The Canadiens trade Johnathan Kovacevic to the New Jersey Devils.
In return for the defender, the Habs obtain a fourth-round pick in 2026. Currently, the Devils hold three fourth-round selections in 2026, and this will be the most advantageous one that will be given to the Canadiens for this transaction.
The 26-year-old guard played the last two seasons with the Canadiens. Last year in 67 games, he scored six goals and had seven assists.
In his career, Kovacevic played a total of 143 games in Montreal and Winnipeg. He scored nine goals and added 19 assists.
The Canadiens had claimed Kovacevic off waivers in October 2022.
Additionally, defensemen Justin Barron and Arber Xhekaj received qualifying offers from general manager Kent Hughes.
Barron appeared in 48 games with the Canadiens in 2023-24, registering seven goals and six assists. The right-shot defenseman also had 11 points in 32 games with the AHL’s Laval Rocket.
Xhekaj has played 44 games with the Habs in 2023-24. He had 10 points and had a plus-6 defensive rating.
The six-foot-four, 240-pound defenseman led the team with 81 penalty minutes. He also ranked first among Canadiens defensemen with 125 hits.
During a stay of 17 contested games with the Rocket, Xhekaj obtained 11 points and posted a differential of plus-3.
For his part, fullback Mattias Norlinder did not receive an offer, which will make him an unrestricted free agent.
Norlinder has played six games in a Canadiens uniform, but that was during the 2021-2022 season. He was the team’s third-round pick, 64th overall, in 2019.
Last season, he was limited to nine points in 50 games with the Laval Rocket. He had a minus-14 differential.
