Speculation: Nemec not happy with the Devils?

[Forge]

Zero shot they're trading Nemec for Miller. I don't even know how they'd fit his contract on the books let alone giving up Nemec for him.

Basically just have to have a taker for palat. Easier said than done, but that covers most of it.

 

[Blanick]

Blues should be interested. When does he become a RFA?

Seriously though, Blues should be interested a RHD with top4 upside is badly needed to round out our prospect pool. What would the Devils realistically want?

 

[Nocashstyle]

This is not how you do this. Be a professional, don't air it out in public. Why on earth would the devils take out Kovacevic for Nemec? It's nonsense.

No, it's seen as selfish. The team is trying to win a cup,

Casey is better and, by all reports, has a much better attitude

Lol, you get these obsessions with certain players and cannot be objective.

 

[Smitty426]

He has a point. I know devs fans believe hes still bound to be a stud but it is really odd that he couldnt beat out a near league minimum dman for bottom pair minutes and that the devs felt obligated to sign vets in his place to block him.

I dont think his value is anywhere near where devils fans believe it is. Value is probably in the Kakko ballpark which if borgen is flipped for a 2nd is roughly a 2nd, 3rd and 6th

You're on glue!
Nemec got hurt in International play right before the season started.
Looked terrible early on. We added real defenders (not really something that exists in nyc) in Pesce and Dillon. That near league min guy (Kovacebic) is one of the top 5-7 D pairs in the league. Stick to your Will Borgens. Meanwhile in Sea Kakko flips Drury off.

 

[MitchMurphy]

Not true.

 

[Smitty426]

This interview has been blown out of proportion.

Interviewer asked Nemec if he would request a trade like Jiricek did and he answered the question.

The idea of this season was for Nemec to be the 3RD with Kovacevic as the extra. Nemec was banged up to start with an injury he sustained in Olympic qualifiers and had a rough start to the year. Kovacevic came out of nowhere to be borderline elite defensively and with Pesce and Hamilton on RD, there’s no room for Nemec at the NHL level.

Devils defense has also been surprisingly healthy since Luke and Pesce returned which means Nemec hasn’t had a chance to play at the NHL level. There’s a really solid chance injuries strike at some point and Nemec will be needed to step in and give the Devils good minutes.

Next year the Devils will either move Hamilton and resign Kovacevic or let Kovacevic walk and Nemec will slide in as 3RD next to Dillon.

This right here

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Lol, you get these obsessions with certain players and cannot be objective.

I was extremely high on Nemec last year. But the way he finished last season and started this year, he was not an NHL defenseman. I was looking forward to seeing him take a big step this year, but he's turning into a significant defensive liability. And his attitude after getting sent down has not been good. Add in this sort of selfish comment, and it's getting hard to find things to like about the player.

 

[Nocashstyle]

I was extremely high on Nemec last year. But the way he finished last season and started this year, he was not an NHL defenseman. I was looking forward to seeing him take a big step this year, but he's turning into a significant defensive liability. And his attitude after getting sent down has not been good. Add in this sort of selfish comment, and it's getting hard to find things to like about the player.

He was clearly hurt before training camp and you’re taking a translated quote from a Slovakian source completely out of context.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

He was clearly hurt before training camp

Was his brain hurt? Because 95% of his poor play was due to awful decision making and making bad pinches up ice.

And it's not just this year, the last ~third of his rookie season marked a significant fall off in his play. He was really shaky.

and you’re taking a translated quote from a Slovakian source completely out of context.

How am I taking it out of context? I read the context, that doesn't explain why he felt the need to publicly threaten a trade request if things don't change.

 

[LaffyTaffy13]

Kovacevic has been a great shutdown defenseman this season and with Hamilton and Pesce on the team Nemec was the odd man out. Also Kovacevic was not brought in to block Nemec he was brought in to be the 7th defenseman this season but with injuries to Luke and Pesce prior to the season he was able to get significant playing time and outplayed Nemec to start the season.

Nemec is 20, Kakko was 23, Nemec still has significant value. He's was drafted higher and has performed better so far than Jiricek who just went for a 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th round picks.

Well thats kindve an indictment on nemec right? He had a 27 year old who had only played 140 nhl games beat him out for s roster spot when hes in d+3 as a 2nd overall pick.

At his age and draft pedigree he has a long time to prove he sucks before his trade value dropped that far.

There were devs fans and alot of them as recently as december thinking he could be the centerpiece for a brady tkachuk trade if he were to be moved. While hes not worthless, his worth isnt remotely near where devs fans think imo. Hes clearly struggling

 

[Lou Bloom]

Well thats kindve an indictment on nemec right? He had a 27 year old who had only played 140 nhl games beat him out for s roster spot when hes in d+3 as a 2nd overall pick.

