Being left out by the Kings
Struggling winger, a former NHL scoring leader, is a healthy scratch against Wild.
Kovalchuk is a healthy scratch for the team in a 3-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild.
Ahead of training camp this season, Todd McLellan and Ilya Kovalchuk met for lunch near the Kings practice facility in El Segundo.
Over the meal, they talked about Kovalchuk’s past, including a 34-point debut with the Kings last season even though he occasionally was benched by interim coach Willie Desjardins.
McLellan and the onetime league-leading scorer discussed an upcoming season they hoped would be beneficial for both parties.
“I talked to him about how I would likely use him, at least to start with,” McLellan said in September, recalling their meeting. “Then after that, he and all the players dictate how much they play.”
Barely a month into the season, Kovalchuk and the Kings are seemingly back in the same sticky situation as the end of last season. The team is in last place and the struggling Kovalchuk was a healthy scratch Tuesday night when the Kings beat the Minnesota Wild 3-1.
The Kings ended a skid at three games behind goals by Anze Kopitar, Jeff Carter and Sean Walker (an empty-netter) and 27 saves from Jonathan Quick.
Yet the result was overshadowed by an earlier development. Tuesday afternoon, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported the Kings are planning to keep Kovalchuk out of the lineup for the foreseeable future. David Pagnotta of the Fourth Period subsequently said the team is exploring trade options for the 36-yearold forward, whose contract carries a $6.25-million annual salary-cap hit and, according to CapFriendly.com, includes a no-movement clause this season.
Another report linked Kovalchuk with a move back to the Russian KHL, where he played before signing with the Kings.
Asked before the game about the rumors, Kings general manager Rob Blake offered little information regarding Kovalchuk’s longterm future with the club.
“I don’t know what the lineup is Thursday, I don’t know what the lineup is Saturday,” Blake said. “I know the lineup tonight. He’s a healthy scratch. Unfortunately, everybody knows before warmups.”
Blake, who met with Kovalchuk on Tuesday afternoon, left open the possibility the winger could return to the lineup in the Kings’ next game.
Although Kovalchuk’s nine points rank fourth on the team, his minus-10 rating is the worst on the roster. After tallying six points in the first four games, he has only three in the last 13.
“Kovy’s on board,” McLellan said. “Just like the rest of the players, he’ll get his opportunity to come back in. We have to treat him like any other player.”