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In Hainsight: What to Expect from Jonathan Kovacevic |
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Follow me @KarineHains for all updates about the Montreal Canadiens and women's hockey
Kovacevic wasn’t part of Ken Hughes’ plan originally, but as blue liners kept on dropping like flies, the Canadiens’ general manager turned to the waiver wire to get some help. As luck would have it, Jonathan Kovacevic had just been waived by the Jets because of monetary consideration. Winnipeg didn’t want to lose the right shot defenseman, but they had no choice and that’s how the 26-year-old landed in Montreal.
Thanks to the incessant injuries, Kovacevic went from waiver wire pick up to being a regular on the Canadiens blue line, dressing for 77 of the 82 games. The fact that the Canadiens lacked depth on the right side can partly explain how he suited up for so many games, but there’s also the fact that he is a better option than Chris Wideman. Kovacevic is not an offensive defenseman by any stretch of the imagination (he collected 15 points last year), but he can provide a solid performance. On average, he played 17 and a half minutes a night, for the Habs, which might be a bit too much, but the end justifies the means.
This season, Montreal’s blue line will be even more overcrowded, and defensemen will have to work extra hard to earn their ice-time. While Hughes did manage to ship out Joel Edmundson, he had to take Gustav Lindstrom off Steve Yzerman’s hands to make the Jeff Petry trade work. The fact that he’s a right-shot is a bonus to bring on some much-needed depth on that side in Montreal, but considering he was the seventh defenseman in Detroit last season and only suited up for 36 games, he won’t be a serious treat to Kovacevic’s position on the team.
Right now, on the team’s depth chart at right rear guard, Kovacevic is probably the second choice behind David Savard. There’s no doubt that Justin Barron is more talented than Kovacevic on paper, but he has failed to show it consistently on the ice. Furthermore, Barron can still be sent down to Laval without clearing waivers, which is not the case for Kovacevic. As for Chris Wideman, he was signed to be the 7th defenseman on this team and that’s probably the role he’ll end up getting once again.
So, what can we expect from Kovacevic this season? We can expect him to polish his defensive game and work on being a more steady and safe presence at the back. He’ll never be the one who’ll rack up loads of points from the back, nor does he have a chance at being on special units, but right now, circumstances are on his side, and he’s got to make the most of it. Next season, Logan Mailloux might be making a serious push for a spot on the roster and Kovacevic needs to establish himself as a go-to guy before then, the clock is ticking…
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
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