The New Jersey Devils announced today that the team has agreed to terms with defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic on a five-year contract worth $20,000,000 with an annual average value of $4,000,000. The contract breakdown is as follows: 2025-26: $5,250,000; 2026-27: $4,750,000; 2027-28: $3,700,000; 2028-29: $3,150,000 & 2029-30: $3,150,000. Kovacevic was due to be an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2025. The announcement was made by President/General Manager Tom Fitzgerald.
Kovacevic, 27, is in his fourth NHL season and first with New Jersey. He has played in all 63 games for the Devils this season, recording one goal and 13 assists, along with 49 penalty minutes and a +11 plus/minus rating. His totals for assists, penalty minutes, and plus/minus set new career highs. Kovacevic leads the team in both total and per-game shorthanded ice time. The 6’5”, 225lbs. blueliner was acquired on June 30, 2024, in a trade with the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft (best of any of the 2026 three fourth-round picks New Jersey currently owns: Dallas’ 4th in 2026, Winnipeg’s 4th in 2026 or New Jersey’s own 4th in 2026, once the final draft order has been established for the 2026 NHL Draft).
The right-handed shot made his NHL debut on Jan. 27, 2022, with Winnipeg and has played in 206 career NHL games, tallying 42 points (10g-32a), with 132 penalty minutes and a plus-26 rating. Kovacevic spent parts of four seasons in the American Hockey League (AHL) with Manitoba from 2018-19 to 2021-22. The Hamilton, Ontario native totaled 58 career points (18g-40a) in 137 regular season games with Manitoba and played five Calder Cup Playoff games during the 2021-22 season.
Born on July 12, 1997, Winnipeg selected Kovacevic in the third round, 74th overall in the 2017 NHL Draft. Before his professional experience, he played three collegiate seasons, from 2016-17 to 2018-19, at Merrimack College (Hockey East). Kovacevic served as an assistant captain and led the team with 14 assists during his final season at Merrimack. He totaled 54 career points (9g-45a) in 101 contests with the team. With Merrimack, his head coach was Mark Dennehy, current Chief Scout, Amateur Scouting for New Jersey.