Kovalchuk return to NHL rumors heating up

I blogged about Kovalchuk last week when it came out that he had been benched and stripped of his captaincy by his KHL team during their playoff series.  He'll be under contract until at least April 30th, and it's looking more and more like he may try and return to the NHL next season. It would be complicated though. He would need approval from all 30 NHL teams since he officially did retire and he would need to clear waivers.  There is a loophole to this for the Devils though.  The collective bargaining agreement says that a player can move from the "Voluntarily Retired List" to the "Reserve List at any time after one year from the date of registration...by filing any currently valid contract, option, or try-out."  If the Devils wanted to make use of this rule, they could sign him without needing the approval from the rest of the league.

Ray Shero was asked about the possibility of Kovalchuk returning earlier in the week.  He deflected the question saying he "hasn't heard anything" and said it would be up to the league if he did try and return.  He certainly didn't say no.  The issue of his contract would be up to the league, but the Devils do hold his rights.  Another question would be, does Kovalchuk have to play under his old contract?  That could be a dealbreaker at a $6.67 million cap hit every year.  The price just may be too high if that is the case.

The more I think about it, the more I could see Shero going for it if Kovalchuk.  Who is Kovalchuk to Ray Shero?  A game-changer, is what he is. Think about it. The Devils were a much different franchise back in 2013 when he left.  Lou was the GM who orchestrated his contract.  There are now different owners, different management, different coaches, and a lot of different players.  The only people who really still feel the sting of Kovalchuk leaving are the fans.  And what do they think?  There was a vote on NJ.com asking whether or not fans would want him back.  60% were saying yes, and 40% were saying no last time I checked.

I'm obviously not a fan of the guy for the way he abruptly left the Devils in 2013.  He's a douche.  Could I get past what happened if he actually did snake his way back in? It's like getting getting back together with an ex-girlfriend who cheated on you, left you for some Russian dude and now wants you back. She's super hot, so you can't help but consider it.  I don't know why, but this is really messing with my head even though it's all speculation right now.  For a team that desperately needs scoring, he might be able to jumpstart the Devils' rebuild.  You would hope.  But, he will be 33 at the beginning of next season.  He's had a down year in the KHL.  Is he over the hill and past his prime?

This will be a very interesting situation to keep an eye on in the coming months.  There is one thing for sure with Ilya Kovalchuk;  wherever he goes, drama seems to follow.  He really is the crazy ex-girlfriend of the Devils.