How's it an indictment that he didn't beat out 3 top 4 quality RHDs as a 20 year old? Simon Edvinsson and Brandt Clarke didn't lock down a starting role until this season (They're D+4 seasons). Bouchard didn't lock down a starting spot until his D+4 season and Dobson didn't break out past a bottom pairing role until his D+4 season. Nemec had a quality rookie season playing 20 minutes a game just last year as a 19 year old, he's still got plenty of time to solidify himself in the league.

 

[SteelCityCannon]

To Devils

Daemon Hunt
2025 1st round pick (Minnesota)
2026 3rd round pick
2026 4th round pick
2027 2nd round pick

To Jackets

Nemec

Who says no?

 

[Nocashstyle]

To Devils

Daemon Hunt
2025 1st round pick (Minnesota)
2026 3rd round pick
2026 4th round pick
2027 2nd round pick

To Jackets

Nemec

Who says no?

Take a guess

 

[seafoam]

NJD would want the world for him.

He's stuck there until he proves he's an NHL caliber D

 

[Felidae]

I didn't even realize he wasn't playing in the NHL until now. Kinda surprised, I thought he was pretty serviceable in his rookie year according to Devils fans?

 

[Maitz]

Mailloux and CGY 1st 2025?

 

[Lou Bloom]

I didn't even realize he wasn't playing in the NHL until now. Kinda surprised, I thought he was pretty serviceable in his rookie year according to Devils fans?

He had a good rookie season but a slow start mixed with Kovacevic breaking out into a legit shutdown defenseman made him the odd man out this season with Hamilton and Pesce also on the right side.

 

[Forge]

I didn't even realize he wasn't playing in the NHL until now. Kinda surprised, I thought he was pretty serviceable in his rookie year according to Devils fans?

He was quite good last year.

He was quite bad at the start of this season.

 

[Forge]

Mailloux and CGY 1st 2025?

Mailloux would be in the same situation as Nemec. If nemec is the one out of those RHD to go, they still have Casey waiting in the wings.

On left hand D, Siegs is locked up, Luke Hughes will be, and Brendan Dillon is probably here for another 1 year and then he gets replaced by Silayev. Or he stays 2 years and one of them is the 7th D for a year.

I think if there are players coming back in a Nemec deal, its gotta be a forward.

 

[BigDaddyLurch]

Mailloux would be in the same situation as Nemec. If nemec is the one out of those RHD to go, they still have Casey waiting in the wings.

On left hand D, Siegs is locked up, Luke Hughes will be, and Brendan Dillon is probably here for another 1 year and then he gets replaced by Silayev. Or he stays 2 years and one of them is the 7th D for a year.

I think if there are players coming back in a Nemec deal, its gotta be a forward.

Calgary 1st/Montreal's 1st + Joshua Roy + Jake Evans (extended around $3.5 X 4) for Simon Nemec

 

[Wayward Son]

Is this a real quote?

Guy doesn’t show enough to secure a spot then says this like it’s the teams fault.

 

[Cancuks]

Boeser & Suter at 50% retention on both? Boeser elevates his game when it counts.

 

[CanadienShark]

He has a point. I know devs fans believe hes still bound to be a stud but it is really odd that he couldnt beat out a near league minimum dman for bottom pair minutes and that the devs felt obligated to sign vets in his place to block him.

I dont think his value is anywhere near where devils fans believe it is. Value is probably in the Kakko ballpark which if borgen is flipped for a 2nd is roughly a 2nd, 3rd and 6th

That's incredibly low. He was always a better prospect than Kakko and obviously has higher upside. I do agree that his value isn't what it was a couple of years ago.

 

[njdevil26]

Nemec got hurt in preseason, didn't look great, then Kovacevic came out of nowhere and became one of the best d-men in the league on one of the best d-pairs in the league. It's bad timing and bad luck for Nemec but that's the deal right now. Hamilton-Pesce-Kovacevic on the right side= no room. No room for Casey who looked amazing in the few games he got.

Pesce and Luke Hughes were injured and the day they came back, the D pairs have been set and have been the exact same three pairs every single game this season which is actually pretty crazy.

At this point, they have to try to sign Kovy... and one of Nemec or Casey will probably get traded for a forward which is now the team's big need.

 

[CristianoRonaldo]

Kovacevic has been a great shutdown defenseman this season and with Hamilton and Pesce on the team Nemec was the odd man out. Also Kovacevic was not brought in to block Nemec he was brought in to be the 7th defenseman this season but with injuries to Luke and Pesce prior to the season he was able to get significant playing time and outplayed Nemec to start the season.

Nemec is 20, Kakko was 23, Nemec still has significant value. He's was drafted higher and has performed better so far than Jiricek who just went for a 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th round picks.

Will be 21 in a month, but you are right.