Is a Montreal Canadiens reunion with Ilya Kovalchuk even possible?

Ilya Kovalchuk made a quick impact on the Montreal Canadiens, and it’s still a seesaw of opinions on whether he’ll return in free agency.

The Montreal Canadiens have had a decent record with taking a chance on players surrounded by doubt. There was no disputing Alexander Radulov and the skill he could bring, but there was still a risk in bringing him on board, given his previous stint in the NHL. Antti Niemi couldn’t stop a beach ball having a horrible start with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Florida Panthers while Ilya Kovalchuk looked as if his time in the league was over.

The Habs had relative success in each of those risks, with Kovalchuk being the most recent. The 37-year-old put up 3 goals and 6 assists in 17 games in Los Angeles, but the concerning aspect of his season was the drive. Kovalchuk looked disengaged, something that hasn’t been seen much from him throughout his entire professional career.

When Kovalchuk and the Kings agreed to a mutual contract termination, teams were hesitant to give him a chance despite there being offers from some names. He decided on the Montreal Canadiens and had a quick turn around in the city scoring 6 goals and 7 assists for 13 points in 22 games.

The organization appreciated the impact he was having in the locker room, making the decision to trade him necessary but hard. Marc Bergevin’s asking price was high, with reports out that he wanted a second-round pick for Kovalchuk. However, it was a third-round pick that got the job done.

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Bergevin also did Kovalchuk a solid in not only trading him to a Stanley Cup contender in the Washington Capitals but gave him the opportunity to play with friends Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov.

Many were receptive to the Kovalchuk trade as Free Agent Frenzy was a window to bring him back, similar to what the Habs did with Tomas Plekanec. Reports are coming out of a reunion as all but confirmed.

Sportsnet’s Eric Engels had the hottest news on that front in his recent mailbag saying a return to the Montreal Canadiens was all but assured. Information like that should make 17 back in a Habs uniform a sure thing, right?

At the same time, there is obviously something we don’t know as to who will make the Habs next year and who doesn’t. Perhaps the plan is for Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Ryan Poehling to not be Canadiens next season, something Engles also touches on in the mailbag. That would settle the “room” debate and leave a spot for Kovalchuk to play.

It will come down to one simple question: who does Ilya Kovalchuk things he has a better chance of winning with, the Montreal Canadiens or the Washington Capitals. If the Capitals end up winning the Stanley Cup once the season starts, then it won’t matter. But if he goes through another year without an NHL championship, the team with the better trajectory should influence his decision, despite how welcoming the organization was upon his initial signing.

Kovalchuk is approaching 40, and who knows how long he has to be an impact player on an NHL roster. Jaromir Jagr held on as long as he could, and his final run at 45 with the Calgary Flames was all he could muster. And even though he was chasing accolades and milestones, the closes he got to another Stanley Cup was 2013 with the Boston Bruins.

The difference between the two is that Jagr already has two championships. Kovalchuk doesn’t, and that could very well factor in, why return to the NHL in the first place?

Ilya Kovalchuk returning to the Montreal Canadiens is definitely possible. At this moment, it appears to be a guarantee. However, a lot can change between now and Free Agency.