LOS ANGELES _ The Kings have finally landed Ilya Kovalchuk.
The sides agreed to terms on a three-year contract, the Kings announced Saturday, giving the Kings the scoring wing they've long sought. The average annual value of the contract is $6.25 million, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported.
"We are excited to add Ilya to the L.A. Kings organization," Kings general manager Rob Blake said. "He gives us an added element of skill and scoring along with a desire to win. We will withhold further comment until July 1."
Kovalchuk, 35, has not played in the NHL since the 2012-13 season, with the New Jersey Devils. He has spent the last five seasons with St. Petersburg in Russia and remained productive against lower competition in the Kontinental Hockey League. Kovalchuk was the MVP of the 2018 Winter Olympics.
A two-time 50-goal scorer earlier in his career, he has 417 goals in 816 NHL games. The Kings unsuccessfully pursued Kovalchuk in 2010 and have since had an identity as a strong defensive team that struggles to score. They managed three goals in a four-game sweep by the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round of the playoffs.
Kovalchuk's reported salary would make him the second-highest paid forward on the Kings, behind Anze Kopitar. The Kings had about $7 million of cap space before they agreed to terms with Kovalchuk and seek to extend Drew Doughty when free agency begins July 1.
