Kovalchuk would be 'nice addition' to Bruins, coach says

Ilya Kovalchuk would make the Boston Bruins better if the free agent forward were to sign with them, coach Bruce Cassidy told The Boston Globe on Tuesday.
"He'd be a nice addition. I am sure any team would say that right now," Cassidy told the newspaper. "He's going to make your team better, and I think that's what you always look at as a coach, and fitting [talented players] in is the easy part. The tough part is getting those types of players."

Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said last week he planned to meet with Kovalchuk's agents. It is not known if that meeting has taken place.
Kovalchuk, 35, played the past five seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League. He reportedly cannot sign with an NHL team until July 1 but can agree to a contract before then.

He reportedly has met with the Los Angeles Kings and the San Jose Sharks, and the Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings and St. Louis Blues reportedly have interest.
"You never want to speculate," Cassidy said. "You can't get too far ahead ... he's a top-six guy, he can play left and right wing, he's a big body (6-foot-3, 230 pounds)."
Kovalchuk hasn't played in the NHL since the 2012-13 season, when he had 31 points (11 goals, 20 assists) in 37 games for the New Jersey Devils. Playing for St. Petersburg SKA, Kovalchuk led the KHL in scoring this season with 63 points (31 goals, 32 assists) in 53 games. He has 285 points (120 goals, 165 assists) in 262 games during the past five seasons in the KHL.
Kovalchuk was selected with the No. 1 pick in the 2001 NHL Draft by the Atlanta Thrashers. He had 816 points (417 goals, 399 assists) in 816 NHL games.