The Washington Capitals have acquired Russian sniper Ilya Kovalchuk from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft. In addition, the Canadiens will be retaining 50 percent of Kovalchuk’s contract.
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Ilya Kovalchuk Heading to the Capitals
Kovalchuk is now on his third team this season after having his contract terminated by the Los Angeles Kings and having his career rejuvenated after being signed by the Habs. He will be joining fellow Russians, Alex Ovechkin, and Evgeny Kuznetsov on the Capitals.
In 39 games, Kovalchuk has scored nine goals and added 13 assists for 22 points between the Kings and Habs. Over his career, Kovalchuk has scored 442 goals and 430 assists for 872 points. Kovalchuk was originally drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers first overall in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.
What This Means for the Future
In Kovalchuk, the club gains an extremely gifted offensive talent capable of playing in their top-six. Despite his age, Kovalchuk proved he can still be an effective piece of the offence during his time in Montreal. Kovalchuk consistently drove the offence for the Canadiens and was arguably their best player leading up to the deadline. His time was short-lived in Montreal, but he enjoyed every minute of it as it helped rejuvenate his career and allowed him to get moved to a contender.
Acquiring a player like Kovalchuk is a no-brainer. He is playing with a chip on his shoulder after getting his contract terminated with the Kings. He is also making a league-minimum $700,000, making it a very easy cap hit to pick up. Kovalchuk will bring a veteran presence to the lineup as well as provide an extra scoring boost for the power play. Kovalchuk has stated his desire to win and money means nothing to him at this point in his career. He just wants to continue to play. Getting a player for a cup run as determined as Kovalchuk is right now is a huge boost for the club. This move gives Kovy the shot at his true goal, which is hoisting Lord Stanley’s Cup.
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