Alex Kovalev appears to be heading back to Russia, as sports website Sport Express reports that the veteran winger is set to sign a two-year contract with Atlant Mytishchi of the Kontinental Hockey League.
The 38-year-old is a 17-year NHL veteran who played for the New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators.
Kovalev was a Seond Team All-Star with the Canadiens and was also a three-time All-Star Game selection. He had a career-best 95 points (44 goals, 51 assists) in 2000-01. Overall, he has 428 goals and 596 assists for 1,024 points in 1,302 career games.
He had 16 goals and 18 assists in 54 games with the Senators and Penguins this past season.
The Senators shipped Kovalev to the Penguins at the trade deadline for a conditional seventh-round pick.
Earlier in the season Kovalev went public with his general unhappiness in Ottawa and openly complained about his role under head coach Cory Clouston who demoted Kovalev to the fourth line for a period of time.
An Olympic gold medalist with Russia in 1992, Kovalev was alsom a member of the Stanley Cup-winning Rangers in 1994.
