Report: Bruins interested in Ilya Kovalchuk

By Ty Anderson, 985TheSportsHub.com

The Bruins are reportedly interested in revisiting the prospect of veteran sniper Ilya Kovalchuk skating in Boston colors, according to Russian reporter Igor Eronko.

Their reported interest comes on the heels of the Kings terminating Kovalchuk's three-year, $18.75 million contract, and with the 36-year-old free to sign with any team as a result. According to Eronko, Kovalchuk is not only interested in remaining in the NHL, but is willing to sign with a contending team for the league minimum.

The Bruins, of course, lead the Atlantic Division (by nine points) and have established themselves as a legitimate threat to come out of the Eastern Conference for the second year in a row.

But the B's are still a team without a legitimate second line -- the Bruins have rotated four different skaters to David Krejci's right over the last three games, and are currently using third-line center Charlie Coyle as their second-line right winger -- creating the opening for a chance on someone like Kovalchuk. Especially if it costs Bruins general manager Don Sweeney a simple sliver of cap space and not assets the team could and would use in a bigger deadline splash later this season.

Kovalchuk skated in 81 games with the Kings over a season and a half, recording 19 goals and 43 points for a wildly disappointing Los Angeles squad, and was taken out of the lineup after a Nov. 9 loss to the Canadiens.