Simon Nemec: Leaving New Jersey suits him just fine

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Simon Nemec: Leaving New Jersey suits him just fine

Originally posted on Dose.ca | Last updated Aug 25, 2026 9:07 PM ET

Some good players were selected in the 2022 draft.

Juraj Slafkovsky and Lane Hutson are obviously two of them, and the Devils had high hopes for Simon Nemec, who was selected right after Slaf.

Unfortunately, his time with the Devils was short-lived: he was traded to the Flames this summer. In return, the Devils' new GM, Sunny Mehta, acquired Etienne Morin, a second-round pick, and two first-round picks. A great deal.

Nemec admitted today, during the European players' media tour, that he was happy to start fresh and that everything had been settled.

He's far from disappointed to be playing for one of the worst teams in the NHL.

“Finally, everything's settled” for Nemec in Calgaryhttps://t.co/1vXCptvKNR

— RDS (@RDSca) August 25, 2026

In Calgary, the Slovakian—who will want to prove to his former team that they were wrong about him—will get significantly more ice time.

The Flames' blue line is less crowded, and he may finally earn his coach's trust as a top-four defenseman.

Last year, he tallied 26 points in 68 games. With the Flames, he'll play about 20 minutes per game and get ice time on the power play.

There isn't too much competition among offensive defensemen there…

(Credit: DailyFaceoff)

I feel like they need a player like me. I can play a lot of minutes. I can contribute to the team's future and become one of its leaders. – Simon Nemec

He'll be by far the highest-paid defenseman on the team. He'll obviously be important. This summer, he signed a five-year contract worth $7.25 million annually.

Only Jonathan Huberdeau and Dustin Wolf are paid more annually than he is.

In a Nutshell

– Interesting.

Juraj Slafkovsky on his friendship with Habs teammate Jakub Dobes:

“Doby is a goalie, so he's a bit of a different person, but we all like him. I really like that I can talk to him in our language.”

“His mother is also from Košice, so I like to tease him. It's great to have a…pic.twitter.com/NwvX61yksZ

— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) August 25, 2026