Ilya Kovalchuk’s future with the Los Angeles Kings – and possibly in the NHL – seems to be a huge question mark.
Accordingly Elliott Friedman of SportsnetThe team informed the 36-year-old that he “will not be playing for the foreseeable future.” Kovalchuk will essentially be able to continue training with the Kings, but will sit in the press box for upcoming games.
Kings general manager Rob Blake said only that Kovalchuk would no longer be available for health reasons before the team’s game against the Minnesota Wild at Staples Center on Tuesday night. Lisa Dillman of The Athletic.
Accordingly Jack Harris of the LA TimesBlake did not provide any further information about Kovalchuk’s long-term future at the club.
“He’s a healthy substitute, like Tyler Toffoli and Adrian Kempe,” Blake said, according to Dennis Bernstein from The Fourth Period.
In 17 games this season, Kovalchuk has three goals and nine points. Last season, he scored 16 goals and 34 points in 64 regular season games.
Kovalchuk is currently in the second year of a three-year, $18.75 million contract he signed in July 2018. He is the second-highest paid forward on the team this season, behind only Anze Kopitar at $10 million AAV.
Blake recently tried to move Kovalchuk, according to David Pagnotta of The Fourth PeriodThe problem is that Kovalchuk has a clause that basically prohibits the player from moving, so it is his decision which team he would be willing to give up for.
There is also a modified non-transfer clause attached to the contract for the final season.
Kovalchuk won the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy in the 2003-04 season along with Jarome Iginla and Rick Nash. All three scored 41 goals that season, one of which was scored by Kovalchuk for the Atlanta Thrashers.
He has 436 goals and 859 points in 897 regular season games.
The Kings are currently last in the Western Conference with a record of 5-11-1.
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