Simon Nemec has come up in trade talks, but what can the Devils realistically demand?

It seems like Simon Nemec only got a month off from trade rumors. After being discussed for months as a likely part of the Quinn Hughes trade package, the New Jersey Devils decided to keep the former second-overall pick in the locker room and watched as the eldest Hughes brother went to the Minnesota Wild. 

With that trade off the table until at least the offseason, it was assumed that Nemec was going to be safe. His play this season and his impact on Slovakia in the Winter Olympics made him a fixture in the lineup. There are clearly some valuable talents Nemec brings to the table. His offensive instincts are well beyond his years. 

However, he’s still someone prone to a mistake. He’s still allowing more high-danger chances than he’s creating, but he’s doing a lot more on his own than other Devils defensemen. He has a knack for pinching, and that leads directly to goals. We saw that on Tuesday night when his pinch led to the fifth goal against the Florida Panthers. 

On Wednesday, just a few hours after that goal, Nemec was rocketed back into the trade rumors just days before the NHL Trade Deadline. 

This doesn’t make a ton of sense on the surface, but when digging deeper into what’s happening, it might make sense. The Devils are currently shopping Dougie Hamilton and Johnny Kovacevic. They do have four right-handed defensemen, plus they have Seamus Casey (who is currently injured) in the AHL, but losing the 22-year-old who just had a great showing on the international stage doesn’t make sense for a selling team. This is the type of player one should build around.

What does make sense is doing this now instead of in the offseason. Nemec is about to get a crazy payday, way more than people think. He seems like a candidate for a bridge deal, but there are rumors he could make upwards of $7 million per season. The Devils already tried paying for future production when they gave Luke Hughes $9 million per season. 

Now that we understand a trade could make sense, what would the return have to be? It seems to be clear what Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald wants: a young forward with scoring upside. 

Obviously, those aren’t readily available, but neither is a former second-overall pick who played top-line minutes for a team in the medal round. 

The example that could provide a framework for a Simon Nemec trade

The best example we can find for a trade like this is the one that sent Cutter Gauthier to Anaheim. The Ducks sent Jamie Drysdale and a draft pick to the Philadelphia Flyers for Gauthier. It was a young defenseman for a young forward. 

Players worth targeting include Tij Iginla with Utah, James Hagens with Boston, and Konsta Helenius with Buffalo. It’s not limited to those players, but the Devils need to get that level of player for Simon Nemec. 

They cannot take anything just to end the situation. Yes, things have been icy between the Devils and Nemec in the past, but even with the rumors, all of that seems to be behind them. The best situation is likely just keeping Nemec in New Jersey, but everything seems to be on the table right now. Don’t make a hasty trade, but if they can take a strength and fill a weakness, it might make sense.