Nate Thompson had a humorous reaction to the Ilya Kovalchuk signing

BarDown Staff

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Friday, the Montreal Canadiens made headlines with the signing of Ilya Kovalchuk to a two-way deal.

JUST IN: The Canadiens have agreed to a one-year, two-way contract with free agent forward Ilya Kovalchuk. The deal will pay him $700,000 at the NHL level and $70,000 in the AHL.

MORE: https://t.co/fCuGdTftev pic.twitter.com/y2N5VlyOV6
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 3, 2020

The Habs are dealing with some injuries up front right now, so the signing makes sense in that regard as Kovalchuk could add some scoring and skill to their lineup.

At 36-years-old, he also adds a veteran presence to the lineup and immediately becomes the oldest player on Montreal's roster, something Nate Thompson is pretty happy about.

#Habs Thompson (who was Kovalchuk’s teammate with LAK) gleefully said to the media: “Just so you guys know, I’m not the oldest guy on the team anymore. I’m not the oldest raisin.”
— John Lu (@JohnLuTSNMtl) January 3, 2020

So, the question everyone wants the answer to now is when will Kovalchuk make his Montreal debut. According to GM Marc Bergevin, it's unlikely it will be Saturday against the Penguins, but there is a chance.

#Habs Bergevin is uncertain when Kovalchuk will make his Canadiens debut, but it won’t be Saturday vs #Penguins:

“Probably not... but don’t shoot me if he does.”

So, when?

“The sooner the better. They’re working on (his) VISA now.”
— John Lu (@JohnLuTSNMtl) January 3, 2020

(H/T: John Lu)