Craig Conroy kicked off the Flames’ offseason with a bang on Tuesday, acquiring former second overall pick Simon Nemec from the New Jersey Devils for three draft picks and a prospect.
Trade Details and Cost
The 22-year-old defenceman was roundly considered a blue-chip prospect when the Devils chose him after Juraj Slafkovsky in 2022. Although his draft is only four years in the rearview mirror, the player’s halo has dimmed after a few mediocre seasons as a Devil.
The package that Calgary gave up is fairly substantial. It includes Vegas’ 2027 first-round pick, Colorado’s 2028 first-round pick, New York’s second-round pick this year, and former second-round defenceman Etienne Morin.
The cost would be relatively trivial had Nemec lived up to his draft pedigree so far, but he hasn’t. In 155 NHL games, Nemec has managed just 16 goals and 49 points (0.31 points-per-game), all in a sheltered role.
Performance Concerns
Over the last two seasons, no regular Devil defender was outshot, outchanced, or outscored at a greater rate at five-on-five than Nemec. This is despite the fact that he mostly played against other teams’ middle rotation players rather than their stars. His inability to reliably move up the rotation soured the relationship between the player and team, leading to whispers of a trade request.
With a contentious RFA contract negotiation on the horizon, New Jersey decided to put the player on the trade block.
Opportunity for the Flames
For the Flames, this is more a trade of opportunity versus need. With Zayne Parekh, Hunter Brzustewicz and Henry Mews already in the pipeline, the club has an ample supply of right-handed, offensively oriented defensemen.
Nemec, who turns 23 in February, gives Calgary an NHL-ready defender right away, rather than years from now. The deal allows GM Conroy to flip some of the club’s excess draft capital into a high-potential player to fill out Calgary’s rather thin prime-aged cohort.
Risk of a Big Contract
If Nemec’s rumored ask of a contract similar to Luke Hughes’ seven-year, $63-million contract is true, the risk factor increases substantially for the Flames. While failing to become an NHL star at 21 years old isn’t disqualifying, a demand to be paid like one is at odds with his performance to date.
Nemec is no longer a blue-chip prospect. He’s a reclamation project, albeit one with years of development runway left and oodles of talent. But Calgary has not acquired an impact player (yet), and he hasn’t played a single game for the organization. While there’s still time for Nemec to grow into a top-pairing defender, there’s also no guarantee he ever fulfills that promise. A $63-million contract, or anything close to it, could quickly become a millstone around the club’s neck if he fails to develop.
