- May 8, 2010
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I’m sure it is. Ruff doesn’t strike me as someone who does that. See Hughes. Kid gets a long rope to play to his strengths.
Prospect Info: New Jersey Devils Draft Simon Nemec, 2nd Overall
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I’m sure it is. Ruff doesn’t strike me as someone who does that. See Hughes. Kid gets a long rope to play to his strengths.
Well yeah that's the thing. What he's saying doesn't line up with how he's handled the other kids so hopefully it's just coach speak
It's not how he's handled the other kids so it could just be coach speak. Ruff will also be gone by the time Nemec is a regular anyway.
Devils731
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- Jun 23, 2008
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Scott Niedermayer was asked to reign it in early in his career and it worked out pretty well.
Based on my limited viewing, Nemec is not someone who will lack daring or the willingness to try and make plays. Recognizing when to not try and make a play will be his learning curve.
For me, based on how Nemec has played in the little I’ve watched, I’m not concerned by what Ruff said due to where Nemec will need to grow.
Captain3rdLine
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- Sep 24, 2020
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Did you read the post I was responding to? I didn’t say it matters. Was just saying that I think there’s a good chance he gets in more than 9 games before the devils are out of the playoff picture.
That’s what I don’t agree with. The assumption that there’s some big risk in giving a guy who looks good enough a shot. He also could be a difference maker and it could be very beneficial for his development if he succeeds. No one said we need to play him either. There’s just a really good chance at least one of our RD is out for an extended period of time and as of right now he’s the guy I’d call up as the replacement RD.
Did you read what I said? I agreed he will get games if the Devils are going strong and a situation arises where they need a RD he will get games as the Devils will go with the best they hev to replace whomever leaves the lineup. WE are on the same page, even if it means the Comets lose him. That's what they are here for.
well, Nemec is a defenseman who they hope will be our future #1 or #2 so it would make sense they wanna make sure he works on his defensive game too. I think it's a bit different situation.
- May 8, 2010
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Maybe it is, but Hughes is our future (current) #1C. Lindy hasn’t stopped him from playing to his strengths even if Jack’s defensive game isn’t up there yet.
Nemec legitimately does not look ready. You can see the promise, and he’s clearly got a great hockey brain, but I have no problem with Ruff’s comments. I mean it only took Nemec three quarters of a preseason game before he started to anticipate the forecheck better and win some board battles. He’s gonna be really good really soon, but he’s not there yet.
Lou is God
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Was at the game last night and I thought Nemec looked fine, he wasn't a standout but he held his own and to me he looked like he belong.
JimEIV
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He's a better player and defender right now than Smith is. Ty that is.
Definitely little things he needs to and will clean up but the good are there in my opnion.
Definitely little things he needs to and will clean up but the good are there in my opnion.
he definitely looked like he improved and settled in as the game went along.
Devils731
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I thought Nemec was good but he’s overly aggressive right now. He pinched multiple times where he probably should have chosen to back off.
Good news, he successfully slowed the puck down in those moments but that likely won’t continue against better opponents.
His aggressiveness could be a function of rink size, more time to recover after being beat on a larger rink.
He sees the ice and other players really well, I think, so he will get better at when the NHL allows him to go aggressive.
- Dec 20, 2018
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These are the 18 year old defenseman who have played in the NHL since 2000-01:
So it’s not really a thing for obvious reasons.
There’s 6 guys here with more than 8 games and two of them were 1OA.
Out of the six teams that had guys with more than 8 game, 3 were bad (BUF, ARI, ATL) with 70-something points.
ANA obviously only played 56 games in the mutant COVID season and came in 8th the West.
MIN had 83 points, good for 10th in the West and 5th in the North West Division (out of 5 teams).
Florida had 91 points, which got them 10th in the East and 6th in the Atlantic (it took 98 points to make the playoffs in the East that year).
So one vaguely competitive team and two 1OA picks.
My guess is Burns played so many games because guys got injured. If something like that happens then Nemec could play. If we move Severson and then someone gets injured at the end of the year, he really would be in play.
These are all meaningless hypotheticals. Who knows what will happen months from now?
We have plenty of NHL RD right now, we’re trying to compete and he’s better off getting big minutes in the AHL. If Nemec came out of a stronger European league he would likely still be there this season and this wouldn’t even be discussed.
So it’s not really a thing for obvious reasons.
There’s 6 guys here with more than 8 games and two of them were 1OA.
Out of the six teams that had guys with more than 8 game, 3 were bad (BUF, ARI, ATL) with 70-something points.
ANA obviously only played 56 games in the mutant COVID season and came in 8th the West.
MIN had 83 points, good for 10th in the West and 5th in the North West Division (out of 5 teams).
Florida had 91 points, which got them 10th in the East and 6th in the Atlantic (it took 98 points to make the playoffs in the East that year).
So one vaguely competitive team and two 1OA picks.
My guess is Burns played so many games because guys got injured. If something like that happens then Nemec could play. If we move Severson and then someone gets injured at the end of the year, he really would be in play.
These are all meaningless hypotheticals. Who knows what will happen months from now?
We have plenty of NHL RD right now, we’re trying to compete and he’s better off getting big minutes in the AHL. If Nemec came out of a stronger European league he would likely still be there this season and this wouldn’t even be discussed.
