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Ilya Kovalchuk

Ilya Kovalchuk Signs In KHL

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Former NHL superstar Ilya Kovalchuk has decided to return to the game after a two-year absence, signing a one-year contract with the KHL’s Spartak Moscow.

Kovalchuk, 40, has not played at all since his playoff run with Avangard Omsk in 2020-21 that ended in a Gagarin Cup championship. Before that short stint in Omsk, Kovalchuk had not been a fixture in the KHL since 2017-18, the final year of his time in the KHL that began with his highly controversial exit from the New Jersey Devils.

The 2001 first-round pick returned to the KHL in 2020-21 after two seasons in the NHL split between three teams: the Los Angeles Kings, Montreal Canadiens, and Washington Capitals. That raised the overall total of NHL franchises he’s played for to five, adding on the Devils and Atlanta Thrashers, teams he spent the bulk of his career weith.

Now, Kovalchuk will represent Spartak, a team that currently sits at the top of the KHL’s Western Conference. They rank first in the KHL in goals scored by a wide margin, so their addition of Kovalchuk is not one based on desperation to add offensive reinforcements. Instead, Kovalchuk will join an already-talented side that includes star Nikolay Goldobin, a former NHLer who currently has 53 points in just 40 KHL games.

While there is surely no possibility that this signing will result in Kovalchuk looking to once again return to North American pro hockey, this contract does extend the playing career of a forward who was once one of the NHL’s most electric offensive talents.

This Day In Transactions History: Ilya Kovalchuk Signs Revised Fifteen-Year Contract With New Jersey Devils

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What if there had been an Ilya Kovalchuk, Jack Hughes, and Jesper Bratt line going into next season? At age 39, perhaps Kovalchuk would have been destined for the third line with some combination of Erik Haula, Tomas Tatar, Andreas Johnsson, and Dawson Mercer. It’s likely this isn’t exactly what the Devils and their fans were thinking when the team signed Kovalchuk to a 17-year, $102MM contract back in July 2010. After all, Hughes was just nine-years-old, current team captain Nico Hischier was 11, and All Star defenseman Dougie Hamilton was looking to boost his stock in the 2011 draft with a big year for the Niagra IceDogs.

In reality, nothing went to plan when the Devils and then-GM Lou Lamoriello signed the 17-year pact with Kovalchuk, the NHL taking issue with it as a form of salary cap circumvention, an arbitrator agreeing with them. This would force a negotiation between the league and the NHLPA on how to handle the structure of long-term contracts. On top of Kovalchuk, the NHL had been looking into the contracts of Chris Pronger, Roberto Luongo, Marc Savard, and Marian Hossa, all of whom had received long-term, front-loaded contracts that carried salaries at or near the league minimum in the final few years, which served to bring down the overall cap hit of the deal.

In sum, the league and the players agreed to rules affecting new contracts (as of September, 2010) for five years or longer that lasted at least to a player’s 41st birthday which would give a more accurate reflection of the salary the player was earning. The agreement also made sure the issue wouldn’t automatically carry over into the next CBA, and of course, rules on contracts have changed dramatically since the 2012-13 lockout. Now, seven or eight-year maximums, consistent cap hits, 35+ contracts, and the like regulate at least that form of salary cap circumvention.

After the dispute, New Jersey and Kovalchuk agreed on a revised 15-year, $100MM contract on September 3, 2010 that would run through the 2024-25 season, carrying a cap hit of $6.67MM. The matter now settled, the Devils were looking ahead to their fourth Stanley Cup with their superstar in hand. Of course, as we know, the drama was far from over. During the first three years, Kovalchuk would be solid, but New Jersey would miss the playoffs in two of the three years. However, Kovalchuk and the Devils would take the Los Angeles Kings to Game Six of the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals, the winger playing a big part of that run.

Unfortunately for New Jersey, during the 2012-13 lockout, Kovalchuk would return home to Russia, playing with SKA St. Petersburg, who he had considered signing with during his 2010 free agency. The experience playing close to home and having his family nearby had an impact on Kovalchuk, who informed Lamoriello of his intention to return home to Russia after the shortened 2012-13 campaign. At just 30-years-old, Kovalchuk voluntarily retired from the NHL following the 2012-13 season, leaving 12 years and $77MM on the table. The Devils, who had already lost Zach Parise to free agency the year prior, were given a yearly $250K cap-recapture penalty, which is in effect through 2024-25, but were handed the forward’s cap hit back.

