Simon Nemec -- New Jersey Devils D-man

[stanw]

Simon Nemec
Defense -- shoots R
Born Feb 15 2004 -- Liptovsky Mikulas, Slovakia
[22 yrs. ago]
Height 6.01 -- Weight 190 [185 cm/86 kg]
Drafted by New Jersey Devils
- round 1 #2 overall 2022 NHL Entry Draft

I would like to see about getting this kid out of New Jersey. He is a restricted F.A. This looks like a Doug Armstrong special. Has been up and down in his career so far, but another 22 year old right shooting d-man. I could see Armstrong either trying to sign him like Broberg or trying to work out a trade with the Devils.
That team like the Blues has talent but is just a mess. They recently fired their GM and hired a younger new GM who is looking to change their room.
A] would you// they trade him for Kyrou ? they are looking for top six scoring. ???
B] trade Pavel Buchnevich along with the # 15 pick for Nemec.

This way if they can make a trade they would get a young d-man ready to step into the line-up next year instead of drafting another kid we would not see for 3-4 years down the road.
Then with # 11 draft Ethan Belchetz // 6ft 5 power forward who can score but also plays a heavy game.
I would consider that a great draft if the Blues could pull it off.

[zoiks]

Due to his contract, Buchnevich has massively negative trade value, so the Devils would not entertain the option B trade offer for even a second.

A trade with Kyrou and Nemec as the main pieces is more realistic, but the Blues already have trouble scoring goals, and moving offense for defense in a trade would make that issue worse. I think if the Blues trade Kyrou, they need to get a center back in the trade, as the roster is currently short a middle 6 center.

[brianstlou2]

A] would you// they trade him for Kyrou ? they are looking for top six scoring. ???
B] trade Pavel Buchnevich along with the # 15 pick for Nemec.

Then with # 11 draft Ethan Belchetz // 6ft 5 power forward who can score but also plays a heavy game.
I would consider that a great draft if the Blues could pull it off.

A. I would do that in a heartbeat. That tells me they would probably want blues to add. It might take Kyrou plus 15.

B. I don’t think Buch has much value at all. IMO, you’d probably have to attach a lower 1st just to get another team to take Buch. He has some value but his long term extension at $8m devalues his worth.

I like belchetz but some question his consistency and level of effort every shift. Could he be the next Tage Thompson?

[SameOldBlues]

I like the OP’s way of thinking regarding Doug Armstrong’s way of thinking, I just don’t think that would be enough to pry Nemic out of New Jersey and I’m not too hip about using the 11 or 15 pick for a trade no

I should say I don’t like the idea of trading the 11th or 15th pick in a trade unless it’s to move up in the draft ourselves for a more better prospect

[noted]

Due to his contract, Buchnevich has massively negative trade value, so the Devils would not entertain the option B trade offer for even a second.

A trade with Kyrou and Nemec as the main pieces is more realistic, but the Blues already have trouble scoring goals, and moving offense for defense in a trade would make that issue worse. I think if the Blues trade Kyrou, they need to get a center back in the trade, as the roster is currently short a middle 6 center.

I agree on the Buch part.
Disagree on Kyrou - Blues can easily replace his 18 goals.

[SameOldBlues]

Due to his contract, Buchnevich has massively negative trade value, so the Devils would not entertain the option B trade offer for even a second.

A trade with Kyrou and Nemec as the main pieces is more realistic, but the Blues already have trouble scoring goals, and moving offense for defense in a trade would make that issue worse. I think if the Blues trade Kyrou, they need to get a center back in the trade, as the roster is currently short a middle 6 center.

I agree on the Buch part.
Disagree on Kyrou - Blues can easily replace his 18 goals.

Yea, I honestly believe Kyrou is addition by subtraction at this point, and whether he’s an 18, 30 or something in between goal scorer in the future..it’s time to end his era in St Louis and send the very late but still relevant message to the team that tolerating loafing is a thing of the past.

[zoiks]

I agree on the Buch part.
Disagree on Kyrou - Blues can easily replace his 18 goals.

Constantly harping about a player’s down year stats while playing through a knee injury and ignoring the rest of a player’s career shows one to be a fool. The Blues have no way to replace Kyrou’s goal scoring next season. And before he’s brought up, if you believe Carbonneau could take Kyrou’s spot next season, you’ll quickly find yourself with the team still had Kyrou’s defense, as Carbonneau‘s defense is currently horrendous.

[noted]

I agree on the Buch part.
Disagree on Kyrou - Blues can easily replace his 18 goals.

Constantly harping about a player’s down year stats while playing through a knee injury and ignoring the rest of a player’s career shows one to be a fool.

Constantly making excuses for a player that has proven time and time again to disappear makes one a bigger fool

[zoiks]

Constantly making excuses for a player that has proven time and time again to disappear makes one a bigger fool

Sigh. I’ll just add you to my ever growing Foe list. I’m sure you’re at Social Security drawing age and yearn for 1980’s Norris division style hockey, but it’s time to let it go.

[noted]

Constantly making excuses for a player that has proven time and time again to disappear makes one a bigger fool

Sigh. I’ll just add you to my ever growing Foe list. I’m sure you’re at Social Security drawing age and yearn for 1980’s Norris division style hockey, but it’s time to let it go.

