CHICAGO – Ilya Kovalchuk is still reportedly mulling over a return to the NHL, four years after he surprisingly walked away from a monstrous contract with the New Jersey Devils to play in the KHL.
The Sharks have been linked to Kovalchuk, in large part because of Pete DeBoer, who was Kovalchuk's most recent head coach. In 2011-12, Kovalchuk was a dangerous scoring winger under DeBoer, helping the Devils reach the Stanley Cup Final.
It was apparently a good working relationship between the player and the coach for the two seasons they were together, DeBoer said on Friday at the NHL Entry Draft at United Center.
"I loved Kovy in New Jersey," DeBoer said. "We went to a Stanley Cup Final together. He was a huge piece for us there. I really enjoyed coaching him. I haven't seen him in four or five years now. I'm sure there's still a lot of game left there."
DeBoer said he's had no contact with the 34-year-old Kovalchuk, who would have to be traded by New Jersey before signing a new contract with any other NHL club. Still, it seems like the Sharks' coach might welcome a reunion with Kovalchuk, who posted 78 points in 60 games with SKA Saint Petersburg last season, and has 816 points (417g, 399a) in 816 career NHL games with Atlanta and New Jersey.
"I had a really good relationship with him. I had a lot of respect for him as a player and a person," DeBoer said.
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DeBoer seemed as uncertain as everyone else as to whether Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau will return to the Sharks or move on to other clubs as free agents.
But, naturally, it's on his mind.
"You think about it all the time," DeBoer said. "They're obviously important pieces in the history of the franchise, and in our group. I also understand the business side of this, and there's always tough decisions to make. The way I approach these type of things is I'm going to go to Canada and relax, and Doug [Wilson] is going to make those decisions. I'm sure we'll have a good group come training camp."
"We've got a really good core group of guys and some tough decisions that have to be made. The one thing Doug and his group has shown over the years is their ability to stay competitive, to find a way even after making tough decisions. I have all the faith in the world in that, and I'm excited about training camp."
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The Sharks lost David Schlemko in the expansion draft earlier in the week. Vegas then flipped him to the Canadiens for a fifth round pick in 2019.
"I think for David, it's a great opportunity for him, especially going to Montreal," DeBoer said. "For us, it's an opportunity for a young guy to jump in. The one thing we have in the organization is some depth. There's a lot of guys knocking on the door, and guys hungry to grab that job."
