Devils defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic stepped on the ice Friday looking like a player who could suit up for a game that same night.

He poked away pucks, kept pace with opposing forwards and played that same tenacious brand of hockey that earned him a contract extension last season.

And yet, because of his offseason knee surgery, he remains on long term injured reserve.

But is he still truly nursing an injury? Or is he just on LTIR because general manager Tom Fitzgerald can’t clear the cap space required for him to return? He’s participated in five practices this month, so many fans have wondered if it’s the latter. If that were the case, the NHL would surely step in to investigate the true nature of Kovacevic’s condition.

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Apparently, that’s not going to happen. In an email sent to NJ Advance Media Friday, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the league does not plan on investigating the Devils for sidestepping the LTIR rules.

“We are aware of Kovacevic’s physical condition and prognosis,” Daly told NJ Advance Media. “There are no issues or concerns associated with how the team is rehabbing his injury.”

Coach Sheldon Keefe echoed this after practice, stating that, while Kovacevic looks sharp, he’s not quite ready for game speed.

“I would call this probably the first real practice he’s had, even though it only lasted 25 minutes or so,” Keefe said of Kovacevic, who last played on April 25, 2025. “First real practice with pace and physicality. He looked good to me. That’s one of the boxes he needs to check. I’m sure there’ll be a couple more opportunities to get him those reps.”

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Let’s see how much longer it takes him to return/what Fitzgerald does to clear space when he does. The 28-year-old defensive-minded defenseman logged a career-best 17 points in 81 games last season. That earned him a four-year, $4 million contract extension.