The New Jersey Devils have announced that they have signed defenseman Jonathan Kovacevic to a five-year, $20 million extension that carries him through the 2029-30 season. It contains a 10-team no-trade team list for the first two years of the deal. Kovacevic, 27, is having a career year as he’s put up one goal and 13 assists for 14 points in 63 games. Kovacevic will become the only the second Devil’s defenseman, along with Brenden Dillon, who has played in every game after the team announced that Dougie Hamilton is out week to week with a lower-body injury. The Grimsby, Ontario, was traded by the Montreal Canadiens to New Jersey last year for a 2026 fourth-round draft pick. Kovacevic has been a solid piece for the Devils defensive core this season. He was originally drafted by the Winnipeg Jets in the 2017 NHL Draft and has spent time with the Winnipeg Jets, Montreal Canadiens, and New Jersey Devils. In 206 NHL games, he’s put up 10 goals and 32 assists for 42 points.
Now that the Devils have signed Kovecevic, they have only two defensemen unsigned for next season: Luke Hughes and newly acquired defenseman Brian Dumoulin. There’s almost no doubt that the Devils will want to re-sign Hughes long-term as he’s an RFA this summer. Dumoulin, 33, is in the final year of his two-year, $3.15 million deal that he signed with the Seattle Kraken in 2023. It will be interesting to see if the Biddeford, Maine native can earn a contract with the Devils this off-season.
ITR 43: It's Winning Time – Inside The Rink
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