Joined: Apr. 2018
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Kovalchuk: Signed with a non-playoff team for vet minimum. This suggests a few things.
No true contended wanted him (ie, the Caps). No playoff team wanted him (ie, the Caps). It's not like a playoff/contender could have offered him less and he went for the $ instead.
No team offered him any real $. It's not like he chose Montreal for it's playoff hopes nor for it's relaxed media. He most likely received exactly 1 contract offer.
If Ovechkin wanted Kovalchuk on the team, even just a smidge, he would be in Washington. Washington could easily have matched the $700K (even with cap space) and a solid contender would have more draw than a non playoff team. Instead, MacLellan "Hey Ovi... Kovalchuk?" Ovechkin was probably like, "Yeah, Mac, um, consider what LA did very closely..." No offer from the Caps.