Devils Extend Johnathan Kovacevic With Big Raise

The New Jersey Devils are not giving up on their season despite losing Jack Hughes for the remainder of the season due to an injury. This came with a trade to acquire Brian Dumoulin, but now the team has extended Johnathan Kovacevic.

The third pairing right shot defenseman acquired from the Montreal Canadiens last summer is in the final year of his contract at $766,667 AAV and has more than proven he not only belongs in the NHL, but can be a factor. The Devils have clearly really liked him and that is why the team have extended him for five years at $4 million AAV.

Kovacevic is 27 years old and in his third full season in the NHL. He's not a point producer, but is very focused on the defensive side of the game. He has one goal, 14 points, is a +11 on the season, has 81 blocked shots, and 83 hits. His ice time is up to 19:43 per game after averaging 17:01 over his first two seasons. Kovacevic is a big time penalty killer and will continue doing that moving forward.