The sides agreed to terms on a three-year contract, the Kings announced Saturday, giving the Kings the scoring wing they’ve long sought. The average annual value of the contract is $6.25 million, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported.
A two-time 50-goal scorer earlier in his career, he has 417 goals in 816 NHL games. The Kings unsuccessfully pursued Kovalchuk in 2010 and have since had an identity as a strong defensive team that struggles to score. They managed three goals in a four-game sweep by the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round of the playoffs.