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How Much Is An Ilya Kovalchuk Contract Worth For New Jersey Devils?

By Nick Villano

Oct 14, 2015; Columbus, OH, USA; A general view of the NHL logo on a net prior to the game of the Ottawa Senators against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 14, 2015; Columbus, OH, USA; A general view of the NHL logo on a net prior to the game of the Ottawa Senators against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /
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The rumors surrounding Russian forward Ilya Kovalchuk continue through the offseason. Seeing as he can only sign with the New Jersey Devils, how much is he actually going to command in a contract?

Every day, it seems rumors about a return to the NHL for retired forward Ilya Kovalchuk continue to get louder and louder. With the Vegas Golden Knights signing of his linemate Vadim Shipachyov, the Twitter-verse continues to speculate an exodus of KHL talent to North America. Unlike Shipachyov, Kovalchuk is forced to sign with the New Jersey Devils.

Knowing this, how much is Ilya Kovalchuk worth?

Many rumors point to the fact that Kovy does not want to stay in New Jersey when he signs, so that complicates things when it comes to a possible contract. The Devils hold the cards, but if they wait another year they could lose his value for nothing.

There are a few factors that show how much Kovalchuk can demand from the Devils. Alexander Radulov signed last season after coming back from the KHL. He was in a similar position as Kovalchuk, but lacked the NHL credibility that the former first-overall pick has in his possession. Radulov signed with the Montreal Canadiens for one year, $5.75 million. Some might argue Kovalchuk is worth more, but being strapped to the Devils may hurt that fact.

That is probably more clear now than it was last week, if general manager Ray Shero told the truth saying he was reaching out to his agent this week. If Kovy wants similar money to what he made during his last NHL stint.

If Kovalchuk stayed in the NHL for the remainder of his 17-year contract, he would have made $11.5 million last season and $10.5 million this upcoming season. There is no chance in his position that he will make near that price in his return. He left once before, so teams may be gun shy to spend that kind of coin on him.

That doesn’t mean that Kovalchuk won’t get a big price tag once he signs. He’s a proven sniper in a league that is desperate for scoring. He still has the ability to hit 30 goals a season annually, even at 34 years old.

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His rumored limited trade demands may hurt his value. He apparently wants to stay either in the New York area or in Florida. If you extend that as far as possible, that leaves seven teams, including the Devils. Some of those teams find themselves with cap issues, so if Kovalchuk really puts his living situation first, he needs to watch how much he makes.

I believe a one year deal is in Kovalchuk’s future. He will go the route of Radulov, and then go from there. On a one-year deal, teams would be willing to take a chance on him. If he decides to go back to Russia, it’s not like the team put their future on the line like the Devils did back in 2010.

Look to Kovalchuk to sign in the range of $5.5 million to $7 million for the 2017-18 season. That gives him the price point very good players make, with the chance to cash in on a long-term deal next year. This gives Kovalchuk a year-long motivating factor, while at the same time a light at the end of the tunnel. This type of contract won’t be hard to move, and could increase the return the Devils get back.

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