5 best fits for Ilya Kovalchuk in NHL free agency

A star winger finally has set his sights on returning to the NHL. Some teams will race for Ilya Kovalchuk’s signature; others will surely stay away.

From a draft pick for the Atlanta Thrashers to an elite winger for the New Jersey Devils who bolstered the squad to a Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2012, Ilya Kovalchuk’s early career started auspiciously. However, it wouldn’t be the most sweet farewell for Kovalchuk and Devils fans.

Soon after the loss to the Los Angeles Kings for the Cup, and in the midst of contract disputes, Kovalchuk departed from the Devils and made his way to Russia. Long story short, a costly move saw the Devils lose draft picks and have some troubles financially, which arguably set them back a few years.

Kovalchuk seemed to make the right move for himself with his arrival back in his country. Six seasons have been spent from the winger playing for Saint Petersburg, where he definitely is making loads of money.

Two of Kovalchuk’s last six seasons had SKA winning the Gagarin Cup. The 35-year-old has produced multiple 30 goal seasons, and he went on to win a Gold Medal with Russia at the recent Olympic cycle.

It’s safe to say that the player outsmarted the team in 2012. Now, Kovalchuk is heavily rumored to be moving right back to the NHL. Chances are that the Devils will stay as far away from the Russian winger as possible.

However, a plethora of teams can use Kovalchuk’s scoring capability. He may not be able to produce as much as he did in his young days, but fans will never know that for sure until Kovalchuk returns to North America.

Regardless, here are five teams that could really use the presence of Kovalchuk in their lineup.

5. New York Rangers

It’s rather painful to write this for some reason: Kovalchuk has been heavily linked with a move to the Rangers ever since a return to the NHL for the former Devil was announced.

CBS Sports was one of the many a month ago to announce heavy rumors that Kolvalchuk was near seconds away from heading to the Big Apple.

"Although the money of the deal is unknown, Kovalchuk can help the Rangers hit their floor. Signing on a pricey player would be strange for any other team in a rebuild, but Kovalchuk can help their long-term plan"

However, several other sources came out later confirming that Kovalchuk was denying any possibility of signing with New York. It’s a confusing situation, to say the least, but one that will surely develop over time.

It’s rebuild time for the Rangers. Alain Vigneault is gone, and the Rangers currently have a ton of cap space for the summer. Their depth that was so vibrant a few years ago has perished quickly thanks to trades with the “Tampa Bay Rangers” occurred at the deadline.

It’s now time for picks and prospects — and they might be able to throw Kovalchuk in there, too. The former Atlanta Thrasher might be able to keep the Rangers competitive while also showing some of the younger players the way of the game.

It seems like a good idea for New York, but does Kovalchuk really want to come back to a rebuilding side? He’ll definitely want to win, and winning won’t be happening for the Blueshirts any time soon.