The New Jersey Devils signed defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic to a contract extension at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline. Kovacevic joined the Devils from the Montreal Canadiens through trade in the offseason. And he has turned out to be an important addition to New Jersey's blueline. However, head coach Sheldon Keefe was none too pleased with his defenseman on Saturday night.

The Devils lost to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday by the score of 3-2. Following the game, Kovacevic spoke about the team's positioning relative to the race for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. And he hoped games like this put his team in more of a postseason mindset.

“We're in a fight, and hopefully that gets us in that playoff mentality 10, 11 games out. Obviously the results are tough, but we're in a fight here. And we're not going to back down,” the Devils defenseman said, via Sportsnet.

Keefe apparently did not like these comments from his defenseman. The Devils coach was asked about them during his press conference. He didn't even allow the reporter to finish the question before sharing his thoughts. “Kovacevic just needs to play better. That would help,” Keefe said, via Sportsnet.

Sheldon Keefe's Devils have been hit with injury bug

New Jersey Devils center Cody Glass (12) and defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic (8) against the Ottawa Senators during the first period at Prudential Center.
Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images
Related New Jersey Devils NewsArticle continues below
New Jersey Devils defenseman Luke Hughes (43) reacts after a play against the Carolina Hurricanes during the third period of game one of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Lenovo Center
Devils to be without 2 key defensemen for Game 2 vs. Hurricanes
Devils Hurricanes, Devils Hurricanes prediction, Devils Hurricanes pick, Devils Hurricanes odds, stanely cup playoffs odds
Devils vs. Hurricanes Game 2 prediction, odds, pick for Stanley Cup Playoffs 2025
Aleksander Barkov in middle and three players on each side: Leon Draisaitl, Cale Makar and Connor Hellebuyck on left, Mitch Marner, Nikita Kucherov and Alex Ovechkin on right, NHL logo in background, Text: NHL Playoff Power Rankings
NHL Playoff Power Rankings: Panthers have tough path to Stanley Cup repeat

The Devils have enjoyed an overall successful season. New Jersey wanted to contend for a Stanley Cup in 2025. And to this point, they look as if they will have a chance to do just that. The Devils are six points ahead of the New York Rangers for third in the Metropolitan Division. This would see them make the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

However, the team has seen a dip in their performances as of late. And a slew of brutal injuries certainly factor into this. Jack Hughes is out with an injury for the remainder of the season. Defenseman Dougie Hamilton is also out with an injury. And the team is also without defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler, as well.

New Jersey did well to weather the storm a bit, winning three straight games. However, their more recent run of form is less impressive. The Devils have lost three of their last four games. This includes the loss on Saturday to the Senators on home ice.

It seems as if frustrations boiled over following the loss to Ottawa. Keefe and Kovacevic will likely handle this situation behind the scenes. And they will need to do so in quick order. The Devils retake the ice on Monday night when New Jersey plays host to the Vancouver Canucks.