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Ilya Kovalchuk averaged ~10 minutes per night in three games prior to going down with an ankle injury.
Given his diminishing role with the team – and the Kings' struggles – it seems likely he'll be traded if he's willing to waive his no-movement clause.
With that in mind, we're going to share our thoughts on which team might be the best fit.
Todd Cordell
Though it would take some financial juggling, the Bruins make a lot of sense.
They rank 29th in 5v5 goals and average fewer than 2.0 per 60 in that game state. They could certainly use a natural finisher and they were one of the more serious suitors for Kovalchuk this past summer. I'm sure there's still some level of interest.
He's not what he once was, and no longer possesses burning speed, but he can still shoot the puck and – to this point – no team in the league plays at a slower, lower-event pace than Boston. I think he'd be a really good fit for them.
Peter Tessier
The trading of Kovalchuk could do us all a world of good- he still has talent and game but it's being wasted on whatever it is the LA Kings are. The problem with Kovalchuk is he is a 35+ deal with 2 years remaining thus it's a huge risk for any acquiring team.
So LA will likely be retaining salary and they will probably have to take something back that is less than ideal. If there was a team who thought Kovy could put them over the edge they'd be betting on him helping for 2 more years too so that's tough as it would have to be someone who had long-term cap space like Colorado!
Do it Sakic, load up at the deadline and grab this guy and dare the Central to keep up with you. All offense all the time and go hell-bent on destroying the rest of division and conference. Hell, maybe Bergevin gets a bit giddy if the Habs stay in contention and wants to make an impact- that's also the kind of crazy contract and thing he would do too!
James Tanner
I don't think there is a best fit for Kovalchuk. The Kings gave him an insane three-year deal that has a huge cap hit. Kovalchuk is 35 and appears to be finished at the NHL level. I'm sure it's possible he's got something left in the tank, but he hasn't looked good and I just don't see who is going to take on that contract. Even if LA eats as much as they are allowed to, I still don't think anyone would want him for three years. I think they're stuck with him.
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