Ilya Kovalchuk and Joe Thornton have a combined 35 seasons of NHL experience. They've been standout players in the league for two decades, and both have shown that they can still be contributors at this stage of their careers.
It's also possible that Kovalchuk and Thornton will both be on the move during the upcoming offseason. They're both set to become unrestricted free agents, and because neither has ever won a Stanley Cup, it would be surprising to see them sign with a team that isn't currently in win-now mode.
Kovalchuk and Thornton provide veteran leadership, so there will surely be teams interested in signing them for the 2020-21 season.