The New Jersey Devils have acquired defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic from the Montreal Canadiens through a trade, the team announced on Sunday. In exchange for Kovacevic, the Devils will be sending Montreal a 2026 fourth-round draft pick. This pick will be the best of the three fourth-round picks currently owned by the Devils, which were acquired from the Dallas Stars, the Jets, and their own.
Kovacevic was originally drafted in the third round of the 2017 NHL Draft by the Winnipeg Jets. He is in his third year in the NHL and has played in 143 career games, scoring nine goals and registering 19 assists. Last season, he recorded 13 points (six goals, seven assists) in 62 games with the Canadiens.
The 6-foot-5, 225-pound defenseman has one year remaining on his three-year, $3.2 million contract signed in 2022, with a cap hit of $766,667 for this season. With this addition to their roster, the Devils hope to strengthen their defensive capabilities and improve their chances of making it to playoffs next season.
