Trade: Canadiens trade defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic.

The Montreal Canadiens have struck a deal with the New Jersey Devils.

National Hockey League insider Frank Seravalli was the first to break the news that 26 year old defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic was being dealt, although Seravalli did not have the details of the deal at the time of his breaking news.

The Canadiens themselves have now confirmed that Kovacevic is in fact being dealt and is on his way to the New Jersey Devils with a fourth round pick coming back the other way to Montreal. That pick won't materialize for the Canadiens for a while, with it being a fourth round pick at the 2026 National Hockey League Entry Draft.

Kovacevic played a significant role on the blue line for the Canadiens over the course of the past two seasons, appearing in a total of 139 games over that stretch and putting up 9 goals and 19 assists for a total of 38 points.

This appears to be a clear case of the Canadiens simply feeling they didn't have room for Kovacevic on their depth chart with players like rookie defenseman Lane Hutson expected to take on more significant roles next season.