On Ilya Kovalchuk …
Emily Sadler of Sportsnet: Elliotte Friedman last night during the Predators-Penguins game.
“There were reports this week that Ilya Kovalchuk would stay in the KHL and not come back to North America,” Friedman said during Saturday night’s broadcast. “Word out of the Scouting Combine is that is not the case, that Kovalchuk is still very much interested in playing in the NHL next season.”
Kovalchuk can sign with the Devils and remain with the team, or they can do a sign-and-trade. Both can’t be official happen until after July 1st.
“I won’t be surprised if some of the interest comes from people who know him—maybe like a Peter DeBoer of San Jose, Martin Brodeur in St. Louis, possibly even a Lou Lamoriello in Toronto,” Friedman said on Saturday.
Larry Brooks of the NY Post: The St. Louis Blues, Toronto Maple Leafs and San Jose Sharks are among the more than six teams that have shown some interest in Ilya Kovalchuk.
The New York Rangers are also one of the teams interested and they’d likely have to pay more to get him than teams like the Blues or Sharks.
The Rangers may need to trade Rick Nash (not to New Jersey) to fit in Kovalchuk’s salary – potentially $5 to $5.5 million.
Would the Rangers give up Oscar Lindberg, and would the Devils be interested in that? Lindberg could be selected by the Golden Knights in the expansion draft
On Alex Ovechkin, Ilya Kovalchuk and the Vegas Golden Knights …
Rory Boylen of Sportsnet: Vegas Golden Knights GM Brian MacLellan downplayed the idea that they need a superstar right away.
MacLellan was asked about Alex Ovechkin who might be available for the right “hockey deal.”
“That’s not going to happen. Too many No. 8 jerseys in Washington,” McPhee told Golden Knights beat writer Steve Carp.
MacLellan was also asked about possibility of trading for Ilya Kovalchuk.
“We haven’t had any discussion and I don’t imagine we’d go down that path,” McPhee said. “We’ll be looking for younger players and people who will be with us three to four years from now.”