NHL rumors: Rangers, Blue Jackets, Leafs on Ilya Kovalchuk’s wish list

With Ilya Kovalchuk’s NHL return imminent, he has highlighted three teams that he’s interested in joining. However, the feeling isn’t mutual among all three.

P.K. Subban won’t be the only exciting personality in the NHL next season. Rumors regarding Ilya Kovalchuk returning to the NHL have been swirling for the better part of a year. And now, on the first day of free agency, it’s about to become a reality.

If Kovalchuk wants to play anywhere, though, he has to orchestrate a sign-and-trade with the New Jersey Devils. That’s because Kovalchuk is on the league’s voluntary retirement list, and remains the Devils’ property.

However, he’s made Ray Shero’s job easier by highlighting a list of teams he’d like to move to:

The most notable name on that list is, of course, the Toronto Maple Leafs. They were the team that was most heavily linked to Kovalchuk because of their GM. Lou Lamoriello was the last executive that he played for, and many believed he would be the deal-breaker in the Kovalchuk sweepstakes.

However, the Leafs are a young team that made it further than anyone expected last year, and adding Kovalchuk may stunt their development — even if it’s only for one year. That’s not mentioning any possible tension that may still exist between Kovalchuk and Lamoriello.

Of the remaining suitors, he may be more inclined to sign with the Columbus Blue Jackets, since a top line of him, Artemi Panarin and Alexander Wennberg could be one of the most dangerous in the NHL. The New York Rangers are also an intriguing option considering they’re always a team that could use some scoring.

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There’s little doubt that Kovalchuk will be immediately productive upon his return to the NHL. We saw how good Alexander Radulov was last year with the Montreal Canadiens, while Panarin won the Calder trophy right after signing from the KHL. Even at 34 years old, Kovalchuk remains a dynamic scorer and can still be a point-per-game player. Whoever acquires him will enjoy what he brings to the table.