When people think of New Jersey Devils who will be participating in the upcoming Winter Olympics, the first names that come to mind are Jack Hughes and Jacob Markstrom. Players who will be one of the main contributors to their team's success. However, they are not the only players representing their home countries. Several players are making strong cases to represent their home countries in Milan.
One player making a very strong case is Simon Nemec. The 21-year-old defenseman is in the middle of his best NHL season. In 31 games, he has recorded seven goals and 11 assists for 18 points. He is just one point shy of tying his career high, which he set back in his rookie year. While Nemec would likely make Team Slovakia regardless, his performance this season has changed his role. But what will Team Slovakia have Nemec do?
Simon Nemec will be an important piece of Team Slovakia's blueline
Nemec is seen as one of the most talented players on Team Slovakia. Ever since he was taken second overall back in the 2022 draft, Nemec has been proving all the doubters wrong. According to Natural Stat Trick, he has created 224 scoring changes and 20.95 xGF. He's also only allowed 115 high-danger scoring changes and 18 high-danger goals. This shows a player who can be effective on both the offensive and defensive sides of the game.
This will not be the first time Nemec has competed on an international stage. Throughout his career, he has competed in several international competitions, recording a goal and nine assists for 10 points. This shows that Nemec can compete with some of the best players in the world. It does not matter how good the talent he's facing is; he will be able to translate his skills to match it. With many unproven players on the roster, his experience will be a significant benefit.
With his skill set plus the experience he has, he's a lock to be in Team Slovakia's top four. He'll be one of the main pieces of the defensive core. Before the season, he would likely be on the second pairing. However, with how well he's played this season, he earned a spot on the top pairing. Not only will he be a central piece of Slovakia's blue line, but one of the core pieces of the team itself. He's one of the few players that head coach Vladimír Országh builds the lineup around.
A strong performance from Nemec could help Slovakia pull off some upsets. Currently, they have the sixth-best odds to win the Gold Medal. It's a spot where they could compete for the medal if everything breaks right, but could also be one of the first teams eliminated. However, with this tournament being a round-robin followed by single elimination, it just takes one or two players getting hot to win games you're not supposed to.
Regardless of how Slovakia does or what role he plays, this is a massive honor for Nemec. It's a recognition of the great season he is having and the bright future ahead of him.