The 2013 offseason saw New Jersey bring in Jaromir Jagr to replace Kovalchuk’s production, the 41-year-old turning in an impressive 67-point campaign, but the Devils would miss out on the playoffs, finishing with 88 points. The team struggled to start the 2014-15 season, firing Head Coach Peter DeBoer and Lamoriello leaving that spring for an opportunity with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The organization would head into a full-scale rebuild, one which has, outside of a 2017-18 playoff appearance lead by Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall, lasted through this offseason. Things look to have finally turned a corner in New Jersey, lead by Hughes, Hischier, Mercer, Hamilton, and a world class group of prospects including Luke Hughes, Simon Nemec, and Alexander Holtz, but the aftermath of trying to re-sign and then losing Kovalchuk is apparent.

The Devils and their fans may, and rightfully so, attribute this long, painful rebuild at least in part to Kovalchuk’s abrupt departure, however they may have been best-served by it. At the time of signing, New Jersey was expecting Kovalchuk to lead a team backstopped by an aging Martin Brodeur and lead up front by an older Patrik Elias. Though Cory Schneider was able to step-up as one of the league’s better goaltenders during their rebuild, the team didn’t really have the younger, supporting cast to put around Kovalchuk as he entered his 30’s. And, having his relatively large cap hit on the books would have made doing so, and likely rebuilding on-the-fly, rather difficult. That would have in turn likely delayed the inevitable: a lengthy, painful rebuild.

As for Kovalchuk, the winger got his wish to head home to play in his native Russia and have his family nearby, something he accounted for when he left the $77MM on the table back in New Jersey. He would spend five more seasons with St. Petersburg, serving as one of the league’s best players on a premier team. Following the 2017-18 season, the Devils’ NHL rights over the forward expired and a 35-year-old Kovalchuk sought a return to the NHL. He’d sign a three-year, $18.75MM contract with the Los Angeles Kings, but had his contract terminated part-way through the 2019-20 season.

The Kovalchuk mega-deal, whether it be the original or the revised, wasn’t the first or the last handed out by an NHL organization, but holds significant weight in NHL history. First, one of the league’s very best players leaving in his prime, with more money than most players will ever earn left on the table was one of the biggest and strangest transactions in hockey’s history, perhaps in sports history period. Further, the original deal and the revised, provided a roadmap that would change the framework of the NHL’s contract and salary cap systems for the long-haul. The changes brought about by the first contract sparked the league’s desire for change, which became a focal point for the 2012-13 lockout.

Ilya Kovalchuk Named GM Of Russian Olympic Team

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The Russian entry to the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, will feature many familiar faces on the ice. Alex Ovechkin, Nikita Kucherov and Andrei Vasilevskiy were named as the first three players on the roster earlier this month, with many more NHL talents to come. Those familiar faces won’t stop on the roster though, as the coaching staff and front office are also filled with names many North American hockey fans will know.

Ilya Kovalchuk has been named general manager of the squad, according to KHL reporter Gillian Kemmerer. He joins head coach Alexei Zhamnov, as well as assistants Sergei Gonchar, Sergei Fedorov, Alexei Kudashov, and Evgeni Nabokov on the quest for Olympic gold.

Kovalchuk, 38, spent last season in the KHL playing for Avangard Omsk when he failed to find an NHL deal. Despite being very open about his desire to win a Stanley Cup before he retired, he was forced to settle for another Gagarin Cup championship, his third in an outstanding career. One of the most impressive goal-scoring talents in NHL history, he’ll now start a new chapter in the front office, trying to help his country win another Olympic gold. Kovalchuk was the tournament MVP in 2018 when the Russians won, though no NHL players were eligible to attend that event.

KHL Off-Season Opening Day Round-Up

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The KHL off-season opened today and the league did not waste any time in making moves that have meaning to NHL fans. A number of familiar names have hit free agency today and some are already agreeing to new deals. Meanwhile, others are being traded on the first day to do so, including the rights to some players currently in North America. Keep up with all of today’s action as the KHL’s clubs get their summers started early with significant moves:

