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The 'surge' often happens in a contract year.
The pending free agent sets the league on fire with amazing production, playing at an extreme level heading into a period where he can cash in on the open market.
The difference with Ilya Kovalchuk of the Atlanta Thrashers is the slick Russian star has been a top-notch sniper since he entered the NHL in 2001, with no lulls or lags.
This season, the 26-year-old has been red hot, scoring 16 goals in the first 21 games as the Thrashers are one of the league's surprise teams. Kovalchuk will be a UFA following this season.
The Thrashers have done everything possible to make it attractive for Kovalchuk to stay.
This off-season, they dipped into the free-agent market to bring in fellow Russians Nik Antropov and Maxim Afinogenov.
Although Kovalchuk doesn't want to talk about hitting the open market, he admits staying in Atlanta is a solid option because his family has settled there.
The only thing that was missing was making the Thrashers a contender, and they are this season with a 15-9-3 record heading into tonight's meeting with the Calgary Flames.
"The team has taken tremendous steps this off-season by signing free agents," Kovalchuk said yesterday after practice at the Corral. "I think we're a very competitive team right now.
"We're playing better. We became a better team, bigger and stronger. We have much more experience and our special teams are much better than last year and that's a huge difference."
Despite missing six games already with a broken foot, Kovalchuk is on pace for 57 goals this season, which would mark a career high.
The Thrashers go as their captain goes, and the team is 7-2-2 since No. 17 returned from the injury.
"He's the type of guy who opens the game up," said right-winger Colby Armstrong, who knows something about playing with a star coming from Pittsburgh where Sidney Crosby is the captain.
"Ilya's an elite player and we're lucky to have him."
Kovalchuk won't likely be paired with Antropov and Afinogenov against the Flames, but the trio are often together.
Along with Slava Kozlov, there is now a lot of Russian being spoken on the Thrashers bench, which suits Kovalchuk just fine.
"It sounds like Martian to me," said Thrashers coach John Anderson. "But it's a comfort zone for Ilya.
"He was a great player before this. When he was with (Marc) Savard, they had great chemistry.
"He and (Dany) Heatley had great chemistry. No matter who he seems to play with, he finds chemistry with them."
The 6-foot-6 Antropov has opened up space for Kovalchuk, and the former Toronto Maple Leafs forward has brought a level of defensive responsibility to the top line.
"Antropov started off at centre but moved to wing (with Toronto)," Anderson said. "I asked him if he would mind playing centre because we need strength down low."
This season should be a busy one for Kovalchuk, who will be a big part of the Russian squad at the Vancouver Olympics.
Just like the free-agency, Kovalchuk prefers to concentrate on the here and now.
"That's going to be exciting," Kovalchuk said about the Olympics.
"We're still a month and half away and we have to play for our teams. "
IAN.BUSBY@SUNMEDIA.CA