Shocking Turn of Events for Jonathan Kovacevic: the Former Waiver Claims' Days as a Member of the Montreal Canadiens Seem to Be Numbered

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Aaron
December 17, 2023 (6:23 PM)

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A few days ago, the TSN network released an initial list of players likely to be traded this season, and it includes four players from the Canadiens (CH): goaltenders Jake Allen and Cayden Primeau, forward Sean Monahan, and defenseman Michael Matheson.

You can view the list by clicking on this link here.

It's not surprising to see these names on the list, except maybe for Matheson, who has been the real general on defense since the beginning of the season.

However, Matheson is still under contract with the Canadiens for two more seasons, and unless an extraordinary offer is received, Kent Hughes should keep the services of the player he acquired in the trade that sent Jeff Petry to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

But as reported by Danslescoulisses.com, it's not Matheson that the Canadiens should trade, but rather another defenseman, right-hander Johnathan Kovacevic.

Since his arrival in Montreal last year, he has proven to be an extremely reliable defender, having missed only five games since the 2022-2023 season, and he represents excellent insurance with the many injuries the Canadiens have had over the past two seasons.

The idea of Kent Hughes trading the tall right-handed defenseman comes from informant Dan Kramer, who has previously covered the Canadiens' prospects for TSN 690 and the blog Habs Eyes On The Prize.

Given that he has a modest salary of $766,667 per year until 2024-2025, Kovacevic is quite attractive to other teams, and despite his excellent performance this season, it's unclear where the team places him relative to other right-handed defensemen in the organization.

However, the impact of the potential arrivals of Logan Mailloux and David Reinbacher with the main club is unknown, but until these two prospects are able to play regularly in the NHL, Kovacevic's presence in the CH's defensive squad should be welcome for Martin St-Louis.