Now we know that Oilers GM Ken Holland has been eyeing a winger out of Montreal because some reports came out recently that Tomas Tatar is on his radar. Now, according to Sportsnet’s Eric Engels, the Edmonton Oilers are looking at a winger who, at the moment, is playing extremely well for the Montreal Canadiens. In his latest post, he said this about Ilya Kovalchuk,
The Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers, however, are two teams that also have varying degrees of interest in Kovalchuk, I’ve been told. They both have the picks to swing it, but Edmonton is cap-strapped, which means adding Kovalckuk could make more sense to them than taking on someone else at a higher salary. (source)
I may or may not have brought Kovalchuk’s name up in November…
This sounds like just the sort of opportunity Ken Holland would jump on if the deal was right and Kovalchuk was on the #Oilers radar before Holland was hired. https://t.co/KgoZoqgk4W
— BLH (Edmonton Oilers Enthusiast} (@BeerLeagueHeroe) November 13, 2019
Now, since he signed with the Habs for a prorated deal worth 700k at the beginning of January, the 36-year-old has tallied 14pts in 11 games. Prior to that under the guidance of former Edmonton Oilers head coach Todd McLellan, he had 11pts in 17 games and was -11.
I find it shocking that as soon as Kovalchuk left LA, he started producing… Don’t you? Reminds me of a certain player having the time of his life over in Finland who may have experienced similar challenges…
Anyways, I digress.
The rumored ask for Kovalchuk is said to be a 2nd round pick and a prospect but apparently the consensus around the league is that the best Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin might get is a 4th rounder. Thus leading some to believe that if that’s all Montreal can get for him, they’re better off keeping him.
Personally, I wouldn’t give up too much for Kovalchuk. I understand how well he’s playing at the moment but I wonder how much that has to do with playing out East too. Would that form drop should he return to a Pacific division team?
That said, at his price point, it would be hard to argue against beating out the competition to acquire him. He’s exactly the sort of player Ken Holland would try to trade for too. An old vet with some gas still in the tank and a shit ton of experience that he could leave with the young Oilers. Imagine this guy on the left half-wall on the PP with his shot…
I think if Edmonton could send over an unsigned prospect out of college or Europe and a mid-round draft pick, I’d be happy with that. I hear Cooper Marody is on thin ice, maybe send him over with a pick?
What would you give up for him? How much would you give up to bring in both Tomas Tatar AND Ilya Kovalchuk? Let us know in the comments below!
