Despite receiving a lucrative offer from Avangard Omsk of the KHL when his contract was terminated by the L.A. Kings, there's word Ilya Kovalchuk never even considered a return to Russia. In fact, according to Russian reporter Igor Eronko, Kovalchuk has just one goal and intends to stay in the NHL until he reaches it.
Eronko says Kovalchuk has his sights set on the Stanley Cup, something the once prolific scorer has never won. Kovalchuk has all kinds of other trophies, including two Gagarin Cups from the KHL, two Olympic gold medals, a Rocket Richard award, among others. The Stanley Cup, however, has eluded him so far.
After parting ways with the L.A. Kings in December, Kovalchuk signed on for the rest of the season with the Montreal Canadiens at the league minimum. He's been earning every penny of it so far, with eight points in eight games (four goals, four assists). Realistically, his chances of winning a cup with the Habs this season are extremely small. While not impossible, the team will have to battle hard just to make the playoffs. Should Kovalchuk continue at his current pace, he could make a great addition to a Cup contender at the trade deadline, or could wait until July 1st to sign elsewhere.
Kovalchuk will be 37-years-old before this current season ends, so his window to keep playing certainly isn't open very wide. He has shown some flashes of his former self with Montreal these last few games, though and it's not a stretch to think he'll have many suitors at the deadline or at the end of the season, depending on how Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin wants to proceed.
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