The whole Ilya Kovalchuk's saga was an important backstory for most of the off-season, as countless rumors were reported across the league for the past few months. Now that he clearly stated he did not want to come back in the North America, we have more information about the deal he signed with the St. Petersburg SKA.
According to KHL insider Slava Malamud, Kovalchuk decided to take a huge pay cut, which means he will earn much less than he did last season:
Various sources report he made $5.5 million USD last year.
The 34-year-old Russian signed a 15-year, $100-million contract with the New Jersey Devils back in 2010, with and annual average value of $6,667 million. It is fair to say he could have gotten between four and five million.
He recorded 417 goals and 399 assists for 816 points in 816 games in the NHL, which is good for an average of exactly one point per game. He amassed 32 goals and 46 assists for 78 points last season in the KHL.
