Calgary Flames acquire Simon Nemec in blockbuster trade

Putting his frustrations behind him (for the most part), Nemec looked for a new start with the Devils for the 2025-26 season. Due to a long-term injury to Luke Hughes before the Olympic break, Nemec got more opportunity than he otherwise would, finishing with 11 goals and 26 points in 68 games with a -11 rating, averaging 19:40 of ice time per game.

Still, despite the flashes of considerable offensive talent, it’s clear that the Devils weren’t ready to commit to Nemec long-term. That may turn out to be the more prudent option. Despite the increased offensive, Nemec was a costly player in his own zone, finishing with an 88.1% on-ice save percentage at even strength and a 47.1% On-Ice Goals%. Despite having only two-and-a-half years of NHL experience, it appears that when Nemec improves in one area of the game, another area suffers.

Regardless, he’ll have more room to learn from his failures with the Flames. If he turns into what they believe he can become, Nemec is the heir-apparent to Rasmus Andersson in Calgary and will give them a strong one-two punch on the right side with Zayne Parekh.

Meanwhile, Tsyplakov also heads to Alberta in the trade. The Devils acquired him this past season from the New York Islanders as a salary throw-in for the Ondrej Palat trade. Hardly using the 29-year-old Russian down the stretch, New Jersey is now fully off the Palat contract.

He has some scoring upside, having registered 10 goals and 35 points in 77 games with the Islanders throughout the 2024-25 campaign. However, given his usage last season, Tsyplakov is a strong candidate to return to the KHL after the 2026-27 season, and may be a filler player for the Flames in their bottom-six until another one of their prospects is ready to make the jump to the NHL.

Despite acquiring two first-round picks for Nemec, given that one is Vegas’ and one is Colorado’s over the next two years, and they’re both top-10 protected, neither is expected to land very high in the first round. Still, it gives New Jersey the flexibility to fill out their prospect capital, or pivot and move the selections for a scoring winger or netminder.

Additionally, the Devils have acquired a former second-round pick in Morin. A product of the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats, the Flames selected Morin with the 48th overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft.

Unfortunately, despite averaging nearly a point per game in his last season with the Wildcats, Morin didn’t make a smooth transition to the professional ranks. This past season, his first with the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers, Morin registered one goal and seven points in 42 games, and even spent time with the ECHL’s Rapid City Rush. The move today represents a fresh start for a young prospect who could still grow into a worthwhile puck-moving blueliner.