New Jersey Devils: Comparing Simon Nemec To David Jiricek
By Nick Villano
The New Jersey Devils have a very important decision to make when the NHL Draft comes. They can go with two very good forwards in Juraj Slafkovsky and Logan Cooley. We profiled them last week. We could also go with a defenseman. The Devils are pretty stout on defense both in the NHL and in terms of young players. However, their prospect pool is pretty weak when it comes to right-handed defensemen. They have Dougie Hamilton and Damon Severson in the NHL, and there’s a slim possibility P.K. Subban could return to round out the squad.
Reilly Walsh is the only real young right-handed defenseman in the system. However, with the second-overall pick, they could take either Simon Nemec or David Jiricek. They are both extremely capable defensemen who were playing overseas. Unlike Cooley and Slafkovsky, there is an easier way to compare their stats.
Better Scoring: Jiricek vs. Nemec
Jiricek played in a Czech league while Nemec was in a Slovak league. These two players were up against men, and while the leagues are different, there are very similar performances when it comes to their output. They also both represented their countries at the IIHF World Championships, and Nemec got a little extra experience going to the Olympics.
Nemec scored 26 points in 39 games for HK Nitra. Jiricek scored 11 points in 29 games for HC Plzeň. On the surface, it looks pretty obvious who wins this. Nemec had a great season. Jiricek is playing on what he could be. The Czech defenseman is a little bigger. Nemec has a little more skill. It’s going to be a fun comparison, but for now it shows scoring goes to Slovakia.