SKA makes Kovalchuk a healthy scratch again

It’s becoming increasingly clear that there’s a rift between the SKA Saint Petersburg coaching staff and Ilya Kovalchuk. In the first round of the KHL playoffs, Kovalchuk was stripped of his captaincy and he was made a healthy scratch in Games 2 through 5.

SKA allowed him to return to the lineup for Game 1 of their second round series. He didn’t record a point in the first three games and again he was removed from  the lineup ahead of Game 4. Without him, SKA turned in a dominant performance against Dynamo.

Kovalchuk has one year remaining on his contract, but it looks like his time with SKA might really be over.

2 things obvious so far in Kovalchuk/SKA saga: 1) Plenty of mutual resentment between him and coach, 2) He isn't missed by the team. At all.

— Slava Malamud (@SlavaMalamud) March 13, 2016

Kovalchuk options, most to least likely: 1) New KHL team, 2) Find way to stay at SKA, 3) Petition NHL for return, 4) Retire/political career

— Slava Malamud (@SlavaMalamud) March 13, 2016

At this point, I'd put the chances of SKA's terminating Kovalchuk's deal at slightly above 50%. Immediate NHL comeback still unlikely, but..

— Slava Malamud (@SlavaMalamud) March 13, 2016

Related: 

—Kovalchuk stripped of captaincy by KHL club

—Kovalchuk makes surprise return to KHL playoffs