I’ll make this short and sweet. No, no way, not a chance. The Rangers should not try to weasel Ilya Kovalchuk onto the roster.
The Russian forward “retired” four seasons ago only to continue his hockey career in the Kontinental Hockey League. Before leaving, he was one of the NHL’s best scorers, scoring at a point per game pace over his NHL career. But at this point, that doesn’t really matter; the cards are stacked against Kovalchuk playing in a blue sweater.
Cost to Acquire
Kovalchuk’s situation is unlike any other. While he is technically a free agent, only one team may strike a deal with him: the New Jersey Devils.