Recent Signing Opens the Door for Kent Hughes and the Canadiens to Land Simon Nemec

This move seems to have settled the Simon Nemec situation in New Jersey.

The long-term contract of right-handed defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic opens the door for a trade involving Simon Nemec

Nemec is a young defenseman who has frequently been linked to the Habs in trade discussions over the past few weeks.

Could these talks resume this summer?

The Devils now have, in terms of right-handed defensemen, Dougie Hamilton signed until 2028, Brett Pesce until 2030, Johnathan Kovacevic until 2030, and they also have young Seamus Casey, whom they highly value.

It really feels like the end of Nemec's time there.

Rumors linking Nemec to the Montreal Canadiens are nothing new, and now that he is very likely to be traded this summer, do you think Kent Hughes should make this deal happen?

Would it be a good move to bring Juraj Slafkovsky's best friend to town?

One thing is certain, there is no longer room for him in New Jersey, so this will be a major storyline to follow when the trade market reopens.

Nemec, 21 years old, was the 2nd overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft-selected immediately after Juraj Slafkovsky.

He has accumulated 20 points in 76 career NHL games and 23 points in 34 AHL games this season.