Simon Nemec found a new home after being traded from the New Jersey Devils to the Calgary Flames, signing a contract that will lock him in at $7.25 million per year through 2030-31. With a ton of defensemen in the mix to play for New Jersey and also other players to pay, Sunny Mehta had no choice but to send the young defenseman away for first-round picks.
The Devils currently have three solid defensive pairings: Jonas Siegenthaler-Dougie Hamilton, Luke Hughes-Brett Pesce, and Brenden Dillon-Jonathan Kovacevic. What this comes down to is math. The Devils have more NHL defensemen than they had spots for defensemen.
Simon Nemec signs a big deal with the Calgary Flames, but it wasn't as big as many expected it would be
With a handful of inconsistencies when it comes to defense, Simon Nemec was the odd man out; then, considering the holes elsewhere on the team, the right move was to trade away the 22-year-old defenseman. Although Simon Nemec brought a ton of energy and big goals for New Jersey, his time was coming to play elsewhere. The upside remains at an all-time high with his great offensive attributes, including elite IQ, fantastic puck-moving, and silky smooth skating.
It has also been rumored that new General Manager Sunny Mehta is a fan of Dougie Hamilton, a player who has been the subject of trade rumors for quite a while now. The Devils currently have $9.73 million in cap space, not including the $4.775 million offer sheet for Barrett Hayton.
The biggest factor in this trade for the Devils is how Sunny Mehta uses the first-round picks that he received for Simon Nemec, a conditional 2027 first-round pick (Vegas Golden Knights) and a conditional 2028 first-round pick (Colorado Avalanche). As mentioned before, the Devils still have to address other positions, so using those picks elsewhere this offseason would be huge for a team trying to win now.
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