Prospect Info: New Jersey Devils Draft Simon Nemec, 2nd Overall

[Jason MacIsaac]

based on what? What both of us said is just based on our own opinion.

I don't see Nemec getting on #1 pp over Luke unless they go 2 d man.

Watch the two of them QB a PP then get back to me. I love Luke Hughes but he will make his killing 5 on 5.

 

[Bad Goalie]

If you mean Tao Jones, not sure but they haven’t been on since July 6.

That's exactly who I mean. Strange that someone that into this franchise and it's farm would just disappear. Does no one know the scoop?

 

[forceten]

Someone asked how folks felt about Jiricek vs Nemec now. I didn't see anyone who has seen Jiricek play in the AHL give their two cents. Wondering the same thing, as Jiricek vs Nemec was a huge discussion leading up to the draft before we got 2nd overall lotto.

 

[Lou is God]

That's exactly who I mean. Strange that someone that into this franchise and it's farm would just disappear. Does no one know the scoop?

I think he posts at HFBroads.

 

[My3Sons]

Someone asked how folks felt about Jiricek vs Nemec now. I didn't see anyone who has seen Jiricek play in the AHL give their two cents. Wondering the same thing, as Jiricek vs Nemec was a huge discussion leading up to the draft before we got 2nd overall lotto.

Jiricek didn't look so hot in his two NHL games but there was some sort of comparison thread on the main prospect board suggesting that Jiricek had looked great in his AHL games. His numbers do hold up with 10 points in 12 AHL games and he's a plus five so he looks to be off to a promising start. That said, Nemec is a plus player on a worse team that scores fewer goals so he's doing fine. I don't think you can extrapolate where they are now to where they will be at the end of the year, let alone in three or five years.

 

[imMagnum]

Watch the two of them QB a PP then get back to me. I love Luke Hughes but he will make his killing 5 on 5.

Idk how he's doing now, but pre-draft Nemec would launch wrist shots 80%+ of the time the puck came to him in the OZone, even on the PP. Luke will attempt to move laterally or spin off pressure while Nemec wants the puck off his stick asap. He doesn't have a cannon of a shot and likely won't be a one timer option, however his wristers do often make their way to the net. I did see Nemec make two fantastic, unexpected backdoor passes across seven games as well, so he does show solid OZone vision. I'm sure the Devils are going to give Nemec a ton of PP time with a focus on being a quick distributor of pucks, rather than potentially driving lanes and navigating the OZone like Luke would. Nemec should be a steady PP QB while Luke will be more volatile.

As for 5-on-5, Luke will rush with the puck while Nemec will join the rush without. I see Nemec being a fantastic trailing defender. That Severson goal against EDM is precisely what I see Nemec doing often. Nemec isn't going to get as many even strength points as Luke, but he will be sufficient at making first passes out of his zone and scoring goals off 3-on-2s.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

With respect to the Hughes vs Nemec for PP1 debate, it’s really hard to say and they both have their strengths but I think it could largely come down to who else is on the pp and what kind of pp we’re running.

Luke is more skilled and is more of a goal threat but Nemec is more poised and a better/smarter puck mover.

If we had a bad powerplay with limited skill I would say Luke because he’d be your most dangerous player and you might run it through him. If you have skilled forwards who can make things happen and score I would say Nemec because he’s gonna move it around and get it to them in good spots.

If we were deciding who to put on our current power play I’d give Nemec the edge.

 

[Zippy316]

I’m looking at the free agent dmen this year, and it isn’t pretty (not that we really want to go that route anyway). One name that could be interesting is Gudas. You’d think he’d be space junk by now throwing 300 hits a year, but he’s still good.

He could be a “babysitter” for Hughes on a third pair and we try to have Bahl step in for Graves (if we are moving on from him). They likely wouldn’t get the heavy usage Graves-Marino is getting now though.

Whether we bring in a RHD is somewhat relevant to Nemec so I’ll keep this post in this thread.

I’d rather just keep Graves, let Severson walk, and ride with a solid defense going into next year.

Siegenthaler - Hamilton
Graves - Marino
Smith - Hughes/Bahl/Nemec/Okhotiuk/Walsh/Muk

Smith can be the 7th D and Graves can move down if two of the young guys are ready.

 

[Bad Goalie]

I think he posts at HFBroads.

Thanx

 

[Classic Devil]

I think he posts at HFBroads.

That place is still around?

 

[Lou is God]

That place is still around?

It is.

 

[Clam Jensen]

I’d rather just keep Graves, let Severson walk, and ride with a solid defense going into next year.

Siegenthaler - Hamilton
Graves - Marino
Smith - Hughes/Bahl/Nemec/Okhotiuk/Walsh/Muk

Smith can be the 7th D and Graves can move down if two of the young guys are ready.

Yea graves has elevated his play this year tremendously. His stick work and reach negated about 5 outside rushes/zone entries last night.

 

[FooteBahl]

I’d rather just keep Graves, let Severson walk, and ride with a solid defense going into next year.

Siegenthaler - Hamilton
Graves - Marino
Smith - Hughes/Bahl/Nemec/Okhotiuk/Walsh/Muk

Smith can be the 7th D and Graves can move down if two of the young guys are ready.

I wonder what Bahl/Okhotiuk or Muk could fetch in a trade. If Hughes/Nemec pan out, which is highly likely, at least one of them is expendablez

 

[Captain3rdLine]

Sounds like he’s expected to go to the World juniors save injuries in New Jersey.

