The New Jersey Devils are moving on from one of their highest-drafted defensemen in recent memory. Simon Nemec, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, is being traded to the Calgary Flames. TSN insider Pierre LeBrun broke the news Thursday.
Nemec’s departure comes after a 2025-26 season where the Devils missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs entirely. New Jersey’s offense went quiet at the worst possible time. They managed just 230 goals, one of the lower totals in the Eastern Conference. A team that figured to be a contender for years to come suddenly looks like it’s retooling on the fly.
Nemec himself had a solid individual year. He put up 26 points from the blue line and showed the kind of puck-moving instincts that made him a top-two pick. At 22, he’s still young enough that his best hockey should be ahead of him. But the Devils have a crowded defense group and apparently decided they could get value for him now rather than waiting.
The Flames get a right-handed defenseman with high-end potential. Calgary has been in a weird spot for a few seasons — not bad enough to truly rebuild, not good enough to make noise in the playoffs. Adding Nemec could be a sign they’re banking on his development fitting their timeline. Or maybe they see him as a piece to build around if they decide to blow things up later.
What the Devils get back in the trade hasn’t been fully detailed yet. This story is developing. But for a player taken second overall just three years ago, the return will be a big part of how this trade gets judged.
New Jersey’s front office clearly felt something had to change. Missed playoffs sting a lot more when you have a roster full of young talent and high expectations. Moving Nemec might be the first of several moves they make this offseason to shake things up. The Flames, meanwhile, just added a potential top-four defenseman with a lot of runway left. We’ll see how this one ages.
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