Report: Superstar goal scorer to hit free agency this summer

A high-profile goal scorer will likely hit the free agent market on July 1st, 2018.

This very same player was thought to be available this past July, but several complications prevented him from signing a deal in the NHL.

Ilya Kovalchuk currently plays in the KHL, as he has for the last 5 years, tearing it up every year. He has 52 goals in the last 90 games in Russia, and doesn't appear to be showing any signs of slowing down.

Drafted 1st overall in 2001 by the Atlanta Thrashers, Kovalchuk has posted nine seasons over 30 goals, with two of them eclipsing the 50 goal mark. 

The pure sniper's rights are retained by the New Jersey Devils, but that ends on July 1st. 

Last summer, he appeared willing to come back to the NHL, but with New Jersey having full control of the situation, it became too complicated. They needed to sign him to a deal, and trade him to another team. Not only did it appear that no team wanted to trade assets for his services, Kovalchuk didn't seem to want to deal with the headaches that complicated situation brought upon.

With him being a completely unrestricted free agent on July 1st, he has expressed a willingness to come back, and there will be no shortage of teams lining up for the Russian's services.