Keeping an eye on the ever-evolving Ilya Kovalchuk situation, we reported yesterday that Kovalchuk was officially now a free agent after clearing NHL waivers. The Los Angeles Kings are stuck with his cap hit but no longer need to pay his salary in real dollars. Kovalchuk will now see if another team is interested in picking him up.
The first team that stepped forward was reportedly the Boston Bruins. A team looking for depth at forward and thinking Kovalchuk at the NHL league minimum salary might be a safe bet, league minimum might not be on the table any longer. More teams are being reported as interested.
According to David Pagnotta of the Fourth Period, the Calgary Flames and Pittsburgh Penguins are among the teams interested in acquiring his services. Others have reported the Colorado Avalanche might take a look after missing out on Taylor Hall.
Does Kovalchuk Make Sense?
Can Kovalchuk contribute considering the limited skill set he offers at this stage in his NHL career? Very good at what he does well, any team that takes a flyer on him will do so because they’re looking for a sniper who can chip in as a power play specialist. Outside of that, he’s likely too slow and weak defensively to really make a dent on an NHL roster playing regular minutes. That said, he’ll certainly try to prove that theory wrong.
More than anything, he likely wants to go to a contender and if the Bruins are still kicking tires, that seems the most likely bet.
Related: NHL Rumor: Rangers’ Chris Kreider Now Focus Of Trade Talks