  •  One of the first players to sign with a new team early this morning was former NHL forward Teemu Pulkkinen. A Detroit Red Wings draft pick who also spent time with the Minnesota Wild, Arizona Coyotes, and most recently the Chicago Blackhawks in 2017-18, Pulkkinen will be entering his fourth season in the KHL and is already on to his fourth different team. After splitting this season between Dynamo Moscow and Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, collecting 30 points in 46 games, Pulkkinen has signed a two-year deal with Traktor Chelyabinsk. The 29-year-old has scored at a .67 per-game clip in his KHL career and shows no signs of slowing down.
  • SKA St. Petersberg and Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod have made an interesting futures swap, trading the rights of two current NHLers. Torpedo received the rights to Edmonton Oilers winger Jesse Puljujarvi (as well as minor league forward Danil Voyevodin) while SKA landed the rights to young San Jose Sharks goalie Alexei Melnichuk. The deal is tricky on a number of levels; while Puljujarvi is undoubtedly the biggest name in the trade, it is Melnichuk who commanded the larger side of the return. It was also KHL powerhouse SKA who received the prospect netminder and gave up the established scorer. This could be a simple case of different likelihoods of those player rights having any value. While Puljujarvi previously left the Oilers for Europe, he has finally found his NHL stride in his return this season and is unlikely to leave again. Even if he does, Puljujarvi may just return home to the Finnish Liiga as well. On the other hand, Melnichuk was born and bred in the SKA system and the team may have some insight into his future plans. The 22-year-old keeper is valued by the Sharks and even made his NHL debut this year in his first season in North America, however his AHL play has underwhelmed and he doesn’t look like a realistic full-time NHL option for San Jose next season. If the young goalie grows tired of playing in the minors in North America, he would probably be happy to jump back to his old team and take on a starting role in the KHL.
  • Former Boston Bruins forward Joonas Kemppainen has signed a one-year extension to remain with SKA. The Finnish power forward didn’t work out in his lone NHL season back in 2015-16, recording five points in eleven games with Boston, but has been a productive player in the KHL for five years now. That includes a 15-goal, 29-point campaign with St. Petersberg this year that earned him an extension. The 33-year-old veteran is not a candidate to ever return to North America, but still has plenty to offer in Russia.
  • Vladimir Zharkov feels like ancient New Jersey Devils history at this point, but the former top prospect continues to produce in the KHL. Zharkov, 33, spent four seasons with the Devils early in his career and was a nice fringe piece, but lacked starting upside. In the KHL since 2012-13, Zharkov has become a reliable two-way forward and locker room leader, spending many years with top programs like CSKA Moscow and Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Now he’s off to the top team in the league, signing a two-year deal with recently-crowned Gagarin Cup champions Avangard Omsk, replacing the veteran presence of the departed Ilya Kovalchuk.
  • Torpedo jumped right back into the action, signing an exciting forward to a one-year deal. Marek Hrivik gave his all to a career in North America, developing in the QMJHL and spending six seasons primarily in the AHL for the New York Rangers and Calgary Flames. However, he never could earn a full-time opportunity and returned home to Europe in 2018. Even then, his first go-round in the KHL did not go all that well. However, after back-to-back stellar season in Sweden, he is ready to give it another try with Torpedo. Hrivik totaled 81 points in 90 games with the SHL’s Leksands IF these past two years and if that can translate to the KHL then the 29-year-old could become a star in Russia.
  • Another trade involving NHL property has landed, but this one could have more immediate dividends. Defending champions Omsk have acquired the rights to Boston Bruins prospect forward Peter Cehlarik from Yaroslavl in exchange for the rights to Anaheim Ducks defenseman Kodie Curran. Cehlarik, 25, is already in Europe, having left Boston this past off-season to join Leksands IF in Sweden. Cehlarik always showed great promise in the AHL, but couldn’t translate it to the NHL for the Bruins. After recording 20 goals and 40 points in 45 SHL games this season, Cehlarik may want to return to Boston, who continues to hold his rights, in an attempt to prove himself once more. However, the talented winger could be tempted to join the KHL’s current kings this off-season instead. As for Curran, 31, he already did his stint in Europe and made his return to North America. The Calgary native spent the previous four seasons in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden before earning his first NHL contract with the Ducks this past off-season. While he hasn’t see any action in Anaheim just yet, he has 11 points in 17 AHL games this season and his one-way, $1MM contract still has another year remaining. However, if Curran is still not being utilized by the Ducks after next season and doesn’t draw any other NHL offers as a result, he has a new home to return to in Europe in Yarolslavl.
  • After signing his entry-level contract with the Carolina Hurricanes, Pyotr Kochetkov has inked another deal – a one-year extension with Torpedo. The 21-year-old landed in Novgorod late in the season, but excelled down the stretch and in the postseason with save percentages of .931 and .932, respectively. Kochetkov could very well be in line for the starting role for Torpedo next season while playing on loan from Carolina.

