off again relationship with the Sharks was a little too too much like A-Rod and Jeter for me, as Korolyuk (”Korky”) never played a full season with San Jose and got about half a point a game… not exactly the stuff of legends. But somehow he kept teams believing that he had it in him, so this offseason San Jose got sick of him and shipped him to New Jersey getting a first round pick for the rights to Korolyuk and “cash” (they had to take on the contract of retiring Vladimir Malakhov).

So as many regulars of bars around the nation try to make “an honest woman” out of the local bar skank, the Devils thought they could woo Korky back into the NHL. Turns out Russia is a better place to live than New Jersey, you learn something new everyday, because Korolyuk opted not to join the Devils, who a week ago was traded back to the Sharks for a third round pick (wait… first rounder and the player back for a third round pick… damn, check out the big brain on Doug Wilson).

But as the bar skank cannot be tamed, neither could Korky, and the Sharks nixed the deal, because “[Korolyuk] apparently changed his mind.” This is too much drama for one mediocre player. Let the Devils keep him, at least we got a first rounder out of it all.

• Sharks’ trade for Korolyuk called off (AP)