Simon Nemec has the most to gain from Olympics experience

Simon Nemec has been one of the best New Jersey Devils players at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy. In fact, he might be the best player so far. Jack Hughes has been incredible for the Americans, and Timo Meier was awesome prior to Switzerland’s disappointing loss to Finland on Wednesday, but the Devils’ young defenseman has played a big role for Slovakia, and he has his team in a spot where they are guaranteed to play for a medal.

Slovakia took on Germany on Wednesday with a spot in the semifinals on the line. Going into the tournament, Slovakia was 80/1 to win a gold medal, sitting behind Germany in those odds. They destroyed Leon Draisaitl, Moritz Seider, and company by a score of 6-2. 

Nemec was not a major offensive contributor, which will surprise some people. He’s been great on the offensive side prior to this game. However, on Wednesday, Nemec showed a different side of his game. 

In this game, Nemec focused on his defense. He was on the ice for more than 21 minutes, and he only took one shot and got no points. The way he’s played with this high-risk, high-reward style, seeing him get zero points could mean disaster for his team. That’s not how Nemec is playing at these Olympics.

Simon Nemec is directly helping Slovakia play for a medal at the Winter Olympics

Nemec is the number-one defenseman for the Slovakians most nights. He has to play that way. Nemec has always been a player who is better when there’s more on the line and he’s in a prime position with the pressure on his back. He is at his worst when the mistakes are more glaring because he has fewer minutes to make up for them.

Going into the semifinals, Slovakia is facing a USA squad that feels inevitable. That’s exactly where Nemec thrives. Let him send a team home unhappy. He’s ended games in overtime before, even in the playoffs. 

Nemec is one of two players left in the Olympics, and after Slovakia and USA play each other, there will be one. This game is incredibly important for Nemec. The world is watching him play on Friday. This is the biggest game of his young career. We’ve seen this script before, and Nemec tends to show up in the biggest way.

This momentum should translate to the Devils. He is going to come back to New Jersey oozing confidence and ready to put the team on his back. He’s also done that before. We’re looking forward to him doing it again.