According to Andrew Zadarnowski of TSN, Russian media is reporting that Ilya Kovalchuk will likely be joining KHL Avangard unless he is offered an NHL contract in the very near future.
Zadarnowski went on to mention that the KHL deadline for signing free agents is December 27, so he will need to make a decision no later than that date. It sounds as though he is still hoping to play the 2020-21 season in the NHL, but as of now there appears to be little to no interest.
Many free agents have been impacted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, as teams were forced to spend both wisely and minimally this offseason given the fact the salary cap remained flat. As a result, many big name free agents remain on the market, including names such as Mike Hoffman, Mikael Granlund, Sami Vatanen, and many more.
Last season saw Kovalchuk begin the year with the L.A. Kings, but only appear in 17 games with them as both sides agreed to terminate his contract. He then signed as a free agent with the Montreal Canadiens before being dealt to the Washington Capitals at the 2020 trade deadline. He appeared in a total of 46 games last season, posting 10 goals and 26 points. If this is the last we have seen from him in the NHL, it was a fantastic career for the now 37-year-old, who accumulated 443 goals and 876 points in 926 games.
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