Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney confirmed Thursday he's spoken to Ilya Kovalchuk's camp and is interested in adding the Russian winger to his roster this summer.

“We’ve spoken to their camp. We have not met with them in person, but we’ve spoken and had numerous conversations with his representatives about where they’re at. We feel we’re a team he has strong interest in and we’ll see where it goes between now and however long he takes to make his decision,” Sweeney told NBC Sports Boston. “We’re in a position to explore it. We talked very specifically about our roster with him and where we see him fitting in, and what he brings to the table. We’ll be excited to continue to explore, but I don’t know necessarily where it goes. 

“The scoring potential, the size and strength [are all positives]. It is five years removed from the NHL [for Kovalchuk] and a lot has changed in those five years if you think about what’s transpired in the league. But I think he’ll be fine. He’s played in big stages and been very successful. He’s a unique talent and fits into a slot that we could hopefully utilize if it comes to fruition.”

Kovalchuk, who turned 35 in April, is free to agree to terms with any team now and can officially sign on July 1. Playing in the KHL with SKA St. Petersbug, Kovalchuk tallied tallied 31 goals and 32 assists in 53 games last season.

The Bruins filled their need for a top-six winger this past season at the trade deadline when they acquired Rick Nash. Nash, however, sustained a concussion shortly after the trade and his time in Boston did not go as Sweeney or the winger had hoped. Nash is slated to hit the open market on July 1 and Sweeney confirmed that signing Kovalchuk would spell the end of Nash's time with the Bruins.

“We continue to talk to Rick, and he’s going to continue to take some time to make the decision that he wants to make,” Sweeney said. “Time is on his side. He gets to make that [decision] into looking at that. Obviously, we close the door [on Nash talks] if we we're fortunate enough to sign Ilya, but you’re kind of jockeying simultaneously. He will have options [in free agency] as well.”  

The Bruins are projected to have more than $16 million in cap space this off-season, with only one restricted free agent to sign in Sean Kuraly.

TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger said Thursday the Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks and Vegas Golden Knights are also pursuing Kovalchuk.