LA Kings F Ilya Kovalchuk to be out 4 weeks with ankle woes

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles Kings forward Ilya Kovalchuk will be sidelined for about four weeks after undergoing a procedure on his ankle.

Kovalchuk underwent an ankle bursectomy Sunday, the Kings announced.

The veteran Russian forward has five goals and nine assists in 25 games since returning to the NHL with the Kings this season. Kovalchuk spent the previous five years with SKA St. Petersburg in Russia's Kontinental Hockey League.

The 35-year-old Kovalchuk hasn't scored in his past 11 consecutive games, and his role has shrunk in recent weeks with the struggling Kings. Coach Willie Desjardins has kept Kovalchuk on the bench for long stretches of recent games.

The Kings signed Kovalchuk to a three-year, $18.75 million contract before the season.