Devils place Johnathan Kovacevic on injured reserve, recall Anton Silaev

The New Jersey Devils will have some changing parts on their blueline.

On Friday, the Devils announced that they have placed defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic on injured reserve with an ankle injury. In a corresponding move, they have recalled defenseman Anton Silaev from their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate Utica Comets.

Kovacevic, 29, missed New Jersey’s 5-2 win over the Washington Capitals on Thursday after suffering his injury during a 4-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday, when he was cross-checked to the ice by Jets defenseman Tyrel Bauer.

The Grimsby, Ontario native missed the Devils’ first five games this season while recovering from a knee surgery he underwent in May. In 13 games played this season, he has no goals and two assists while averaging just under 15 minutes of ice time.

Selected by Winnipeg in the third round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, Kovacevic played in just four games for the Jets before getting claimed off waivers by the Montreal Canadiens in October of 2022. He went on to play two seasons in Montreal, and was then traded to New Jersey ahead of the 2024-25 season in exchange for a 2026 fourth-round pick.

He is currently in the second season of a five-year, $20 million contract.

Silaev, 20, was selected 10th overall by the Devils in the 2024 Draft. This is his first season in North America after primarily playing for Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod of the KHL the last three years. He has yet to see NHL action, but in 12 games for Utica, he has no goals and four assists. Daily Faceoff‘s prospect analyst Steven Ellis ranked Silaev as the Devils’ second-best prospect this past offseason.

With 28 points through 20 games, New Jersey sits in second place in the Metropolitan Division.

The Devils will visit the Capitals on Saturday before hosting the Canadiens on Wednesday.