Canadiens trade Kovalchuk to Capitals for 3rd-round pick

The Montreal Canadiens shipped forward Ilya Kovalchuk to the Washington Capitals for a 2020 third-round pick, the Capitals announced Sunday.

"Ilya is a talented offensive player who we feel will provide us with additional depth and flexibility up front," Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said. "He is a skilled forward who can make plays and contribute to our offensive game."

Montreal will retain 50% of Kovalchuk's $700,000 salary in the deal, meaning he'll cost Washington only $77,151 in cap space for the rest of the regular season, according to Cap Friendly.

The Los Angeles Kings terminated Kovalchuk's contract earlier this season after he was a healthy scratch for 18 straight games. He then signed a one-year deal with the Canadiens in January and posted 13 points in 22 games.

Montreal will try to lure Kovalchuk back when he becomes a free agent on July 1, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.

Kovalchuk, 36, has registered 872 points in 919 games during his NHL career but has appeared in only 32 playoff contests over that span.

The Canadiens have 13 picks in the 2020 draft, 11 of which are in the first five rounds.

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