There are many reasons the Calgary Flames underachieved in 2017-18.
Their power play was dreadful from start to finish. Their 2nd pairing was not nearly as effective as expected. Their goaltending was very inconsistent, especially when Mike Smith was not between the pipes. Their inability to stop the bleeding whenever something went wrong was an issue as well.
Perhaps the biggest problem, though, was their lack of scoring. Despite the impressive star power the Flames possess – both up front and on defense – they scored just 218 goals.
Only Buffalo, Arizona, Montreal and Detroit scored fewer. Those four finished 31st, 29th, 28th, and 27th in the standings. Not great company to be keeping!
If the Flames want to get back into the playoffs next season, they have to score more goals. They need forward help, particularly on the right side.
One guy who could provide just that is Ilya Kovalchuk, who played plenty of right wing in New Jersey.
The Devils lose control of his rights this off-season so he is free to sign anywhere he likes come July, although he can talk to teams well in advance of that.
Kovalchuk spent the last five seasons in the KHL and enjoyed great success during that time – especially over the last couple years.
In 2016-17, he registered 32 goals and 78 points in 60 games. That's good for an NHL equivalency (NHLe) of 78 points. Kovalchuk followed that up by tallying 32 goals (again) and 65 points in 55 games, good for an NHLe of 68 points.
Even if you think those totals are a little too optimistic for a 35-year-old, albeit one who has always kept himself in great physical condition, it's reasonable to assume he'd still be the 3rd or 4th best offensive player on the roster.
Not only would he help at even-strength, but his shot would make the Flames a lot more dangerous on the power play.
So what would it take to get Kovalchuk's signature? I'd guess ~$5 million annually for two or three years, which is apparently the length he's hoping for.
Ilya Kovalchuk said he's going to play in the NHL next season. And stay there for 2-3 years at least
— Igor Eronko (@IgorEronko) April 8, 2018
There are plenty of rumors out there suggesting Kovalchuk would prefer to play in New York or a Sun Belt city *and* for a Stanley Cup contender. The Flames currently meet none of the criteria mentioned, but I don't think they're as far away from the latter as most would have you believe.
It's hard to say how many teams will seriously push for Kovalchuk given his age and the cost. Perhaps meeting his salary demands and giving him the opportunity to play alongside Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan would be enough to get something done.
If that turned out to be the case, Treliving would be able to check off arguably the biggest item on his summer to-do list.