Ilya Kovalchuk's tenure with the Los Angeles Kings officially lasted for just under a year and a half after the forward cleared unconditional waivers Tuesday, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun. Kovalchuk signed a three-year, $18.75-million contract with L.A. in 2018 and appeared in just 81 games for the Kings, recording 19 goals and 43 points.
He wasn't living up to his $6.25-million cap hit, but Kovalchuk can still score and produce to a certain extent, and he should draw some interest if he wants to continue playing in the NHL. Now that he's an unrestricted free agent, here are three teams that could benefit from bringing in the 36-year-old on a cheap deal.
Boston Bruins
Despite sitting atop the Atlantic Division with a dominant nine-point lead on the Buffalo Sabres, the Boston Bruins could use some secondary scoring.
Their top line of Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak, and Patrice Bergeron has a combined 56 goals, accounting for 49% of Boston's total goals scored. The prospect of playing for one of the league's top contenders could attract Kovalchuk, and the Russian could slot into the team's second line alongside David Krejci and help bolster the team's second power-play unit.
Edmonton Oilers
After a high-flying start, the Edmonton Oilers have started to skid. They're 3-6-1 in their last 10 games with just 23 goals in that span. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl remain the league's two leading point-getters, but goals have otherwise been hard to come by for Edmonton lately.
Kovalchuk could provide some much-needed support for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on the team's third line. Adding another scorer could also allow Draisaitl to return to McDavid's line, where the two have created magic together all season long.
Montreal Canadiens
It seems like the Montreal Canadiens could always use an injection of offense. This season, they rank in the middle of the league at 17th in goals for with 105. Goals are spread throughout their group of forwards, led by Brendan Gallagher, who has 14.
With Jonathan Drouin expected to be on the shelf for several more weeks after undergoing wrist surgery in November, bringing in another scoring winger could help the Canadiens stay afloat in the competitive Atlantic Division. Montreal has a plethora of cap space, so a low-cost deal for Kovalchuk wouldn't carry much risk.
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