Kovacevic Looks to Bring His Physicality and Hard Defensive Game to Devils Blue Line

New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald knew he needed to acquire and sign depth defensemen this summer.

Last season, the club used 11 different defensemen after losing Dougie Hamilton in November and Jonas Siegenthaler twice (the first time due to a broken foot and the second time due to a concussion). By the conclusion of the regular season, Luke Hughes and Kevin Bahl were the only two defenders to appear in all 82 games.

On June 24, the Devils signed Nick Desimone to a one-year, one-way contract extension after acquiring him off waivers from the Calgary Flames in late January.

Shortly after that signing, Fitzgerald was lucky enough to have a 6-foot-5, 223-pound defenseman fall into his lap.

He received a call from the Montreal Canadiens, and a deal was struck to bring then 26-year-old Johnathan Kovacevic to New Jersey.

"(We added) another 6-foot-5 heavy hard player who can push to make sure our other right-shots are going to be playing on their toes every night," Fitzgerald said.

Kovacevic has appeared in 143 NHL games, playing for the Winnipeg Jets and Canadiens.

During his introductory media availability, Kovacevic described his play.

"I think I play a hard defensive game. I take care of my own zone first, so a responsible game, but (I) also (make) good breakout passes," he said. "I am a big body who uses my reach to defend well. I want to play a hard, reliable game and be someone that the team can depend on back there."

He additionally spoke about how his game has evolved and the areas where he wants to improve, which should excite Devils fans.

"I think one thing that I am adding is more of a physical edge to my game. I think that is something that I talked about with the staff in Montreal," he said. "The two boxes that I am trying to really focus on and put all my efforts into are defending well and being hard to play against, and I think I have added some chips into both of those boxes. Playing well defensively and being someone hard to play against, I take pride in that, and that's where I am growing my game.

"I am not a finished product yet. I am going to continue to get better and to improve."

Fitzgerald has referred to Kovacevic as his seventh and is expected to be the extra defenseman to round out a blue line that also consists of Siegenthaler, Hamilton, Hughes, Simon Nemec , Brett Pesce, and Brenden Dillon.

Entering training camp, he already knows some of his teammates, as he previously played with goaltender Jake Allen and Dillon. He additionally said he is familiar with forward Nathan Bastian , who was one of the first to welcome Kovacevic to the team.

Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

Related: The Mental Side of the Game: Devils Players & Mental Skills Coach Andy Swärd Take You Behind the Scenes

Related: 13 Rapid-Fire Questions With Devils' Captain Nico Hischier

Related: Devils Dish: Curtis Lazar Reveals Which Teammates Are Most Likely