Ilya Kovalchuk Terminates KHL Contract

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Are you ready for another Summer of Kovalchuk? The enigmatic Ilya Kovalchuk has terminated his contract with Avangard Omsk after winning the Gagarin Cup and hopes to return to the NHL once again.

Now 38, it’s hard to really have any idea what Kovalchuk can bring to an NHL lineup. During the 2019-20 season, he played for the Los Angeles Kings, Montreal Canadiens, and Washington Capitals, totaling 26 points in 46 games. That production came in very different ways. Kovalchuk struggled with the Kings to the point where the team told him to stay home, after recording nine points in 17 games but being a liability defensively. Then in Montreal, he seemed rejuvenated, scoring 13 points in 22 games and becoming a core piece of the team. When it was obvious that the Canadiens weren’t going to contend for the Stanley Cup, Kovalchuk was flipped to the Capitals, where he had just one goal in seven regular season games and then was held to just a single assist in eight postseason contests.

This season for Avangard, he put up 17 points in 16 regular season games and then added nine more on their championship run. Would an NHL team be getting the engaged, hard-working player that appeared in Montreal or the disinterested veteran that was in Los Angeles? One thing is certain; Kovalchuk won’t be getting anywhere near the three-year, $18.75MM contract he signed in 2018 with the Kings. If he wants to play again in the NHL, he very well may need to settle for the league minimum (which is increasing to $750K next season) and hope a contender is willing to give him sheltered minutes and a powerplay role.

Though his stated goal has always been a Stanley Cup, Kovalchuk also could reach some milestones should he return for a full season in 2021-22. He is 74 games away from 1,000 in his NHL career, would need seven goals to reach 450 and 24 points to crack 900. Those all seem like reasonable amounts even at his age, should he stay healthy and involved.

There was a time that Kovalchuk was one of the most feared goal-scorers in the entire world. In the four seasons between 2005-2009, his 189 goals were more than anyone not named Alex Ovechkin. His 73 powerplay markers during the same period also trailed only Ovechkin. Even with that history, it’s hard to know if any contender would really want to bring him back once again. The watch is on.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Ilya Kovalchuk Signs In The KHL

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December 26: The deal is now official. Despite a decent 2019-20 season in the NHL, even as he was traded twice, Kovalchuk has decided to return to the KHL. Avangard Omsk has announced a contract with Kovalchuk not only for the remainder of the season, but for next season as well. At 37, this very well could mean that we have seen the last of Kovalchuk in the NHL.

December 19: It appears that Ilya Kovalchuk’s time in the NHL may be coming to an end for the second time (after abruptly leaving New Jersey following the 2012-13 season).  His agent Yuri Nikolaev told Sport24’s Maxim Samartsev that he is working on a deal for his client to join Avangard Omsk of the KHL for the remainder of their season.

The 37-year-old had a rocky 2019-20 campaign.  After being benched in Los Angeles, he eventually agreed to a contract termination and signed in Montreal early in January.  He made an immediate impact with the Canadiens and did well enough that they were able to trade him to Washington for a third-round pick just six weeks later.  Unfortunately for him and the Capitals, things didn’t go as well with his new team, especially in the playoffs where he had just a single assist in eight games.  Between the three teams, he had 10 goals and 16 assists in 46 regular season games, slightly beating his point-per-game average from his first year with Los Angeles.

While it may seem odd that news of this comes just as an agreement on the upcoming NHL season has been reached, it’s worth noting that the KHL trade deadline is next Sunday and players not on a roster by then are ineligible for the rest of the season.  That makes the 27th a hard deadline for Kovalchuk to finalize something with Avangard or another KHL team to ensure he’ll have a spot to play for the rest of year since clearly, there aren’t NHL opportunities arising for him at this time.

Poll: Which 35+ Player Would You Sign?

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In today’s NHL, by the time a player reaches the age of 35, many consider his career to be over. ’He’s too slow,’ is usually the critique, given how fast the game has gotten over the last few decades. Even players that were once considered strong skaters are being passed by young phenoms, able to carve up the ice. But for some, that isn’t the case. The rare player is still effective into his mid and late-thirties, able to compensate for the declining footspeed with experience and awareness.

Joe Thornton, currently the oldest active player under contract in the NHL, recently signed a new deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs at age-40. He’s just a few months the senior his longtime teammate Patrick Marleau, who also just inked a new deal, this time to return to the San Jose Sharks. Henrik Lundqvist is the oldest goaltender in the league, though he’s only a few weeks older than Mike Smith.

