Russian forward Ilya Kovalchuk has agreed to a three-year, $18.75 million deal to return to the NHL with the Los Angeles Kings.
The club announced the deal Saturday with Kovalchuk, who is back in North America after a five-year absence.
Kovalchuk was the No. 1 pick in the 2001 NHL draft by the Thrashers. He spent eight seasons in Atlanta and four more with the New Jersey Devils before leaving the NHL in 2013 for a five-year stint at the Kontinental Hockey League's SKA St. Petersburg.
The 35-year-old star has scored 816 points in 816 career NHL games. He led the KHL in scoring last season for St. Petersburg, and he was the MVP of the 2018 Olympic tournament in Pyeongchang while winning gold.
