Getty
Simon Nemec of the New Jersey Devils.
The Calgary Flames were expected to be one of the NHL’s most active teams this off-season, and with eight picks in the first three rounds of the 2026 NHL Draft, they’ve got plenty of draft capital to make a move that could change the future of the organization.
That, or a team that clearly committed to a rebuild through the 2025/26 season could simply add prospects to an already exciting young group, but recently, GM Craig Conroy admitted to wanting young, NHL ready players as well. Because of this, the expectation was that they could be very busy during the draft in many ways, but to the shock of the NHL world, they made a massive deal on Tuesday.
GettySimon Nemec of the New Jersey Devils.
With speculation recently circling around former No. 2 overall pick Simon Nemec, many expected him to be dealt this summer, especially with the regime change in New Jersey, with the Devils already having Dougie Hamilton, Luke Hughes and Jonathan Kovacevic on their right side. On Tuesday, they finally moved the 22-year-old in a deal with the Flames alongside Maxim Tsyplakov, acquiring the No. 35 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, prospect Etienne Morin and a first-round pick in both 2027 and 2028, originally owned by Vegas and Colorado respectively.
Nemec & Tsyplakov for 2nd (NYR) this year, Vegas 1st 2027, COL 1st 2028 (both top 10 protected) & Etienne Morin https://t.co/iJclSTQhWH
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) June 23, 2026
The move benefits both parties immensely, as the Flames use some of their overwhelming draft capital to land a very talented young player with a bright future, while the Devils avoid having to pay their RFA while landing three draft picks and a solid young prospect in Morin.
Immediately, Nemec joins a defense group in Calgary highlighted by Kevin Bahl, Zayne Parekh and Hunter Brzustewicz, and while the team will need to make another move to fit Nemec in comfortably, he’s now going to get the opportunity to be the No. 1 or 2 on the right side for a long, long time to come in Calgary.
GET THE NEW JERSEYS READY ‼️
We have acquired defenceman Simon Nemec & forward Maxim Tsyplakov from NJD for a conditional ’27 1st round pick (VGK), a conditional ’28 1st round pick (COL), a ’26 2nd round pick (NYR) & Etienne Morin.
Both 1st round picks are top-10 protected.
This past season, Nemec posted 11 goals and 26 points in 68 games played with the Devils, but in that time, he failed to see any powerplay time and spent most of his ice time on the third pairing in limited minutes. In Calgary, he’s expected to play either first or second pairing minutes, and with no one beyond Parekh locked in on the PP2, Nemec has a good chance to find the role he’s been looking for with the Flames.
As for the Devils, this allows them to avoid paying Nemec after already handing Hughes a long-term deal, and with Nico Hischier looking for a long-term contract extension of his own, not paying Nemec will allow them to go much higher on a deal for their captain. Ultimately, it’s a trade that benefits both parties, and with the 2026 NHL Draft right around the corner, don’t be shocked if we see another big deal or two following a busy weekend in the National Hockey League, with much more movement expected before the draft.
Nathan Smith Nathan Smith is a writer with Heavy Sports covering the NHL and MLB. He brings a decade of experience covering sports in North America for digital platforms such as PFSN, Athlon Sports and FanSided. More about Nathan Smith
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