Devils left wing Ilya Kovalchuk – who has missed the previous two games with a leg injury – has officially been ruled out for Friday and Saturday's games against the Washington Capitals by New Jersey coach, Peter DeBoer.

Stephen Whyno has the scoop, via Twitter:

#Devils coach Peter DeBoer rules out Ilya Kovalchuk for both games with #Caps

Kovalchuk being ruled out for both contests might come as a surprise to some, including Kovalchuk himself, who sounded like he was going be be ready for this weekend's games:

"I feel much better," Kovalchuk said. "It's good we have a couple days before Friday and Saturday's back-to-backs, so I'll try to be ready for those."

Kovalchuk was held out of practice Thursday, along with Friday's morning skate. The left wing has two goals and seven assists in 11 games this season.

-- For more Devils coverage, visit our team page, or our blog In Lou We Trust.