The Winnipeg Jets have signed restricted free agent Johnathan Kovacevic to a three-year contract, which will carry an NHL cap hit of $766,700. The deal is a two-way contract in the first two years and a one-way contract in 2024-25.
PuckPedia provides the full breakdown:
- 2022-23: $750K NHL / $150K AHL / $175K guaranteed
- 2023-24: $775K NHL / $250K AHL / $275K guaranteed
- 2024-25: $775K
Kovacevic, 25, made his NHL debut this season and played in four games for the Jets but mostly continued his stellar play for their minor league affiliate. A 6’5″ defenseman that can contribute at both ends of the rink is incredibly valuable, and his play for the Manitoba Moose was a big reason why they finished with a 41-24-7 record.
With 30 points in 62 games, the 2017 third-round pick continued his offensive improvement and has worked his way up to being a legitimate call-up option for the Jets. The interesting part about that is that he is no longer waiver-exempt, meaning they could potentially lose him if they try to send him to the minor leagues.
In fact, that may be part of why the two sides agreed on a multi-year deal like this. Teams rarely want to pluck these kinds of commitments off the waiver wire without any previous experience with the player, meaning Kovacevic likely is able to slip through once again. That is of course unless he makes the Jets out of camp, though with how many other defensemen will be in line for NHL opportunity, that is unlikely.