Despite the injury risk, Devils winger Ilya Kovalchuk — the NHL’s top upcoming unrestricted free agent — has decided to play for Russia in the World Championships that open Friday in Germany.
Kovalchuk was MVP of last year’s worlds and scored the winning goal the year before. He is likely to be in contention for the team captaincy. Only 27 years old, the two-time 52-goal scorer leads this year’s list of unrestricteds, and his relative youth places him at the top of the all-time list of UFAs.
Kovalchuk had 10 goals and 17 assists in 27 games with New Jersey after being traded with Anssi Salmela from Atlanta for Johnny Oduya, Niclas Bergfors, prospect Patrice Cormier, a first-round draft pick and a swap of second-rounders on Feb. 4. He had two goals and four assists in five playoff games to lead Devils scorers in their first-round playoff series loss to the Flyers.
Kovalchuk made $7.5 million last season, and he turned down the Thrashers’ contract offers of $70 million over seven years and $101 million over 12. He will be insured by himself and the Russian Ice Hockey Federation against injury.
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Facing shoulder surgery today, Devils winger Jay Pandolfo said he does not second-guess his decision not to undergo the operation last October, though that choice led to a forgettable season.
“You don’t go back on those decisions,” Pandolfo told The Post yesterday. “I could have gotten it fixed back then. I never got back to where I wanted to be.”
The 35-year-old left wing suffered a dislocated right shoulder when checked by former teammate Mike Rupp in Pittsburgh on Oct. 24, and he did not return to action until December. He struggled to regain his place in the lineup and did not appear in the playoffs.
“It bothered me all year,” he said. “You don’t always have to have surgery on it, and I tried to get through the year without surgery.”
Heading into the final year of a three-year contract that pays him $2.5 million annually, Pandolfo faces the possibility of being bought out. He is planning on being ready for training camp, following the four-month rehab after the surgery to repair the labrum.