3 Potential Trade Destinations For Devils' Simon Nemec
A name per sources that’s of interest to other clubs is RFA D Nemec , as it hasn’t been the smoothest path / usage with @NJDevils , and he’s an attractive option
— Kevin Weekes (@KevinWeekes) June 16, 2026
given age, talent, upside, should it be decided that they want to move him.#HockeyX pic.twitter.com/m3nF2bfAQW
Nemec finally looked like he was ready to fulfill the promise of his No. 2 overall selection in the 2022 NHL Draft, with a strong start to the 2025-26 season, with seven points in his first nine games. He went one step further with a sensational hat trick, capped by the overtime winner, in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks in early November.
But after that, it was back to a season of disappointing results when all was said and done, as he finished with 11 goals and 26 points while his defensive metrics were nothing to write home about, and he posted a plus/minus rating of -11.
Insider David Pagnotta echoes Weekes' report, stating on The Fan Hockey Show this week that a Nemec trade could be in the offing.
“There are teams that are poking around on that pretty hard. And with Jersey in win-now mode... maybe we see a pretty big hockey-type trade where they move out Nemec and bring in a first-line caliber winger.”
Let's have a look at three potential trade destinations for Simon Nemec:
Anaheim Ducks
Pagnotta lists Anaheim as a team with interest in Nemec, and it makes a ton of sense. The Ducks have a pretty sparse blueline at this point in the offseason, with only two NHLers under contract. Veterans John Carlson and Jacob Trouba are UFAs, as is Radko Gudas. Even if one or two of those are re-signed, the Ducks certainly need to get younger on their back line. Nemec would fit the team's timeline, and they have plenty of room under the cap to give him a decent contract.
Detroit Red Wings
Pagnotta also mentions the Red Wings as a team with interest in Nemec. They're looking for a long-term answer for their second pairing. They brought in Justin Faulk at the trade deadline from St. Louis, but he's going into the final year of his contract, and will be 35 by the end of next season.
Nemec would be the perfect long-term complement to pair up with Ben Chiarot. on that second pairing Additionally, the Wings have a nice prospect pipeline up front where they'd be able to offer an NHL-ready forward in return.
San Jose Sharks
Another team that desperately needs to fill out its blueline for next season, they, like the Ducks, have only two NHLers under contract. And like Detroit, San Jose has a ton of talent in their forward group. And with the No. 2 overall pick in this coming week's Draft, if they don't trade it, they could be adding another one in Ivar Stenberg. The Sharks could offer the Devils a player who could have an immediate future in their top-six, while getting the young, potentially impactful D-man that they need for their continued rebuild.
