NEWARK --
John Hynes was named the the head coach for Team USA in the world championships that will be played in Russia May 6-22, but should he expect two of his key
players to participate?
Team USA would certainly like to have goalie Cory Schneider, but he is coming off a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee. Although Schneider showed no signs of the injury when he returned down the stretch, is it worth the risk to play in Russia?
Also, Schneider will be playing for Team USA in the World Cup of Hockey in September. That might be a lot of offseason hockey for the Devils' No. 1.
Winger Kyle Palmieri is coming off a great season for the Devils and could be the kind of player Team would love to see in the lineup. Certainly Hynes knows what Palmieri could add.
But Palmieri does not have a contract for next season. He will be a restricted free agent and would be risking a lot of he chose to play in the world championships without a new contract.
"It would be nice to have him," Hynes admitted. "As the coach of the U.S. team it would be fantastic to have him for sure. But he doesn't have his contract for next year, so a lot of those things are difficult for players like that to make a decision. But as the coach of the team, all aside, I'd love for Kyle to play on it."
What is Palmieri thinking?
"It's a possibility. I played in it before, but you're going back four years," he said. "I'll wait until the season is over and talk about it."
What do you think? Voice your opinion.
Rich Chere may be reached at rchere@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Ledger_NJDevils. Find NJ.com on Facebook