Should the Philadelphia Flyers be interested in Ilya Kovalchuk?

Should the Philadelphia Flyers be interested in the veteran Russian winger?

As free agency continues, a lot of the bigger name players have found new homes. With that said, there are still several intriguing options available on the open market for the Philadelphia Flyers to consider. One of those players is 37-year-old veteran winger Ilya Kovalchuk.

David Satriano of NHL.com recently wrote an article on the top free agent forwards still available on the open market. When he got to Kovalchuk, the Flyers were listed as a potential landing spot for the veteran goal scorer. Needless to say, this got my attention. It begs the question, does it really make any sense for the Orange and Black to add a veteran player like Kovalchuk, when the team has made it clear they want to continue getting younger? To me, the answer is simple: It’s all about the money.

Since returning from the Kontinental Hockey League at the start of the 2018-2019 season, Kovalchuk has shown that while he is not the same superstar caliber player he was in his prime, he can still be a player who can chip in 20 goals and help out on the power play. That last sentence is key, especially considering how ATROCIOUS the Flyers were on the power play in the playoffs. I get it; you may think I am overreacting but trust me, I am not. Don’t believe me? Well, how does 4-52 (7.7 percent) sound?

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Yeah, it was that bad.

Let’s be clear; I can’t emphasize enough that adding Kovalchuk would not mean you’d be getting the former six-time 40 goal (and two-time 50 goal) scorer. You would be getting a player that would have to come in, accept his role, and be willing to give 100 percent every night. A couple of years ago, I would say you were crazy if you believed you could get him to commit to that. Now? I think it is entirely possible the Flyers could get that from him.

After he was bought out by the Los Angeles Kings last season, where he produced three goals and six assists (nine points) in 17 games, Kovalchuk signed with the Montreal Canadians, and it actually ended up working out pretty well. The key here is that Montreal is a notoriously tough place to play, and once he joined the Habs, you could see that Kovalchuk was playing with a chip on his shoulder. He was able to produce six goals and seven assists (13 points) in 22 games, which is really not bad production at all. From Montreal, the veteran was dealt to the Washington Capitals at the trade deadline. In the nation’s capital, he produced one goal and three assists (four points) in only seven games due to the COVID-19 stoppage. In the playoffs, he was rather non-existent as he only had one point (an assist) in eight playoff games.

With that said, I am not overly concerned with his lack of production in the bubble due to the unusual circumstance of playing on three different teams in a year that had a global pandemic.

I see no reason why the Flyers couldn’t get a 20 goal, 40 point caliber season from Kovalchuk. he could fit in rather nicely all throughout the lineup, and I am so intrigued by the idea of him skating with Claude Giroux. Could you imagine? Finally, being able to skate Giroux with a pure goal scorer? Wow, what a concept. Granted, Kovalchuk is 37 years old, but I’m still salivating at this idea. The Orange and Black are littered with guys dedicated to skating a two-way game, so adding a guy whose objective is to purely score goals is not the worst idea. Plus, it would be a cheap alternative versus a blockbuster deal for a guy like Patrik Laine.

Next. 5 players the Philadelphia Flyers should target in free agency. dark

All things considered, I do believe that Ilya Kovalchuk could have a positive impact on the Philadelphia Flyers. As many things do, this would all come down to how much money the Flyers are willing to spend, and how much money Kovalchuk seeks in a deal. Considering he signed with Montreal for a measly $700,000, I don’t see why the organization would have to break the bank for the veteran Russian winger. A one-year-deal in the ballpark of $1 million? Yeah, sign me up for that.

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