Report says that Simon Nemec has asked the New Jersey Devils for a trade

We all thought it was possible, but many of us hoped a solution could be found. The relationship between Simon Nemec and the New Jersey Devils has been tumultuous since he was drafted second overall in the 2022 NHL Draft. It was an interesting position for the Devils, who drafted Nemec over center prospects Shane Wright and Logan Cooley. Reports say the Devils were targeting winger Juraj Slafkovsky, but when the Montreal Canadiens surprisingly took him first overall, the Devils moved on to the Slovak defenseman. 

And the rumor mill was buzzing up until draft day, saying that the Devils were open to trading the pick for the right price. Of course, a trade for the second-overall pick never happened, and Nemec was on his way to New Jersey.

Despite drafting Nemec, the Devils invested heavily in the defense in 2024. They signed Brett Pesce and Brenden Dillon and traded for Johnny Kovacevic. All of a sudden, the Devils had seven NHL defensemen, and Kovacevic proved he should be in the lineup every night.

Nemec was coming off a season where he impressed the staff after being forced to step in for an injured Dougie Hamilton. With Hamilton still on the roster, the Devils had four right-handed defensemen. Of course, they attempted to trade Hamilton last offseason, but a trade never happened, and they went into the season with those same seven defensemen. Kovacevic was coming off a torn ACL, so Tom Fitzgerald had time to trade one and remove the issue, but that trade never came. 

Nemec has been open about his frustration with playing time. He’s been a player who steps up when needed. He was the reason the Devils didn’t get swept by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2025, scoring an overtime goal in Game 3. 

And now, he needs a new contract. It appears he wants that contract elsewhere. According to the Slovakian outlet Dennik N, Nemec has officially asked for a trade. 

The report claims that new Devils GM Sunny Mehta has not reached out to Nemec, who is a restricted free agent this season and looking for a substantial payday.

There will be plenty of trade options on the table. Nemec has shown a knack for scoring big goals, and that's desirable in a defenseman. Nemec is also an analytical disaster, so the analytics-minded Mehta might be happy to oblige this trade request.

Nemec's overtime goals and big celebrations has made him a fan favorite, but this is not going to help his rating with the fanbase.

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