It could be today or tomorrow but Ilya Kovalchuk is presumed to land on a choice regarding his future at some point this week. General Manager Don Waddell was scheduled to meet the Russian’s agent, Jay Grossman, at the World Junior Championships this past weekend. With more conversing to take place today, the fate of the NHL’s most sought after free agent is destined for a conclusion.
Ilya Kovalchuk Approaching a Decision
↵If Kovalchuk declines a multiple-year extension, the calls will pour into Atlanta. Pierre Lebrun had this to say regarding possible squads interested in obtaining Kovalchuk.
↵↵My guess is you’ll see the usual suspects inquire about Kovalchuk, teams such as Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Boston and several others, but an NHL executive from a Western Conference team told me recently he wouldn’t be surprised if the Chicago Blackhawks got involved.
↵If you’re like me, you’re probably surprised to hear that given the Blackhawks’ cap issues; but that’s exactly the point, the executive said. The Hawks could bolster their Stanley Cup chances by adding a superstar rental like Kovalchuk (who is set to become an unrestricted free agent July 1), but at the same time, alleviate their pending offseason cap headaches by sending a pair of salaried players to Atlanta (let’s say, for example, Cam Barker and Kris Versteeg).
↵Now, I want to stress, this is a theory. There haven’t been any talks between the Thrashers and Hawks because Atlanta has been focused on re-signing Kovalchuk. But it’s an interesting theory, no?
↵↵ A contract year usually increases the level of competitiveness and Kovalchuk has 25 goals in just 35 games and 47 points. Sitting fourth in league goal-scoring and eighth in points, the 26-year-old is on pace for over 50 goals and 100 points in what would be accomplished in 76 games. He’s good enough, plenty good enough.
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