For a long time now, Zdeno Chara has held the title of the oldest in the league. But the 43-year-old defenseman has still yet to sign a contract for the upcoming season. Perhaps after more than twenty years in the league, he’s prepared to hang up his skates, but you certainly can’t rule him out at this point. He’s still an effective penalty killer and can add instant leadership and experience to any locker room.

But beyond Chara, there exist some interesting older players on the open market.

Ron Hainsey, for instance, is coming off a season in which he logged nearly 21 minutes a night for the Ottawa Senators. The 39-year-old defenseman actually led the team in +/- and even recorded 12 points in 64 games, despite heavy defensive deployment. Hainsey averaged more than three minutes of short-handed ice time, but was actually quite an effective penalty killer.

Then there is Andy Greene, a longtime member of the New Jersey Devils who actually served as captain for five seasons. Not only did he earn $5MM on the last year of his deal, but he also netted the Devils a second-round pick at the deadline when he was acquired by the New York Islanders. Greene actually scored at a better point-per-game pace than Chara and is another respected leader.

Then there are the forwards. The whole league just watched Corey Perry go all the way to the Stanley Cup Final with the Dallas Stars, looking rejuvenated and as feisty as ever. Perry scored as many goals (5) in the postseason as he did in the regular season, but could still be a valuable fourth-line addition for a team that wants that bite for the playoffs.

Brian Boyle is also player that has plenty of playoff experience and can add a bit of physical presence. He’ll turn 36 in December but still scored 15 points in 39 games for the Florida Panthers this season, an 82-game pace that puts him over 30. There’s nothing wrong with that kind of production, especially when it comes along with a 6’6″ frame that is one of the most imposing in all of professional hockey.

Not to be forgotten of course is Ilya Kovalchuk, the enigmatic winger that is likely headed for the Hall of Fame one day. He could reach the 1,000 regular season game threshold if he plays in the NHL in 2020-21, and will likely break 900 career points as well. Kovalchuk is certainly not playoff-tested and has seemingly disappeared at times throughout his career, but that short stint in Montreal this season—when he scored 13 points in 22 games and looked re-energized—may excite a front office even as he approaches his 38th birthday next spring.

Who would you sign? All of these players would be eligible for bonus-laden deals, if they agree to a one-year contract. Could they still play a role on your NHL team? Cast your vote below and make sure to explain your thoughts in the comments.

[Mobile users click here to vote]

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Capitals Pursuing New Deal With Brenden Dillon

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Back before the trade deadline, Washington parted with a second-round pick as well as a third-rounder to add defenseman Brenden Dillon from San Jose for the stretch run.  It appears that the Capitals have seen enough to want to keep him around as Tarik El-Bashir of The Athletic reports (subscription link) that the team is actively pursuing a new contract for the pending unrestricted free agent.

The 29-year-old immediately stepped into a spot on Washington’s top four after being acquired, averaging just over 20 minutes a game after being acquired and nearly 23 minutes per night in the playoffs which had him behind only John Carlson and Dmitry Orlov.  While he won’t provide much in the way of offense (he averages three goals per 82 games over his nine-year NHL career), Dillon is a stabilizing defensive presence that can kill penalties while bringing some physicality to the table as well.  In other words, he’s the type of veteran that a lot of teams will want to have.

Dillon carried a $3.27MM cap hit on his now-expiring contract although his salary was $3.9MM in each of the last two years.  The latter number may be a better indicator of what his next deal could look like, especially using Montreal’s Joel Edmundson as a comparable (four years, $14MM).  There are only a handful of top-four defensemen that are set to hit the open market next month so Dillon will have some leverage in negotiations.  Capitals GM Brian MacLellan is determined to not let it get that far.

As for other free agents in Washington, El-Bashir reports that fellow Radko Gudas and winger Ilya Kovalchuk will join Braden Holtby in not returning; MacLellan confirmed earlier this month that the netminder would go to free agency.  Meanwhile, Washington may have some hesitance in tendering center Travis Boyd a qualifying offer due to his arbitration eligibility.  The 27-year-old only played in 24 games this season but put up 10 points which would certainly bolster his case in a hearing.

Capitals Acquire Ilya Kovalchuk

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The Capitals have added some offensive depth for the stretch run as they have acquired winger Ilya Kovalchuk from the Canadiens in exchange for their 2020 third-round pick.  Both teams have confirmed the swap.  The 36-year-old will now be joining his third team of the season.

Kovalchuk started the season with the Kings but some early season struggles led to a long-term stint as a healthy scratch.  Once the remainder of his signing bonus was paid out, the two sides agreed to a mutual contract termination.  However, it took until early January for him to find a new home when he joined Montreal.

