By Signing Ilya Kovalchuk, LA Kings Have More to Gain Than Lose

It was the best move the Los Angeles Kings never made.

This is the long-standing opinion of this writer, referring to summer of 2010 when the Kings, despite their efforts to land the star, could not sign unrestricted free agent Ilya Kovalchuk. Instead, Kovalchuk re-signed with the New Jersey Devils for what was a ridiculous 17-year-long contract.

In response to losing the sweepstakes, if you will, the Kings went out and signed Alexei Ponikarovsky. The Kings, though, followed that up by making (what this writer believes) what was the greatest under-the-radar signing in franchise history when they inked UFA defenseman Willie Mitchell to a contract.

Back to Kovalchuk, though.

While many fans of the silver-and-black (or, rather the “purple-and-black” at that juncture) wanted Ilya Kovalchuk in the City of Angels, this writer was more on the reluctant side.

As talented as he was and as natural a goal-scorer as he was, this writer just had a hard time getting past the superstar’s questionable attitude.

From his constant showboating to his selfishness — the latter saw him leave New Jersey for Russia just three years into his mammoth contract — Ilya Kovalchuk just wasn’t my kind of guy. With that said, you can imagine how vindicated this writer felt when it was Kovalchuk and the Devils who the Kings beat for their first Stanley Cup less than two years later. To add insult to injury, the Russian superstar was able to score one goal (an empty-netter, no less) in said series.

Of course, having factored in said reluctance, not even this writer can deny Ilya Kovalchuk’s talent and production level. So, when it was announced that the two sides had come to a contract agreement, I was on the fence about it. This time, however, I was a bit more excited than I would have been eight years earlier.

There is quite a bit to factor in here: some good, some not so good.

No Spring Chicken

For starters, Kovalchuk is now 35. While he certainly isn’t over-the-hill, the native of Tver, Russia, isn’t the young, quick sniper most of us are used to seeing from his days on this side of the pond.

Still, while he may have lost a step or two, Kovalchuk nonetheless continues to produce. Heck, just this past season, the veteran registered 31 goals and 63 points in 53 games for SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL.

Five Years Removed

For those who downplay the latter statistics by reasoning that the KHL is, for all intents and purposes, a tier-two league in comparison to the NHL, you bring up a valid point. Whether or not hockey execs in Russia appreciate their league being referred to as a step down from the NHL, there is little, if any, argument that the latter is superior to the former.

With that said, it would make for a good debate to see just how many goals Kovalchuk can score in the NHL after a five-year absence — especially playing a team notorious for their lack of offense. Surely, someone who averaged just under 35 goals per season in the NHL can help with that.

A Star Winger is Born

Okay, we’ve seen him before, so Ilya Kovalchuk isn’t exactly testing the waters in North America for the first time. Still, with his aforementioned absence in consideration, it’s going to be interesting to see how Kovalchuk fares in his return to the NHL.

While an adjustment period may be required early on, Kovalchuk’s talent and production may just be what current Kings centers Anze Kopitar and Jeff Carter need.

Sure, the latter two have proven that they don’t necessarily need a star linemate to get results, but when you bring in someone of Kovalchuk’s caliber, how can you not be open to at least give things a try?

Less Money for Doughty?

Arguably, the biggest decision ever for the Los Angeles Kings is one that hasn’t happened yet. There are still 12 months until the 11th hour is upon us. Still, the quest for a new contract for Drew Doughty is the proverbial elephant in the room that fans of the silver-and-black just want to see taken care of.

We could go on about how integral Drew Doughty has been — and is, frankly — to the Kings’ vast success within the last decade. While the team may not have had a great deal of success over the last few years, the club’s successful — not to mention patient — rebuild was centered largely around a player who quickly established as the most dominant blueliner in the game. Unfortunately, as per the reality of pro sports, significant success comes with a significant price tag.

While it may not be clear whether he’d like to surpass Anze Kopitar’s as the team’s highest-paid player, there is no argument that Doughty will be requesting a sizable raise from his current $7 million salary.