 

[Guttersniped]

Sounds like he’s expected to go to the World juniors save injuries in New Jersey.

Teams almost always let European players go if they’re strictly in the AHL. I’m kind of shocked Edvinsson is declining (presumably with the Red Wings’ guidance/orders, I don’t know if they can directly stop it if he’s not in the NHL).

Apparently it’s a dick move they do with all their prospects.

 

[Devils731]

Re-iterating what the Devils had basically announced.

 

[Hisch13r]

I’d rather just keep Graves, let Severson walk, and ride with a solid defense going into next year.

Siegenthaler - Hamilton
Graves - Marino
Smith - Hughes/Bahl/Nemec/Okhotiuk/Walsh/Muk

Smith can be the 7th D and Graves can move down if two of the young guys are ready.

Keep neither of them. I’d need a far more reasonable contract than Graves would get on the open market to keep him. Bahl can be an adequate replacement for Graves and Luke’s going to step in and be really good

 

[Hisch13r]

Idk how he's doing now, but pre-draft Nemec would launch wrist shots 80%+ of the time the puck came to him in the OZone, even on the PP. Luke will attempt to move laterally or spin off pressure while Nemec wants the puck off his stick asap. He doesn't have a cannon of a shot and likely won't be a one timer option, however his wristers do often make their way to the net. I did see Nemec make two fantastic, unexpected backdoor passes across seven games as well, so he does show solid OZone vision. I'm sure the Devils are going to give Nemec a ton of PP time with a focus on being a quick distributor of pucks, rather than potentially driving lanes and navigating the OZone like Luke would. Nemec should be a steady PP QB while Luke will be more volatile.

As for 5-on-5, Luke will rush with the puck while Nemec will join the rush without. I see Nemec being a fantastic trailing defender. That Severson goal against EDM is precisely what I see Nemec doing often. Nemec isn't going to get as many even strength points as Luke, but he will be sufficient at making first passes out of his zone and scoring goals off 3-on-2s.

I remember a complaint people had of Nemec was that he was just way too stagnant at the blue line. Unless we get to a point where Holtz is like Ovi and all the D’s job is to either be stagnant and take shots or move the to Holtz like what happens with Carlson then I’d want the more dynamic guys like Luke or Casey running things. It’s not like Dougie’s the most dynamic guy at the line but it works with him because he can shoot the puck in a way that very few D can and Nemec isn’t one of those few D

 

[Guttersniped]

Keep neither of them. I’d need a far more reasonable contract than Graves would get on the open market to keep him. Bahl can be an adequate replacement for Graves and Luke’s going to step in and be really good

It’s tough to say Bahl can be a replacement right away considering Graves is playing shutdown minutes and PKer.

Fitz and Co. have a plan. They’ve managed the defense rebuild so well I’ll just wait to see what they do and assume it will please me.

 

[Ripshot 43]

Keep neither of them. I’d need a far more reasonable contract than Graves would get on the open market to keep him. Bahl can be an adequate replacement for Graves and Luke’s going to step in and be really good

Your line of thinking is the most likely way to go because I don’t see Graves or Severson taking the discount to stay that we would need but losing the 2 of them is still a huge hit to the depth we have. If this team continues similar play to what we’ve seen so far this year, losing part of that very good top 4 we’ve had and also the ability to play a Severson in bottom pairing minutes will hurt. Alas, in the Cap world these are things a team won’t have ever or not for very long.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

I remember a complaint people had of Nemec was that he was just way too stagnant at the blue line. Unless we get to a point where Holtz is like Ovi and all the D’s job is to either be stagnant and take shots or move the to Holtz like what happens with Carlson then I’d want the more dynamic guys like Luke or Casey running things. It’s not like Dougie’s the most dynamic guy at the line but it works with him because he can shoot the puck in a way that very few D can and Nemec isn’t one of those few D

Huh? Nemec to stagnant on the blue line? He has great lateral movement on the point and is very poised and intelligent with that. Not sure who’s complaining about that and I certainly haven’t heard it.

He a great puck mover and moves well laterally. Luke is different. More skilled but does a lot more and in a way isn’t as stagnant but not necessarily in a good way. With Jack Hughes on the powerplay I want a really good puck mover who’s good at being available and getting the puck to Hughes and the others in the right spots. If I have limited skill on the powerplay I put Luke there everyday but when I have a bunch of skilled players who can make things happen I want the point man who’s gonna move it around and put them in the best spots. Especially when it’s someone who moves and works on the powerplay like Jack does. That’s Nemec, he’s a more poised and talented playmaker.

I can understand the argument for either tbh but suggesting Nemec is too stagnant on the point with how good he is along the line is odd. Great puck mover who’s very poised and uses his skating and IQ to show strong escapability when needed.

Lol in the short periods of time we’ve watched him here we’ve been able to see some great examples of what he can do with his skating and IQ from the point.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

Nemec short handed goal. If he can’t get points on the pp he’ll get them on the pk

 

[vlady]

Nemec short handed goal. If he can’t get points on the pp he’ll get them on the pk

Finishes the game with 3 points and first star of the game. Had 1 assist on the PP as well

 

[Devs3cups]

Nemec now with 3 goals, 7 assists in 20 games. 0.5 PPG. He's clearly becoming more comfortable out there.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

AHL website has him down for two secondary assists so far tonight.