Johnathan Kovacevic makes Sheldon Keefe's job easier and harder at the same time

The New Jersey Devils got bad news when it came to its defense this offseason. First, we all saw Luke Hughes in a sling at a Michigan football game, and we learned the young defenseman was going to miss at least the first month of the season. Then, we learned that Brett Pesce wasn’t going to be ready to start the season after the Devils spent more than $30 million to get him to New Jersey. On top of all that, Simon Nemec injured his shoulder at Olympic qualifiers, and he hasn’t looked great in limited action this season. 

It was a good thing the Devils made it a point to use assets to add to the depth of the defense. They did trade John Marino to the Utah Hockey Club, but Pesce will eventually replace him. They also re-signed Nick DeSimone, Santeri Hatakka (who has since been injured), and gave Seamus Casey and entry-level deal. 

However, the award for underrated move of the offseason goes to the trade for Johnathan Kovacevic. The right-handed defender went from the Montreal Canadiens to the Devils after playing 62 games last season and 77 games the season before. He came to the Devils with the expectation he would be fighting for a spot in the lineup. 

Injuries quickly has Kovacevic on the second line, paired with Jonas Siegenthaler. The two become a defensive-minded pair the Devils have been deploying over the past few seasons. Even with so many offensive-minded defensemen, they find a way to have a shutdown pair. 

And Kovacevic has lived up to that mantra. On Saturday, Kovacevic allowed zero high-danger chances against at 5v5. He did that while helping his line secure five high-danger chances themselves. He played more 5v5 minutes than anyone else on the Devils. His 18:46 according to Natural Stat Trick represents more than the Devils stars. 

When considering all strengths, Kovacevic played 23:43 on Saturday. He did this after playing more than 20 minutes on Friday. Only Siegenthaler and Dougie Hamilton played more minutes on the Devils in the team’s first two games.

Even for those using the eye test or counting stats, Kovacevic had an amazing start to his Devils career. He scored a goal and added an assist, and he was purely dominant in his own end.

How could Sheldon Keefe remove Kovacevic from the lineup? When he put Seamus Casey in the lineup (who also scored a goal), Keefe showed he’s willing to simply choose the best option for the roster. How could he bench Kovacevic after these two performances when Pesce and/or Hughes return? 

It’s a good situation to be in. Now, the Devils can let Pesce take a little more time to heal. He doesn’t have to rush. The Devils have four out of four points. They got a jump start on everyone in the Metropolitan Division, and they put Lindy Ruff and his Buffalo Sabres behind the eight-ball in their pursuit for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. 

There are other options, but both seem unlikely. Would Keefe remove Simon Nemec from the lineup? He’s had a rough start to the year, and he is coming off said shoulder injury. Does he need more time to recover? Would he benefit from some time in the AHL while he recovers? There’s also 11-7, but Keefe has been resistant to that in the past.

This is a pretty unprecedented situation. The Devils have too much of a good thing. Hopefully, once everyone returns from injury, they can just play the hot hand and keep everyone healthy.