Former New Jersey Devils defenseman (and second overall pick) Simon Nemec got paid.
The Calgary Flames recently announced that they've extended Nemec on a five-year, $7.25M/year deal. Nemec's contract runs through 2030-2031. At that point, he'll walk directly to unrestricted free agency at the prime of his career. If that isn't enough, Nemec's last year of his deal comes with a modified no-trade clause with a 10-team no-trade list.
Had the Devils signed this deal, they'd have just $377,000 at their disposal. To say the Devils dodged a bullet here is an understatement.
Devils come out big winners in Nemec trade
It already goes without saying that the Devils are the clear winner in the Simon Nemec trade, but this puts the trade into a completely different stratosphere. Not only do the Devils now have additional cash to sign or trade for upgrades, but they also managed to secure two first-round picks, a second-round pick, and a prospect in the process.
Not a bad bit of business for Sunny Mehta.
Those picks (and the salary space they acquired) give them a bit of flexibility to make a major move in the coming weeks. Whether they try to make a run at Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin or Toronto Maple Leafs winger Matthew Knies, the Devils have more assets than they've had in years to make a trade.
Best of all, they avoid the laborious back-and-forth process of debating Nemec's camp on salary.
In a world where offer sheets are all but commonplace, the Devils got the best possible return they could have out of a player like Nemec. Had they waited - and another team offered Nemec the contract he just signed - the Devils would've only received a first, second and third-round pick as compensation.
What the Devils can acquire with Nemec's salary, picks
There is no shortage of trade candidates available for the Devils to consider. Besides Larkin and Knies, players like Mathew Barzal of the New York Islanders, Kirill Marchenko of the Columbus Blue Jackets, and Alexander Nikishin of the Carolina Hurricanes all offer intriguing, measurable upgrades for the Devils across the board.
Best of all, if they acquire a big candidate in a trade, they won't have to worry about long-term salary ramifications. With Evan Rodrigues, Brendan Dillon and Stefan Noesen coming off the books next season, the Devils will have over $10M to spend on extending players like Dawson Mercer.
And that's not even counting the additional salary freed up from players like Cody Glass, Nick Bjugstad, Jesper Boqvist and Declan Chisolm.
All in all, avoiding a costly contract like Nemec's puts the Devils in the best possible place they can be for long-term success.
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