Montreal Canadiens: Completely moving on from Ilya Kovalchuk

There was talk of the Montreal Canadiens possibly circling back on Ilya Kovalchuk in free agency, but that hope is gone as he’s decided to return to the KHL.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m glad the Montreal Canadiens steered clear of going back on Ilya Kovalchuk. But for the longest time, seeing #17 in a Habs uniform once again looked like a legitimate possibility.

Marc Bergevin took a flyer on the veteran after returning to the NHL via the Los Angeles Kings wasn’t working out. Kovalchuk and the Kings terminated their agreement, and the 37-year-old hit the open market, signing a league-minimum deal to play for the Canadiens.

It was a low-risk, high-reward deal for Bergevin. If things went south, Kovalchuk’s cap hit could easily be buried in the minors, or perhaps another team would be willing to give him a shot off the waiver wire. Fortunately, the reward was of the “high” variety. Not only did Kovalchuk improve his production with 6 goals and 7 assists for 13 points in 22 games, but he was also a positive influence in the locker room.

He was beloved so much that there was talk of him remaining with the team past the deadline despite the Montreal Canadiens being far from playoff contention at the time. Bergevin made the right decision trading him to the Washington Capitals instead of keeping him. In fact, that third-round pick received from the Capitals was sent to the St. Louis Blues for Jake Allen.

Despite being traded, there was a strong possibility of bringing Kovalchuk back for another year on a cheap deal. That was until evidence reared its ugly head.

Kovalchuk produced at about the same pace when he initially joined Washington with a goal and 3 assists for 4 points in 7 games. The Return to Play was a different story. Not only did he only appear on the scoresheet once with an assist, he just wasn’t effective out there. Then looking at the possible wall options, the Montreal Canadiens head begged the question of whether it made sense for Kovalchuk to be brought back?

I was on the side of “No,” and the additions of Josh Anderson and Tyler Toffoli cemented that notion.

Even if there was a part of Bergevin that still wanted to bring Kovalchuk back, his time in the NHL has ended once again. This comes from Aivis Kalninš, who relayed information from Kovalchuk’s agent that he will be signing with Avangard Omsk of the KHL.

Looking at the career of a legend, it’s disappointing to see leave the league again without a Stanley Cup championship. However, the Montreal Canadiens seem to be set on their forward corps. And personally, I’d rather see a homegrown prospect in a bottom-six role than Ilya Kovalchuk at 37-years-old.