Lou Lamoriello has never been anything but cool, so this is exactly how one would expect the Devils general manager to react to his superstar still being in Russia.
Ilya Kovalchuk is expected to return to New Jersey tomorrow and participate in his first practice on Wednesday — three days later than the rest of his teammates, who began skating yesterday at the AmeriHealth Pavilion in Newark.
“At no time did I have any indication he was not coming back,” Lamoriello said. “I am very comfortable with this situation. There is no penalty involved, there is no disrespect involved. I’ve talked to him and feel comfortable where we’re at and I’m anxious to get him back here and in the lineup with the rest of the people.”
It was the most definitive Lamoriello has been on the situation since it started brewing, most notably when the new collective bargaining agreement was made in principle last Sunday, and then as Kovalchuk’s name made it onto the KHL All-Star Game roster.
That game, with all its festivities, took place Saturday and yesterday, and after spending four months as the captain of SKA St. Petersburg, it was important to Kovalchuk to participate.
“We had a conversation that if [the lockout] gets to a certain point, [he said], ‘I would really like to play the All-Star game and not just simply leave here’,” Lamoriello said. “He said, ‘I have tremendous respect for my country, they’ve treated me a certain way, given [me] the opportunity to be named captain.’ I said, ‘We’ll take it day by day.’ ”
The other NHL star who stayed to play in the game was the Red Wings’ Pavel Datsyuk, who said he received permission from the team to do so. Lamoriello said he couldn’t technically give permission due to “the injury situation,” meaning Kovalchuk’s contract was not insured by the team as he played in his native country.
“I did understand that this was something that was important to him,” Lamoriello said. “He’s played 30 games, 30-plus games, and I have no problem with this situation.”
* Second-year center Adam Henrique is still recovering from surgery on his left thumb, which he underwent at the end of November after playing for Albany of the AHL during the beginning of the lockout. Lamoriello said he expects Henrique to be reexamined today and “then it will be a couple weeks.”
Lamoriello said he has no plans as of now to resign veteran forward Petr Sykora, who played with the Devils last season and is an unrestricted free agent. … Mathieu Darche is in camp on a tryout, as the former Canadien is hoping to fill a need as a defensive forward.