Newark, NJ – The New Jersey Devils announced on Sunday that left wing Ilya Kovalchuk will miss 2-to-4 weeks with a shoulder injury and that the club placed forward Alexei Ponikarovsky on injured reserve.
Kovalchuk was hurt in the third period of a 2-1 win over Florida on Saturday, when he fell into the boards awkwardly when trying to avoid a check from a Panthers defender. He left the game and did not return.
Devils GM Lou Lamoriello said that the 29-year-old had an x-ray following the game and will not need to have surgery, though he declined to specifically address what type of injury occurred.
Kovalchuk ranks second on the team in scoring with 27 points (10G, 17A).
Ponikarovsky's move is retroactive to March 19. Since arriving from Winnipeg, he has totaled just one goal and five points in 17 games for the Devils. He is sidelined with a lower-body injury.
To fill the roster spot, the club recalled forward Harri Pesonen from Albany of the American Hockey League.
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