I’m 43. I know a winning hockey player when I see one. Kyrou’s not it. Glad to be on you foe list snowflake

[SameOldBlues]

I agree on the Buch part.
Disagree on Kyrou - Blues can easily replace his 18 goals.

Constantly harping about a player’s down year stats while playing through a knee injury and ignoring the rest of a player’s career shows one to be a fool. The Blues have no way to replace Kyrou’s goal scoring next season. And before he’s brought up, if you believe Carbonneau could take Kyrou’s spot next season, you’ll quickly find yourself with the team still had Kyrou’s defense, as Carbonneau‘s defense is currently horrendous.

So someone’s a ‘fool’ if they disagree with your opinion and mancrush on Kyrou. That’s super-mature on your part. Basically you’re just acting like a toddler and taking your lincoln logs and goin home cause someone dared to think differently than you. You’d make a great politician!

[SameOldBlues]

Constantly making excuses for a player that has proven time and time again to disappear makes one a bigger fool

Sigh. I’ll just add you to my ever growing Foe list. I’m sure you’re at Social Security drawing age and yearn for 1980’s Norris division style hockey, but it’s time to let it go.

Add me too, before I add you first. Na na na na boo boo, stick your head in doo doo

[Bubble4427]

Constantly making excuses for a player that has proven time and time again to disappear makes one a bigger fool

Sigh. I’ll just add you to my ever growing Foe list. I’m sure you’re at Social Security drawing age and yearn for 1980’s Norris division style hockey, but it’s time to let it go.

Kyrou is a 30 goal scorer who is a proven coach killer.
The juice isn’t worth the squeeze. He needs to go.
The fact my opinion differs from yours….you better put me on your foe list too.

[TAFKAP]

I agree on the Buch part.
Disagree on Kyrou - Blues can easily replace his 18 goals.

Constantly harping about a player’s down year stats while playing through a knee injury and ignoring the rest of a player’s career shows one to be a fool.

Constantly making excuses for a player that has proven time and time again to disappear makes one a bigger fool

This is such a bull[shirt] take. You hate the guy, cool. There is no such thing as "addition by subtraction" when dealing with asset management. In 2024-25 the Blues had the 13th best offense in scoring, in 2025-26 they dropped to 24th. By fixating on replacing 18 goals, you completely ignore the other 18-20 you need just to get back where you were 2 years ago. Unless you're somebody, you have zero access to the room, training staff, coaching staff, scouts, medical staff, and the head coach and GM that sits and talks with this guy. They know a hell of a lot more about this situation than you do, so to throw around "Constantly making excuses for a player that has proven time and time again to disappear makes one a bigger fool" to some rando on a forum, while the entire team backs Kyrou kinda makes you look [ablution]-y. He's a 70 point player in this league who just had surgery, he has value. Please excuse me if I don't subscribe to the Asylum's views on players. This place doesn't have a great record when it comes to whipping boy's. Everybody hated Jaybo until they didn't.

Kyrou has hit 30+ goals and 70+ points the past 5 years. That's what you have to replace if you want to be a playoff team. If you trade JK for draft capital and sign a guy to get 18 goals, you're watching the lottery again.

[stanw]

Given his status as a restricted free agent (RFA), the Devils’ surplus of defensive talent on the right side, and Hughes’ $63 million extension last fall, Nemec’s situation becomes even more complicated. As it stands, the team has to extend a qualifying offer this summer to retain his rights.The reality is that the Devils need to weigh the pros and cons of keeping or trading Nemec.
However, the organization must also consider the potential rewards of trading him. If they can acquire another top-six scorer — which the Devils have been trying to do for quite some time — it could be worth moving Nemec.
As we have seen young d-man take time to develop I would take the chance moving picks and or talent. If we would Daxon Rudolph for example with the # 11 pick what is the chance he would develop any faster or become a better player than Nemec, who has already played regular minutes in the NHL. Nemec was a # 2 overall and is still only 22 years old.
Like it stated above the Devils have a surplus of defensive talent. The need forward talent.
Kyrou and one of the 2nd or 3rd first picks not #11 --- the Blues have more talent up front, I would try to move Buchnevich first who would help the Devils right now along with picks if possible # 15 and 30 if needed.
Then try and move Kyrou for a 2nd line center if they can find a taker. Moving both of these players would save the team appx $15 million in cap space, which can be used elsewhere.

[so_crates]

The Devils are in a very strange place. The roster is, on paper, better than it is in reality. They really don't have room for a JK25 if the top line performed as it should.

If the Devils were getting 40 goal crushing power forward Meier with Huges and Bratt then there isn't a spot for him. But that isn't the Meier that showed up in NJ after the trade.

Same goes for Nemic. If they were getting the #2 overall Defenseman he was supposed to be then the right side is solidified. But he isn't and hasn't been the whole time he has been there.

IDK what NJ would trade for, but I think they want to make a hockey trade for position and not futures. I think if they move a young RD out they are looking to make that position better in return.

I think you could look at a JK for Meier like trade but I don't see the Blues interested.

The Devils are a really good example of what happens when you do all the right things but you still do them wrong.