He made an immediate impact with the Canadiens, recording five goals and five assists over his first dozen games with the team.  While he tailed off a bit since then, he leaves them with 13 points over 22 contests which is a pretty good return on a pro-rated league minimum contract of $700K.  TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie reports (Twitter link) that Montreal will retain half of that on their books as part of the deal.

While he averaged nearly 19 minutes a night with the Canadiens, his role will likely be much lower with Washington.  Kovalchuk should slot in on their third line and give them another weapon for an already strong power play.  It’s a reasonable price tag to pay for veteran depth while for Montreal, they turn someone they signed for nothing into another draft pick, giving them 13 for the upcoming draft which they will host in June.

Kovalchuk is now on the books for four different teams at the same time which is a first.  He’s on New Jersey’s cap for salary cap recapture from his initial retirement.  He remains on Los Angeles’ books as his contract was a 35+ deal so despite the termination, his full cap hit remains.  Meanwhile, Montreal and Washington are both responsible for a pro-rated $350K from this deal.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Trade Rumors: Barrie, Simmonds, Senators, Canadiens

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After years of mediocrity, the NHL’s Canadian teams have come to play in 2019-20 and are at the forefront of many of the trade deadline’s biggest story lines. However, perhaps the even bigger surprise than the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks being buyers is that the Toronto Maple Leafs could end up as sellers. In a very Canada-centric segment of TSN’s “Insider Trading”, Bob McKenzie reports that, following a difficult week, the Leafs have begun to receive calls on pending UFA defenseman Tyson Barrie, the team’s big off-season addition. McKenzie notes that this could have just as much to do with a suddenly barren defense market as it does with other teams doubting Toronto’s playoff chances, but regardless the team has not closed the door on a possible deal. Barrie has been a poor fit with the Maple Leafs but could benefit a number of other teams down the stretch and in the postseason. The team has seen the high prices that sellers have received so far and could be enticed to make a move of their own. However, McKenzie does note that Toronto is not expected to move Barrie without receiving a defenseman with term in exchange or without a second deal in place to flip picks and prospects for that elusive top-four right-shot defender.

  • The Vancouver Canucks already made a big splash with the acquisition of Tyler Toffoli, but they remain interested in the New Jersey Devils’ Wayne Simmonds as well, a target of theirs since last summer. However, Pierre LeBrun reports that the two sides have not been able to work out the salary cap details in a way that would make the addition work for the strapped Canucks. He suspects that this due to the likelihood that Brock Boeser will return from injury prior to the end of the regular season and the team must account for that cap increase. Seemingly at an impasse, talks are dead for the time being. However, Vancouver could circle back closer to the deadline if Simmonds still has not been dealt and the Devils are willing to be more flexible.
  • Yet again, the Ottawa Senators are one of the primary sellers at the deadline. While their offerings this year pale in comparison to last, they could still turn a nice profit with their current pieces. The insiders note that Vladislav Namestnikov is a healthy scratch tonight (and for the foreseeable future), as the Senators have at least four concrete offers on the table for the versatile forward. Toronto, Winnipeg, Colorado, and Columbus are named as the teams known to have interest, but there are likely more in play. Additionally, value veteran Tyler Ennis could be a nice depth piece for a contender and Edmonton is reportedly the front runner for his services. However, the biggest trade chip in Ottawa is center Jean-Gabriel Pageau, and the news tonight is that the two sides have actually begun formal extension talks. While the Senators continue to field offers, it is believed that they have set a high asking price and would prefer to re-sign Pageau. LeBrun even wonders if they would risk keeping him past the deadline without a new deal if the camps are close, especially given the departure of homegrown talent at this time last year.
  • The Montreal Canadiens have a suspicious healthy scratch of their own tonight in Artturi Lehkonen, who has remained out of the trade deadline limelight until now. The 24-year-old winger can be streaky, but is on pace for a career high in points this season nonetheless and still has one year left on his contract before becoming a restricted free agent. It remains to be seen if this decision is even related to a possible deal and, if so, whether Lehkonen is for sale by himself or rather part of a bigger deal. Despite the newfound confusion surrounding Lehkonen, the focus in Montreal remains on Ilya Kovalchuk. The veteran scorer is definitely drawing interest, but LeBrun reports that a framework for a one-year, bonus-laden contract extension is also in place if the Habs opt to keep him. Kovalchuk has proven to be a tremendous fit in Montreal and the team may want to hold on to that positive note in an otherwise disappointing season.

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