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.