The New Jersey Devils are looking to add to the top six. They are also trying to figure out what to do with seven NHL defensemen on the roster. All seven defensemen are expected to be fully healthy at the start of next season. There are a lot of issues with this roster, but that might be an underrated one.
And that’s probably because fans just assume Sunny Mehta is going to address it. If it’s a Dougie Hamilton trade, a Johnny Kovacevic trade, or a Simon Nemec trade, the Devils are not going into training camp with seven defensemen. Right-handed defensemen still have value, and the Devils know that. Sunny Mehta knows that.
The one defenseman tied to trade talks the most is Simon Nemec. He’s been in trade talks before, even dating to before he was drafted and Tom Fitzgerald was dangling the second-overall pick to other teams in search for a superstar.
Since joining the Devils, Nemec has been up and down, struggling defensively but showing a clutch gene that is uncommon with players of this age. Nemec has scored multiple overtime goals, including the one playoff win during the Sheldon Keefe era.
Simon Nemec and Mason McTavish might have the same exact value
The consensus is that Nemec is more valuable for the Devils as a trade target than he is on the roster. Mostly, Nemec needs a new contract, and reports say he wants a massive deal. Luke Hughes just signed for $9 million per season, so we can see why the former second-overall pick feels like he should be able to ask for something similar, but we all know that Hughes’s contract has a little more to it than simply paying for the player.
One name that keeps coming up is Anaheim Ducks forward Mason McTavish. Strangely, him and Nemec have a similar trajectory. Both were somewhat surprising picks in the top three. Both have been in trade rumors forever, and both have struggled defensively.
Yet, the Ducks need a right-handed defenseman, and the Devils need a top-six forward. Is it as simple as just swapping them?
The biggest difference between the two is McTavish is signed long term and Nemec isn’t signed at all. Pat Verbeek is known as a cruel negotiator, both in trade and in contracts. After John Carlson reportedly told the Ducks he was off to East Coast pastures, it put the Ducks in a severe need for this position.
The question then turns to if McTavish truly addresses the Devils’ top-six issue. He scored fewer goals than Dawson Mercer last season. Is this just trading for a worse-defensively Dawson Mercer?
The Devils don’t have a ton of trade assets that are desirable if they are keeping Nico Hischier. Moving Nemec has to solve their issue in the top six. McTavish is not a guarantee by any means, and he might be one of those “is what he is” players. If he’s only scoring 17 goals, he’d need to be better defensively.
We do think he’d figure out that side of the puck under Sheldon Keefe. Since Keefe took over, Jack Hughes has become a really good defensive player. That would have seemed impossible three years ago. Jack Hughes penalty killer? He’s one of the best in the league.
Still, there seems to be too much risk here. At the same time, Nemec comes with risk. This might be the best they’ll be able to do.
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