NHL Odds: Kings Can Contend If They Sign Ilya Kovalchuk

You know those Bodog NHL futures odds that list the Los Angeles Kings at 15/1 to win the 2011 Stanley Cup? You may want to jump on that number now because the odds are likely to get shorter if L.A. lands coveted free agent winger Ilya Kovalchuk.

Reportedly the Kings are the front-runners to land the 27-year-old Russian sniper, with official word expected as soon as this weekend. The two-time 50-goal scorer was traded from Atlanta to New Jersey during last season, and the Devils are still hoping to keep him but are more cash-strapped than L.A. is. Kovalchuk reportedly wants a deal in the neighborhood of 10 years and $100 million. He previously turned down a 12-year, $100 million from Atlanta, so that’s why he was traded. The Devils reportedly are offering seven years and $60 million or 17 years and $100 million. The Kings twice previously publicly ended negotiations with Kovalchuk, but they have about $17 million in space under next season's $59.4 million cap. Really this is only down to L.A., New Jersey or Kovalchuk playing in Russia.

The Kings are clearly on the rise with young stars such as center Anze Kopitar (34 goals, 47 assists last year), defenseman Drew Doughty and goalie Jonathan Quick. But they don’t have a true gamebreaker like Kovalchuk; not many teams do. L.A. finished sixth in the West last season with 101 points, which were 22 more than the previous year. The Kings were then ousted by Vancouver in the first round of the playoffs. Kovalchuk had 41 goals and 44 assists last season and has netted at least 40 in each of the past six seasons, averaging 42 since entering the league in 2001.

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