We are just over three weeks away from the bidding war for the services of Ilya Kovalchuk.
Lots of fans of lots of teams would love to see hm on their team but who should really go after him?
The Kovalchuk price tag will likely start as high as $7 million and could climb even higher as the morning of July 1 goes on. So what's the cost?
When a team bids on Kovalchuk, they know they are getting an electric scorer with soft hands and quick feet. After Alex Ovechkin, Kovalchuk is probably the best left winger in the game. There's good, there's great and then there's fantastic and Kovalchuk probably falls in between great and fantastic.
But there's a bigger question that teams must be prepared to answer before bidding: what am I giving up to get him?
Sure, it's not like a trade where a roster player, a pick and a prospect are lost. However, the loss that comes with signing Kovalchuk may not be immediate. Assume for a minute that a team does sign Kovalchuk and, considering inflation on the open market, he's making $8.6 million or some obscene number. When weighing the options on Kovalchuk, first weigh the assets already under contract and the ones about to expire.
Should Kovy be signed, will it cost you one of your favorite prospects up for a contract? Will it hinder negotiations in trades and signings for the future? Is the cost worth it?
The last question with signing Kovy is simple: Will help a team win a cup?
Truly, the only reason you buy talent like Kovalchuk is for the Cup. No substitutes. With a contract over $8 million, there is only one goal after signing him: win the cup.
Now is that contract worth it? Will it achieve your ends in June?
Kovalchuk has 642 points (338 of them goals) in 621 games in the NHL. However, he's never totaled more than 100 points in a season. However, he's topped the 40 goal mark every year but his first two.
In the playoffs, Kovalchuk has three goals and five assists in nine games played. He's never won a series and he has not elevated his game to playoff levels in either series.
Overall, Kovalchuk is a good pickup but only for a team that has the money to spend and whose cup window is closing. Although a young up-and-coming team in Los Angeles may really want Kovy, expect a team like the San Jose Sharks to really push for his services.
Certainly if a rebuilding team like the Avalanche are smart, they'll stay out of the Kovy race and try to aim lower to pickup a guy who will help them without destroying their salary cap.
Colorado Avalanche Blogger • 
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