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Ilya Kovalchuk considered Russia as an option, but eager to get started in New Jersey

Ilya Kovalchuk

NHL player profile photo on New Jersey Devils’ Ilya Kovalchuk, from Russia, during a recent game in Calgary, Alberta. The Canadian Press Images/Larry MacDougal (Canadian Press via AP Images)

AP

Ilya Kovalchuk’s wild summer is over and he’s in training camp ready to go. Of course, arriving at training camp for the first time means having to answer some questions about just how stressful the summer was. Thankfully, Tom Gulitti was there to get the word from the Devils superstar about how he handled the contract struggles and just how seriously he considered going to the KHL.

But Kovalchuk admitted playing in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League would have been a possibility if his second contract was rejected too, though he said the report of their being a deadline wasn’t quite accurate.

“There wasn’t really a deadline, but (playing in Russia) was definitely one of the possibilties because if the league was going to reject another contract, I don’t know what to feel about it,” Kovalchuk said. “I know they were trying to make an example, but it’s not my fault. The team offered a contract and if you like it, you sign it. But’s all in the past. I’m very excited to be back here.”

Kovalchuk said that if his 15-year, $100 million contract had been rejected too, “Then, I don’t know what’s going to happen. Nobody knows. But I’m glad I didn’t go anywhere and the contracts stays and now I’m a part of the New Jersey Devils.”

Those are some good, peaceable PR-friendly words from Kovalchuk about being happy to stay in Newark. It is intriguing to read that the KHL was out there as a possibility. Granted we don’t really know how seriously Russia was being considered as an option but the fact that it was out there while no other NHL team aside from New Jersey was considered is telling.

With all that aside, the focus turns to how well Kovalchuk will perform on the ice with the Devils over a full season. His centerman will be any one of Travis Zajac, Jason Arnott or Dainius Zubrus this season and his other winger is as yet to be determined. With Patrick Elias moving to the left wing, the speculation for how the Devils very talented lines will shake out will be of great interest to everyone, especially with Kovalchuk in the mix.