An underrated storyline of this NHL offseason is the return of Ilya Kovalchuk – one of the most electrifying players to ever lace them up.
Kovalchuk was a great personality, and even villain at times, when he was originally in the NHL and hopefully he’s able to replicate the same success he had early in his career. We’ll never forget the time he pointed at Sidney Crosby in the penalty box after burying a goal on the powerplay Sid created and he’s already bringing that same mentality to practice.
Kovalchuk is skating with his countryman Evgeni Malkin and they squared up on the ice to ask fans who will win this season: East or West?
Funny enough, that was the photo Malkin chose, but Kovalchuk posted a separate photo where it looks like he has Malkin scared.
After five seasons in the KHL, it will be interesting to see if Kovalchuk can still scare defenders in the NHL.
