Devils trade Nemec to Flames, add two number ones

      Days before the NHL Draft, the new general manager of the New Jersey Devils, Sunny Mehta, made his first trade, and it's a very interesting move that dealt from the team's deepest position with the bonus of adding future draft capital.

New Jersey traded defenseman Simon Nemec and winger Maxim Tsyplakov to the Calgary Flames for two future first-round draft picks, a second-rounder in Friday's draft, and minor league defenseman Etienne Morin.

Nemec is coming off his best season with New Jersey since being selected second overall by the Devils in the 2022 draft, scoring eleven goals with fifteen assists, and at only twenty-two, the Devils could be selling low on Nemec.

New Jersey has already spent money on locking up Luke Hughes in the defensive corps, and Nemec will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season, so it does make sense that Nemec was the most valued member of the group.

New Jersey will also have their top pick in 2024, Anton Silayev, available for the upcoming season, so despite Nemec's talent, the Devils may have been smart to move him now.

Maxim Tsyplakov is a toss-in in the trade after splitting last season between the Islanders and Devils, scoring two goals with two assists in forty-nine combined games.

New Jersey will be receiving a first-round pick in 2027 (originally property of Las Vegas) and a first-round pick in 2028 (originally Colorado's) and the Islanders' second-rounder in this year's draft.

Both first-rounders are top-ten protected.

The Devils now own five first-rounders in the next three drafts, so Sunny Mehta could have some ammo to add a forward to their top six.

Etienne Morin scored one goal with six assists for the Calgary Wranglers, the Flames' AHL affiliate, last season, and at twenty-one, still can be considered a prospect. 

Devils bat down Hurricanes in Double OT

    The New Jersey Devils needed a hero after losing a two-goal lead in the final period, as a defeat would drop them behind the visiting Carolina Hurricanes three games to none.

In the second overtime, the Devils would find that hero as defenseman Simon Nemec's shot brushed the shoulder of Carolina goaltender Frederik Andersen and kept on going into the net for a 3-2 New Jersey win.

The Devils' goals were scored by Nico Hischier (first period) and Dawson Mercer (third)

The win cut the Carolina lead in the series to two games to one, and the Devils will have a chance to tie the series at two on Sunday at the Rock in Newark.

Hell Raisers

1) The story is about Simon Nemec, who was scratched for the first game of the series but, due to injuries to Luke Hughes and Brendon Dillon, has played in the most recent two games.

Nemec scored the winning goal, of course, but also played well defensively and could be playing himself back into the team's plans after a season that saw him spend much of the year with AHL Utica.

2) The battered Devils did return Jonas Siegenthaler, who has missed much of the season.

Siegenthaler clearly isn't in top shape, and it's unfair to expect him to be, but I thought he played very well and give him credit for pushing himself to return in a situation where the Devils needed his return badly.

3) The surprising leader in ice time? Brian Dumoulin with a surprising thirty-six minutes!

I know the Devils are hurting on defense, but I didn't expect that!

4) Another strong game from Jacob Markstrom in net.

Markstrom's play has kept the Devils in this series, and his saves in the second period against the Hurricanes attack were excellent.

5) Can New Jersey win this series?

I'm still dubious. I thought the Devils would avoid a sweep at home with a split, and they have accomplished that.

Can they win game four? Perhaps, and if they do, all bets are off.

But I still wouldn't wager on it

Devils draft Simon Nemec

   The New Jersey Devils jumped up in the draft lottery to the second overall pick and pulled a mild surprise in selecting defenseman Simon Nemec of Slovakia.

The Devils had been most connected to Slovakian winger Juraj Slafkovsky, but Montreal moved off the player that had been rated as the top player in the draft for most of the past year in center Shane Wright and plucked Slafkovsky with their first overall selection.

The decision placed the Devils and general manager Tom Fitzgerald in a bit of a pickle- do you draft the player rated by many as the top prospect in Shane Wright that plays a position that you already have two young players (Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes) that have already signed long-term extensions?

Or do you take a player that may be a little lower on the board but could be an eventual impact player at a position where the Devils are not nearly as deep (defenseman), and other than 2021 first-rounder Luke Hughes, lack a young player with top-pairing potential?

Fitzgerald decided on the latter and added Nemec to a defensive corps that could need bolstering, perhaps sooner than later, should Damon Severson leave via free agency following the upcoming season.

Nemec was regarded, along with another Slovakian native, David Jiricek, as the top defenseman in this draft and played most of last season in the top Slovakian pro league at 17 (Nemec turned 18 last February), along with playing in the World Championship for Slovakia, and may have at least a chance of making the Devils next season, although I wouldn't guarantee that happening.

A right-handed shot, which Tom Fitzgerald mentioned in his press conference as something the team was looking for in a defenseman, Nemec is regarded as an excellent skater and passer and has drawn some comparisons to Victor Hedman, which means that Nemec would be offensively minded and solid at both ends of the ice.

If the Devils received even close to a Victor Hedman-level player in Simon Nemec (Hedman was also drafted second overall in his draft year), the Devils would have done very well with Nemec.

The 6'1 Nemec seems to be the solid choice at a position of need, but I do have to admit that I am a bit disappointed that the team had a chance to add the best player in the draft and they passed on him for a position of need.

From what I read (and highlights) and see from Nemec, the Devils haven't blown this pick; it's just that I'm a big believer in taking the best player on the board in any draft.

Hopefully, Tom Fitzgerald has added a player who can slot into the lineup for the next 10 years and could become a building block the next time the Devils are ready to contend for a Stanley Cup.