"We feel that we're a team he has strong interest in and we're going to see where it goes between now and however long it takes to make a decision," Boston general manager Don Sweeney said Thursday.
Kovalchuk visited the Kings and Sharks earlier this month.
"We had him in and showed him what he could expect," Los Angeles general manager Rob Blake told The Athletic on Thursday. "We'll go from there. We hope to hear back."
The Kings, Sharks and Golden Knights may have already made him an offer, TSN reported, and Sweeney said Thursday the Bruins intended to.
"His options will be presented to him, so he'll see what's in front of him," Sweeney said. "It's kind of looking at a menu."
The report said there is no timetable for a decision.
Kovalchuk hasn't played in the NHL since the 2012-13 season, when he had 31 points (11 goals, 20 assists) in 37 games for the New Jersey Devils. Playing for St. Petersburg SKA, Kovalchuk led the KHL in scoring this season with 63 points (31 goals, 32 assists) in 53 games. He has 285 points (120 goals, 165 assists) in 262 games during the past five seasons in the KHL.
"He'd be a nice addition. I am sure any team would say that right now," Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy told The Boston Globe on Wednesday. "He's going to make your team better, and I think that's what you always look at as a coach, and fitting [talented players] in is the easy part. The tough part is getting those types of players."
