Simon Nemec is headed out to the Western Conference as the Calgary Flames acquired him for a package of draft picks.
On Tuesday, the New Jersey Devils made a huge splash by trading young defenceman Simon Nemec and Maxim Tsyplakov to the Calgary Flames for a package that includes a 2026 2nd round pick, two first-round picks in 2027 and 2028, and prospect Etienne Morin.
The news was broken by Pierre LeBrun and Elliotte Friedman and the package was then confirmed by Friedman:
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Nemec, 22, had 26 points in 68 games with the Devils this past season and is currently an RFA in need of a new deal.
Nemec saga ends in New Jersey as Sunny Mehta finally makes a decision
Nemec has been linked to trade rumours since last year, and with new GM Sunny Mehta coming into the mix, he decided that while there was a great defender there, the new contract that he was asking for was just not feasible for the Devils.
Instead, they ship Nemec and Tsyplakov to the Flames for three draft picks and Morin. Those draft picks are pretty good ones all things considered though both are top-10 protected so you have to wonder if Calgary put those in as a stop gap in case Nemec doesn't solve all their issues.
Morin, 21, is a rugged defender who loves to hit while also able to contribute a bit offensively (he had 212 points in the QMJHL) and will certainly be a factor in the Devils blueline going forward.
They have a pretty solid young group already with Seamus Casey and Luke Hughes, while still hanging onto names like Johnathan Kovacevic and Brett Pesce as veteran mentors and it was clear to Mehta that preparing for the future and getting a little tougher on the backend was important.
Maple Leafs strike out on Nemec but knowing his price, it's good they stayed away
Now, as good as Nemec is and can be as an NHL player, it's a really hard sell for the Maple Leafs if they wanted to bring him in.
First, they would have to trade their 2027 first (COL) and 2029 first because their 2028 is already gone. Then add probably the 60th overall pick in this year's draft and a prospect like Ben Danford and you're really putting a lot of eggs into one basket.
If you're paying that much, then you may as well try and go after someone like Adam Fox from New York. He's a surefire offensive defender who is above average defensively, in his prime, locked down long-term, and he gives you someone who can compete and win now; not hope he grows into a star - he's one already.
With Toronto already acquiring Darren Raddysh and potentially looking to make even bigger splashes in the coming days, it's hard to see them getting rid of a lot of assets for the hope of Nemec as opposed to trading for a sure thing, or going all-in and getting another top-five pick.
Toronto really couldn't afford to bring in Nemec on a trade, and his price was certainly a lot more than some may have anticipated. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what else John Chayka and his crew have up their sleeves.
Is this a good trade for the Calgary Flames?
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Chicago is not backing off Matthew Knies and the Maple Leafs have a real decision to make