Devils activate Johnathan Kovacevic off injured reserve

Kovacevic is eligible to make his season debut on Saturday night, when the Devils host the Vancouver Canucks.

Kovacevic has been on the injured list since the offseason after undergoing knee surgery this past May, which limited his participation in training camp. He’s seeking a more productive and healthier season than what he had during the 2025-26 season. The Grimsby, Ont. native was limited to just 34 games thanks to injury, registering just eight assists, his worst production since he became a full-time NHLer during the 2022-23 campaign.

When he came to the Devils organization in the summer of 2024, after being traded by the Montreal Canadiens, Kovacevic proved that he can be a reliable blueliner in his own zone, while jumping in on the offensive side of the puck from time to time. He posted a career-best 17 points during the 2024-25 campaign, which came after he scored six goals in 62 games with Montreal the year prior.

The 29-year-old is coming into the second season of his five-year contract extension, which he signed in March 2025. That deal carries an AAV of $4 million through the 2028-29 campaign.

In 258 regular-season games in the NHL, Kovacevic has scored 10 goals and 43 assists for 53 points, appearing in three Stanley Cup Playoff games with New Jersey in the spring of 2025.

The Hamilton, Ont. native was originally taken by the Winnipeg Jets in the third round, 74th overall, of the 2017 NHL Draft. He played just a few games with the Jets before the Habs claimed him off waivers prior to the start of the 2022-23 season.