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Today was the first official day of summer, but hockey summer doesn’t really kick off until July 1st. Sure, the draft is cool and all, but it’s nothing compared to wildly overpaying for free agents!
One of the biggest names on the board is Ilya Kovalchuk, the former Atlanta Thrasher (I will use him in a Thrashers photo for every post) who is set to return from the KHL after spending several years overseas.
It was a little surprising when it was reported that the Bruins were in the mix, and is even more surprising to learn that they’ve apparently made the final list.
Offers made on Ilya Kovalchuk. LA believed to be among them. Kings, Boston and San Jose and Vegas still in the mix.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) June 21, 2018
There you have it! Kovalchuk has supposedly narrowed his list down to the Bruins, the Los Angeles Kings, the San Jose Sharks and the Vegas Golden Knights (is Kovalchuk a front-runner? MY COLUMN!!).
Notice anything a little weird about that list? Yes, it’s about geography: the Bruins are the only East Coast team on the list. It’s a little weird, but it might show how seriously Kovalchuk is taking the Bruins’ offer; the other three teams play in sun-splashed cities that look like they were custom-built for rich athletes.
The Bruins, through GM Don Sweeney, confirmed today that they’ve made their pitch to the Russian winger:
Sweeney on free agent winger Ilya Kovalchuk: “We’ve spoken, have had numerous conversations with his representatives...we feel we’re a team he has strong interest in and we’re going to see where it goes.”
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) June 22, 2018
OH BOY OH BOY.
Anyways, only a week or so left to wait.