The Montreal Canadiens made a splashy move this week! The jury remains out on if this actually works out for them, but Ilya Kovalchuk is definitely a big-name get at this point if the season, and there are going to be a lot of eyes on his performance with the team.
He didn't make his debut in the Habs' Saturday game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, but it seems like he’s getting close. On Sunday, Kovalchuk took the ice with his new team for the first time during their optional skate.
The Canadiens play on Monday next against the Winnipeg Jets, so we’ll see if Kovalchuk is in the lineup for that one.
Already, Habs GM Marc Bergevin has said that this is Kovalchuk’s “last chance,” so he’s confident that the 36-year-old will conform to his new surroundings. Things didn’t end so well with the Los Angeles Kings, but at least one of his former teammates from his tenure there, Nate Thompson, is excited to have Kovalchuk around — maybe selfishly so!
