Los Angeles Kings Expected To Be Major Player For Ilya Kovalchuk

Follow @frozenroyalty

LOS ANGELES — With unrestricted free agency looming just a little over 24 hours from the time of this writing, it is no secret that the big prize in this year’s free agency frenzy is superstar left wing Ilya Kovalchuk.

Kovalchuk has averaged more than a point per game throughout his National Hockey League career, which began in the 2001-02 season after he was selected first overall in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft by the Atlanta Thrashers.

That first season, the 6-2. 225-pound native of Tver, Russia scored 29 goals and added 22 assists for 51 points in 65 regular season games.

After scoring 38 goals and contributing 29 assists for 67 points in 81 games the next season, Kovalchuk’s NHL career really took off, as he scored at least 41 goals in each of the next six seasons, including 52 goals in the 2005-06 and 2007-08 seasons. Read more of this post