Eyes are on the New Jersey Devils ahead of the NHL trade deadline, as they are expected to sell. This season has not gone to plan in Newark, leading to a lot of names in the rumor mill. Devils defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic is among those players, and he spoke with James Nichols of NJ Hockey Now about his future.
“Just spoke with Johnathan Kovacevic. Said he wants to be with the [Devils] and has no intention of waiving. Can scratch his name off your lists,” Nichols reported.
The Devils traded a fourth-round pick to the Montreal Canadiens for Kovacevic back in the summer of 2024. At last year's trade deadline, New Jersey signed the defenseman to a five-year contract worth $4 million per season. That deal includes a full no-trade clause for the first two seasons, which he can use to decline any deal.
The Devils could get a solid return for Kovacevic, who is 28 years old and on a reasonable contract. But with Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier up front, this should not be a complete teardown for New Jersey. Kovacevic could easily be considered part of the core and will stick around Newark for the time being.
The Devils have already made one trade this season, sending Ondrej Palat to the New York Islanders before the Olympic break. But New Jersey had to part with draft picks for New York to take on the final 18 months of Palat's contract. General manager Tom Fitzgerald needs to be active at the deadline to add pieces for the future.
If the Devils are not going to trade Kovacevic, there are other defenseman that should be on the block. Namely, Dougie Hamilton has been discussed among trade breakers for months. Even with his recent uptick in offensive performance, Hamilton could still be on the move.
