Johnathan Kovacevic signed a five-year, $20 million contract with the New Jersey Devils on Friday. The contract begins next season and has an average annual value of $4 million.
The 27-year-old defenseman, who could have become an unrestricted free agent July 1, has 14 points (one goal, 13 assists) and is plus-11 in 63 games this season, his first with the Devils. He is averaging 19:43 of ice time per game, including a team-high 2:40 while short-handed.
“He's been a really nice addition for us," Devils coach Sheldon Keefe said. "He got a really good opportunity coming in because of the injuries we had earlier on, with Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce, and he exceeded our expectations quite honestly. We knew we were getting a tremendous guy, good teammate, works extremely hard and is very coachable. Obviously the size (6-foot-5, 223 pounds) and reach and stuff that he has, but his play has been really good. He and Jonas Siegenthaler have been a tremendous pair for us and a big part of our team's success for the early going of the season so it's great to see his growth."
Kovacevic was acquired from the Montreal Canadiens on June 30, 2024, for a fourth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft (best of any of the three fourth-round picks year -- New Jersey also owns the Dallas Stars’ and the Winnipeg Jets’ fourth-round selection in 2026.
A third-round pick by Winnipeg (No. 74) at the 2017 NHL Draft, Kovacevic has 42 points (10 goals, 32 assists) in 206 games with the Jets, Canadiens and Devils.
“I think sometimes it's all about time ... players need time," Keefe said. "Everybody's got a different path to their career. Some guys need time, some need a change of scenery. Sometimes it takes two, three teams, whether it's a message to settle in or to really find your footing and your true identity in the League and kind of clear your head. For every player it's different, but for Kovacevic it seems to have worked really well here.”
New Jersey (33-24-6) is third in the Metropolitan Division, four points ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
NHL.com senior draft write Mike G. Morreale contributed to this report
