This weekend, I speculated where Ilya Kovalchuk might end up. One of the possible landing spots - at least according to my guesses - could be in the Kontinental Hockey League. My reasoning is simple: it’s Kovalchuk’s home country and the KHL could give him more money than any NHL team (conceivably) could.
Well, according to some rumors - and let’s make this clear, the reports aren’t verified - there is one KHL team already gearing up to go after Kovalchuk in a big way. Russian newspaper Sports-Express reports that the KHL team SKA St. Petersburg wants to offer the high-scoring winger crazy money this summer. (source: Dan Robson of CBC Sports)
Reports say Ilya Kovalchuk will be offered a whopping contract to join SKA St. Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) next season.
Sport-Express, a Russian newspaper, reported that the team plans to make the New Jersey Devils left winger an offer worth $42 million US over three years. The reports have not be verified.
Still, that hypothetical contract would net Kovalchuk $14 million per season. That’s more than $5 million per year than Alex Ovechkin, the NHL’s highest-paid player, is making right now. That’s a lot of clams.
The KHL keeps resembling a Russian WHA, so perhaps Kovalchuk will become their Bobby Hull.
No doubt about it, Kovalchuk’s contract situation - whether he signs with an NHL team or someone in the KHL - will be one of the biggest stories of the summer. We’re clearly in the “speculation” period of this story since free agency day (July 1) is still a few weeks away.
Pro Hockey Talk will guide you the whole way with rumors, analysis and cheesy jokes.