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5 best fits for Ilya Kovalchuk in NHL free agency

By Nick McAdam

Russian SKA St. Petersburg winger, Ilya Kovalchuk leaves the ice a after pre-game warm up on April 2, 2018 in Moscow.The former New Jersey Devils forward declared his intentions to return to the National Hockey League (NHL) after five seasons in Russia, as SKA St. Petersburg was eliminated from the Kontinental Hockey Leagues (KHL) playoffs. Ilya Kovalchuk reached his 35th birthday on April 15, which changed his status in the NHL and allowed him to negotiate and agree to terms with any NHL team as a free agent, local media reported. / AFP PHOTO / Alexander NEMENOV (Photo credit should read ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP/Getty Images)
Russian SKA St. Petersburg winger, Ilya Kovalchuk leaves the ice a after pre-game warm up on April 2, 2018 in Moscow.The former New Jersey Devils forward declared his intentions to return to the National Hockey League (NHL) after five seasons in Russia, as SKA St. Petersburg was eliminated from the Kontinental Hockey Leagues (KHL) playoffs. Ilya Kovalchuk reached his 35th birthday on April 15, which changed his status in the NHL and allowed him to negotiate and agree to terms with any NHL team as a free agent, local media reported. / AFP PHOTO / Alexander NEMENOV (Photo credit should read ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP/Getty Images) /
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LAS VEGAS, NV – MAY 12: The Golden Knight and the Vegas Golden Knights mascot Chance the Golden Gila Monster pose for photos during a Golden Knights road game watch party at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center during Game One of the Western Conference Finals between the Golden Knights and the Winnipeg Jets during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 12, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. More than 3,700 people attended the event and watched the Jets defeat the Golden Knights 4-2. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV – MAY 12: The Golden Knight and the Vegas Golden Knights mascot Chance the Golden Gila Monster pose for photos during a Golden Knights road game watch party at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center during Game One of the Western Conference Finals between the Golden Knights and the Winnipeg Jets during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 12, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. More than 3,700 people attended the event and watched the Jets defeat the Golden Knights 4-2. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

4. Vegas Golden Knights

This all depends on what George McPhee and the Golden Knights plan to do with their expiring contracts at the end of the season.

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James Neal, David Perron and Jason Garrison all are about to hold a UFA status in the summer if the Knights don’t hold onto them. Combined, all three players are likely worth around $10 million.

That’s a lot of cap space to be cleared, which could signal a move for someone like Kovalchuk.

It’s hard to decipher which direction Vegas goes in after this run for the Cup. Do the Golden Knights stick with the chemistry that’s currently there and bank on it for next season? Do they try to build a realistic squad for years down the line?

Either way, Kovalchuk wouldn’t be a bad signing for this squad. He can try to keep an expansion team competitive, which could keep attendance numbers right where they’re at right now (which is very good).

The fact of the matter is that Kovalchuk will only have so many years left in him. Even if Vegas does sign him for a hefty deal, it could still win over the length portion of the deal and have him gone in two or three years.

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