No question, but "inconsistent" was his career....

he was one of the guys who made some people develop reservations about the attitude/dressing room effect of "Russians". For part of the Great 8's career I heard him referred to as "Kovalev with a Better Shot". (To give Ovie his due he worked and became a solid two-way player after Boudreau got fired.) IMHO Federeov was a better player (on and off the ice) and IIRC had more big years for G and P. As you suggest, the indelible impression Kovie left was "this guy should be better". I have trouble seeing Kovalev lasting with Scotty Bowman the way Federov did and he seemed to always have "issues" in NY, Mtl, Pittsburgh, and Ottawa.