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Devils’ 2nd Overall Pick On The Way Out?

Originally posted on NHL Trade Talk
By Ryan Frost-Garant | Last updated Mar 4, 2026 1:10 PM ET

It’s safe to say this season hasn’t gone the way the Devils wanted. They currently sit second-to-last in the Eastern Conference. This has the team taking a hard look at what may need to be done to achieve their desired results next season.

In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), Pierre LeBrun had this to say:

“Going to be interesting to see what happens on the Simon Nemec front. Devils are taking calls on the second overall pick from ’22. No shortage of teams checking in. New Jersey happy to keep him, but if there’s a deal that upgrades their forwards in a real way, they’re going to listen…”

The young defender, Simon Nemec, has made big strides this season towards reaching his potential from when he was drafted. Nemec currently has 21 points (9 goals, 12 assists) through 47 games this season. Nemec even recorded a hat-trick earlier, showing true offensive potential.

The problem is that Nemec is a right-handed defender, and the Devils already have a surplus of those kinds of players. Dougie Hamilton and Brett Pesce are both ahead of Nemec on the depth chart. Last season, Nemec showed frustration with the Devils organization and the way they were utilizing him. Nemec has not been given consistent top-pair minutes at the NHL level.

Nemec is also up for a new contract this summer. The Devils are already spending $9 million per year on Hamilton until 2028, and $5.5 million per year on Pesce until 2030. Nemec will want to get paid after coming off his entry-level contract. The Devils may not be interested in his asking price.

New Jersey Needs Forwards

One of the areas that the Devils have really struggled in this season is scoring goals. They sit 30th in the league in goals per game. In part, this is due to Jack Hughes missing several games with injury, and he has struggled with injuries in previous seasons. The Devils just do not have the necessary forward depth to be a true contender.

If Nemec is traded, they will be looking to bring in a high-calibre forward. Nemec holds a lot of value right now, so it would be a great time to trade him. The defensive core of the Devils is one of the team’s strengths, and it’s unclear what his long-term role looks like. Using his value to boost the forward core is a great option. It remains to be seen who they are interested in adding at this point in time.

This article first appeared on NHL Trade Talk and was syndicated with permission.

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