Devils acquire defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic from Canadiens

The Devils have acquired defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic in a trade with the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday, the team announced.

In return, New Jersey is sending Montreal a 2026 fourth-round draft pick for the third-year player taken in the third round of the 2017 NHL Draft by the Winnipeg Jets. The pick will be the best of any of the three fourth-round picks the Devils currently own by way of the Dallas Stars, the Jets and their own.

Kovacevic, 26, has played in 143 career games and has scored nine goals to go along with 19 assists. He tallied 13 points (six goals, seven assists) last season with the Canadiens in 62 games.

The 6-foot-5, 225-pounder has one year remaining on his three-year, $3.2 million contract he signed in 2022, which carries a cap hit of $766,667 this season.