New Jersey Devils: Comparing Simon Nemec To David Jiricek

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.

Advantage: Simon Nemec

Higher Upside: Nemec vs. Jiricek

This one is interesting, and it could decide who goes where in this draft. It also has to do with who is drafting where. Defensemen usually get a little more leeway in the early parts of the draft. We’ve seen it work out before. Players don’t have to make the NHL right away at this position in order to become a star. The best young defensemen in the league include Cale Makar, Miro Heiskanen, Adam Fox, Charlie McAvoy, and Aaron Ekblad. Of those, only Fox was taken outside of the first round. Taking a defenseman high is usually a good proposition even if it is a risk to bet on the upside.

So, looking at Nemec versus Jiricek, the upside tells an interesting picture. Some say Nemec’s two-way play makes him a pretty good bet to be a top defenseman on some team. Will he be in Norris voting? That’s hard to say right now, but he doesn’t seem like that type of player. He could be, we suppose. He was a better scorer than Jiricek last year, but he was burying assists at a high rate.

Meanwhile, Jiricek is considered by some easily the best defenseman in this class. That’s not because he’s the best player at the position right now, but it’s because he’s the best player once they are NHL-ready.

Jiricek seems like he’s closer to NHL ready, he has much better size than Nemec, and he’s a big-play maker. Between his hitting ability and his scoring ability, he seems like he could be a star at the next level. Jiricek could be a star at the level of the names we mentioned earlier. That isn’t to say Nemec can’t, but that’s more projection than it would be for Jiricek. However, there are other issues we can bring up.

Advantage: Jiricek

Highest Floor: Jiricek vs. Nemec

This one might seem more cut and dry. Usually when one player has a higher ceiling, the other player in the argument has a higher floor. Thus, the argument at hand. This one isn’t quite the same as previous arguments, but let’s delve into what both players have going in their favor.

Nemec is someone with incredible hockey sense. We’ve seen in the past players overcoming crazy situations and talent limitations just because they are intelligent. It’s a mix between decision-making ability and general reflexes. Hockey is a fast game, and being able to think on your skates is important in the NHL. This is something that lifts Nemec’s floor immensely.

Jiricek’s size and current ability are what lifts his floor. He is almost an NHL player already. He will probably make the NHL before Nemec. That seems like he wins, right? Making the NHL is literally the floor of an NHL Draft prospect.

Here’s the difference with this argument. We’re not arguing who’s floor is closest to the NHL, we are talking about a higher floor. That’s easily Nemec. He will make the NHL, and when he does get there, his worst season will likely be as a second-line defenseman. His ceiling might be there, too. We kind of know what Nemec is going to be, and that’s a very safe defenseman who is going to make some plays, but he won’t do it with a ton of risk.

Advantage: Nemec