This is missing a bunch of players because of how hockey-reference does ages, where because they were based off a baseball site (maybe?), ages are based on how old a player is on February 1. Adam Larsson is only 3 months older than Nemec would be, but he got the whole season. I'm not arguing in favor of keeping Nemec up - I hope he spends the season in Utica - but there's other guys on this list whose D+1s aren't being counted because they turned 19 before February 1.
- Dec 20, 2018
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Mercer was also old for his draft class, he was born in Oct 2001, so last year was his age 20 season.
That’s why who could potentially play in the AHL instead of having to go back to QMJHL.
So Nemec is two seasons behind Mercer.
I see zero advantage to Nemec being a 3RD in the NHL with very limited, or no special teams minutes, versus getting a ton of minutes in the AHL.
Mercer has actually missed out on development playing time. If he played in the AHL a year we likely would be getting a more well-rounded player. He would have played a ton of special teams, likely be better at face offs, etc.
Mercer saved our asses last season (not that it ended up mattering), I don’t think he ended up being particularly helped by being immediately thrown into the deep end. (I don’t think he will be harmed but it can be bumpy when developing players have to learn things at the NHL level.)
Didn't like this pick at the time, and he hasn't made me change my mind. Feels like we went for a super safe 2nd pairing guy, instead of swinging for the fences for a franchise talent. Very disappointing to draft that high and get a floor player with no upside.
Players like Nemec are typically considered the unsafe option. What makes you think of him as a safe pick?
Devils731
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I find that a surprising take when Nemec plays like a cowboy on the ice.
Nemec is pinching, jumping up in the play, aggressively constraining the neutral zone, and even in the offensive corners at times.
His mindset is the type of mindset that can lead to a dominant defenseman. His upside is huge as is his downside if he can never tone his aggressiveness down.
SteveCangialosi123
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His offensive skills give him one of the highest upsides in the draft and as high as any defenseman I can remember this team ever drafting.
Nemec certainly didn't look fine in the game. He often skated himself into trouble and other times chucked the puck forward like he was cosplaying Colin White when he still had plenty of space. He also struggled to get off the ice for line changes which is why his ice time was so high.
All his problems were with timing so its not a huge concern going forward. He's just not ready for the NHL yet. He needs to figures all this out in the AHL.
All his problems were with timing so its not a huge concern going forward. He's just not ready for the NHL yet. He needs to figures all this out in the AHL.
Lou is God
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Nemec had a solid debut, but I see him heading to Utica in large part for the reasons @Guttersniped laid out.
I see it as largely a 3-way battle between Bahl, Okhotiuk & Walsh for that final D spot. I just don't see Ruff moving any of the current RD or Nemec to LD, which is what it would take for him to make the opening night roster. Walsh is a darkhorse in part for the same reason, though given his pro experience if his is the best of the trio but none of them surpass Smith on the depth chart, Walsh could be kept around at a 7th defenseman (though a +$125K cap hit versus Bahl & Okhotiuk could work against him in such a roll). Bahl is probably the favorite, with Okhotiuk not too far behind.
I see it as largely a 3-way battle between Bahl, Okhotiuk & Walsh for that final D spot. I just don't see Ruff moving any of the current RD or Nemec to LD, which is what it would take for him to make the opening night roster. Walsh is a darkhorse in part for the same reason, though given his pro experience if his is the best of the trio but none of them surpass Smith on the depth chart, Walsh could be kept around at a 7th defenseman (though a +$125K cap hit versus Bahl & Okhotiuk could work against him in such a roll). Bahl is probably the favorite, with Okhotiuk not too far behind.
- Dec 20, 2018
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You know, good point lol. I’m going to blame the migraine medicine on this. Not because I can’t be wrong (because lol) but there’s such obvious other examples like Larsson and Hedman. (age is Jan 31 of that season on Hockey Reference.)
I harp on ages since NHL draft introduces an unnatural break between draft classes because teams care about who’s 18 in Sept for training camp.
I do feel that older players in the draft have an advantage when it comes to playing in their D+1 year. (I believe they have an advantage at the draft itself but that might be overall and less so at the top.)
Here’s 19 year old players:
The D+1 players with 9 or more games are:
1/ Bouwmeester (82 GP/ 70 points)
5/ Doughty (81 GP/ 79 points)
9/ Hanifin (79 GP/ 86 points)
14/ Jones (77GP/ 88 points)
15/ Fowler (76 GP/ 99 points)
17/ Hedman (74 GP/ 80 points)
20/ Schenn (70 GP/ 81 points)
22/ Kulikov (68 GP/ 77 points)
24/ Larsson (65 GP/ 102 points)
39/ Sbisa (39 GP/ 99 points)
42/ Ristolainen (34 GP/ 52 points)
47/ Eminger (17 GP/ 92 points)
49/ Barinka (9 GP/ 58 points)
I put the their teams’ season point totals in there too but they are more all over the place here so whatever lol.
McDuffz88
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- Sep 18, 2019
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I don't know what game you watched but Nemec was making plays no ordinary dman (especially a rookie) would even think about making. Very far from a "safe 2nd pair guy". Could he use some work? Yes but this kid is going to be special because he has the confidence and skill to do whatever the hell he wants. It's just a matter of him gaining some experience. He has a ceiling to be a dominant top pair dman. He also shows he has no problem not taking shit being he threw some punches last night (something I never expected out of him)
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