Ilya Kovalchuk #17 of the New Jersey Devils skates against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Prudential Center on February 5, 2010 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
The nearly two-month-long wait for unrestricted free agent Ilya Kovalchuk to find a home could finally be nearing its conclusion this week, as the New Jersey Devils are closing in on a renegotiated deal with the Russian star.
Devils owner Jeff Vanderbeek, general manager Lou Lamoriello and Kovalchuk's agent Jay Grossman met with league officials Monday to go over a new contract, which could be made final in the near future. Terms of the new deal have yet to be made available.
Kovalchuk's original contract with the Devils, for 17 years and $102-million, was rejected by the NHL last month after the league ruled it circumvented the league's $59.4-million salary cap. The NHL Players' Association grieved that decision, but it was upheld by an arbitrator.