The New Jersey Devils are looking to get back to the playoffs under new General Manager Sunny Mehta. He has a busy and tough offseason ahead, trying to fix the holes and issues created by the previous administration. Heading into the NHL Trade Deadline, Devils defenseman Simon Nemec was the subject of trade rumors along with Dougie Hamilton.
NHL Rumors: What is Going Between Simon Nemec and the New Jersey Devils?
At that time, there was a sense that he was willing and open to a change of scenery. There have been conflicting reports since the Devils season ended that he asked for a trade. His frustrations have been well documented. The development of Nemec and Luke Hughes was mismanaged, given how the previous administration assembled the team.
However, Simon Nemec believes he can be a top-pairing defenseman in the NHL. He is a restricted free agent. But as Matt Loughlin, Radio Play by Play for the New Jersey Devils, told the Blue Line Blast Podcast with Jim Biringer of NHLRumors.com and TheDevilsNation.com and Matthew Blittner of Sportsology.com, it is imperative for a player like Simon Nemec, if he remains with the club, to be signed so he doesn’t miss any part of training camp.
TheDevilsNation.com Transcriptions
Trade Speculation Surrounds Simon Nemec and the New Jersey Devils
Jim Biringer: You’ve been around this team a while now, Matt, and look, go back to last year, we’ve seen it kind of around the league now, Luke Hughes coming off an injury last year, the long contract, the holdout in the training camp and has a subpar year. It was a similar injury (shoulder injury). We don’t know what it is; we just know he had surgery, and he’s doing well.
Okay, so out of that, we had Mason McTavish. Jeremy Swayman bounced back. How is it? How important is it for a guy like Simon Nemec, for instance, who’s an RFA, doesn’t really have any rights, the team owns his rights, but how important is it for Sunny Mehta to get him into camp, into camp, signed, sealed, and delivered, if he is on this team to not miss time?”
Matt Loughlin: “Well, I think we have seen, Jim, that when players miss any time, and I’m shocked by it, every time it happens, I’m like, really, you’ve been working out all year long. You’re a professional athlete. You work with your skating instructors and your skills instructors in the summer, and you miss that much time, not much in the scheme of things, and it puts you that far behind. But that’s been the case. So, is it important to get Simon Nemec under contract and get him into camp, and avoid any sort of holdout?
Absolutely, I think it benefits him. He’s a 22-year-old kid with obvious skills, but an obvious need for improvement. So, I think he can ill afford to miss time. That being said, it is a business. I will say this when I spoke with Nemo toward the end of the year, and we were just talking about a couple of things, sitting on the locker room bench, and he said we’ve never said, meaning him or his agent, that we need Luke Hughes’ money. $9 million has never come up, but he does have some skills that the Devils don’t have.
Devils Rumors: Is Simon Nemec Still Part of New Jersey’s Future?
He can score from back there. That shot gets through, and he’s got a verve and a confidence level that isn’t shaken easily, so you know he’ll want X. As I said, he didn’t ask for the big money. I don’t think he’ll get the big money, but he’ll want X, and a lot of it will determine is not only whether Sunny and Sheldon (Keefe), Sheldon still the coaches of now, decide that he’s a part of the future or whether he’s a piece to be moved somewhere, and that also gets into are you going to sign him, and what have you.
What’s the deal? Because the acquiring team is going to know what the costs are in terms of acquisition, not only what they have to give up. So, I think it is a big summary. I mean, that’s one of the big issues that I’ll be keeping an eye on. What is the future of Simon Nemec?
I know a lot of people say trade him, trade him now, because we’ve seen some of the defensive flaws, and before they become worse and he gets exposed, trade him. I look at it the other way, I said, well, he scores 11 goals, he can run the power play, and he’s a right shot defenseman, and all we hear is teams are looking for right shot defensemen all the time.
Well, are the Devils going to trade Dougie Hamilton? If that’s the case, are they also going to move another right-shot defenseman? I don’t know. That seems a little counterintuitive to me. That being said, what’s the return? So, it might be the play. That’s what makes this summer so intriguing. So many questions to be answered.”
Devils Rumors: Nico Hischier and New Jersey in Early Stages of Extension Talks
Again, it will be interesting to see what happens with these negotiations. Nemec said he wants to stay in New Jersey. However, it will most likely be a bridge deal if he does stay. And it could be a similar situation to Bowen Byram in Buffalo. Byram got a two-year bridge deal around $6.25 million AAV. It solved the saga for one season, but now Byram is back in trade talks.
It would be hard for the Devils to trade a player like Simon Nemec unless it is for a top-six scoring winger, a center that allows the team to move Jack Hughes to the wing, or an upgrade between the pipes.
But teams are calling on Nemec. However, his future hinges on Dougie Hamilton’s future with the club. Buckle up, it will be an interesting offseason in New Jersey.
