Devils Sign Ben Lovejoy

The New Jersey Devils have signed Stanley Cup champion Ben Lovejoy, reports Sportsnet’s John Shannon. GM Ray Shero, formerly of the Penguins, signs the former Pittsburgh defenseman to a three-year deal with a cap hit of $2.67MM.  Lovejoy will be counted on to log some minutes to help replace the recently-traded Adam Larsson.

Lovejoy played a depth role with Pittsburgh last year, making it a bit surprising that he was able to land a three year deal at more than double the $1.2M salary he earned in 2015-16.  He suited up in 66 games with the Penguins, scoring four goals and six assists while playing 18:52 per game.  He also played in 24 playoff games for the Cup champions, adding two goals and four helpers while averaging 17:46 per night.

In his eight year career (with Anaheim and Pittsburgh), Lovejoy, 32, has played in 334 games, collecting 15 goals and 62 assists.