On Saturday, the Kings inked Kovalchuk to a three-year deal worth $18.75. In case you’re just that bad at math, that’s $6.25 million per season. Yet, while the NHL has increased their salary cap to a very reasonable $79.5 million, the Kovalchuk signing leaves the Kings with just over $3.18 million in cap space. Of course, a lot can happen between now and next summer. For instance, the Kings could elect buy out another hefty contract in the coming weeks. Dion Phaneuf and his $5.25 million price tag comes to mind, for example.

At this juncture, we can only hope that Kovalchuk’s signing doesn’t pose as a financial hindrance to Doughty’s future in Los Angeles. Only time will tell, though.

Just What They Need Right Now

Having just touched on Drew Doughty’s impending contract expiration, Kovalchuk’s signing could be just what the Kings need to hang on to their star defenseman.

Perhaps Kovalchuk’s offensive contributions could make the Kings look like an exciting team again and, in turn, maybe that will be enough for Doughty to stick around.

Not counting the lockout-shortened 2013 campaign, Kovalchuk never scored fewer than 29 goals in an NHL season (coming in his rookie year of 2001-02). The star winger scored 40-plus goals six times and hit the 50-goal plateau twice during his first tenure in the NHL. Of course, as mentioned before, Kovalchuk hasn’t played in the NHL in five years and, well, let’s be honest: a lot of changes during that time. So, while I don’t encourage skepticism, most would be wise not to call a 40-goal campaign from the Russian a lock.

Victory via Attrition?

While it is admittedly a minor plus, it could prove to a major one by the time the 2018-19 NHL season rolls along.

While the Kings may have been high on the veteran’s radar, they were not the only team in the Russian’s sights.

One of the few teams other than the Kings who were interested in Kovalchuk’s services were the San Jose Sharks. So, for a team — heck, a fierce division rival — to land a player of Kovalchuk’s caliber to add to a club that already includes Logan Couture, Evander Kane and even in goal with ex-King Martin Jones, the Sharks landing Ilya Kovalchuk may have been just downright unbearable for some.

So, if for no other reason than to see the Sharks miss out on signing the sniper than the Kings automatically get a win.

There will be plenty of questions should the Kovalchuk experiment fail to work in Los Angeles, but if the Russian can walk the walk and picked up where he left off, then the Kings will only be better.

While he was eight years younger in 2010, this writer just wasn’t gung-ho about having one of the game’s fiercest snipers signing with the Los Angeles Kings. Yet, while there haven’t been any cartwheels performed in the living room this weekend, this writer is nonetheless more comfortable with Kovalchuk signing with the Kings this time around. Maybe — and this is a big maybe — since the Kings offense has been so frustrating to watch over the last few years, Kovalchuk’s addition would only help the cause. Even if he’s been removed from the NHL for a few years, the Kings (in this writer’s opinion, at least) could still benefit from Kovalchuk, and even vice-versa.

In 2010, the Kings were in a different position. They were a team on the rise, a team on the precipice of unprecedented success in what was a rebuilding process unlike any other in the club’s 40-plus year history — adding a much leaner league salary cap to the mix. Kovalchuk, while his 6-foot-3 frame did fit the profile of then-GM Dean Lombardi’s blueprint, was notorious for being a selfish player, even a detriment in the locker room. That, despite his vast talent, was not enough to convince this writer that Kovalchuk was worthy of donning a Kings uniform.

In 2018, the Kings are, like it or not, in a different position. Still, the dedication to contend for the silver-and-black remains, and inking Ilya Kovalchuk has only proven that more so. Some fans may not be overly enthusiastic about the signing (some may be over the moon about it), but one thing is for certain: Ilya Kovalchuk, despite his NHL hiatus or his reputation, remains one of the most naturally talented players in the game today. So, even at 35, Ilya Kovalchuk will still bring enough to the table, and with the addition, the Los Angeles Kings, as far as this writer is concerned, have more to win than lose.

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