Grade the Trade: Calgary Flames Acquire Simon Nemec From New Jersey

The Calgary Flames have a busy few weeks upcoming, and just three days out from the 2026 NHL Draft, they made a shock move to acquire Simon Nemec from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for draft capital and prospect Etienne Morin.

Along with Nemec, the Flames also landed forward Maxim Tsyplakov, and while Nemec is the prize, the Flames did well to get another winger that they can likely move out in the coming weeks, or potentially at the 2026 NHL Draft.

So, how did the team make out from their latest deal?

The Good

Obviously, the biggest positive of this deal is getting a 22-year-old blue liner that fits the age profile of the Flames, and with Zayne Parekh likely to move to the left side, he fills out the Flames top-four perfectly alongside Kevin Bahl and Zach Whitecloud. While he hasn't put it together in the NHL just yet, Nemec is clearly motivated to prove the Devils wrong after they prioritized the likes of Luke Hughes and Dougie Hamilton over the young blue liner.

This past year represented Nemec's best production at the NHL level, posting 11 goals and 26 points in 68 games played, and with the combination of good size and offensive upside, it's easy to see why he could take a leap in 2026/27. On top of that, he led the Olympics in goal chances created for defenseman on Team Slovakia, showing that when given the chance to play 20+ minutes a night as well as powerplay action, he can be a true driver of offense.

The final positive of this deal is that it opens up the Flames to target another area of weakness in the 2026 NHL Draft, with the team now getting to settle in at RHD and look to the top centre available, whether that be Viggo Bjorck or the potential fall of Caleb Malhotra.

The Questionable

Many in reaction to the trade have questioned giving up two first-round picks alongside the No. 35 overall selection, but given that both first-round picks are likely to be in the late 20's or early 30's, the value is worth it for a player that will only be an appreciating asset from here.

Beyond that, the team had to give up one of their key second-round picks this year that many believe would be used in a deal to see the Flames move up in the first-round, but ultimately, they gave up what they needed to do to bet on Nemec's immense upside at the NHL level.

Verdict: The Calgary Flames had to give up significant assets to get one of the most talented young blue liners in the NHL, and while there was always a chance the team could have landed a player like this late in the first-round, it's unlikely. While Nemec hasn't broken out yet, he has the potential to do just that, so while this trade could turn into an A+ if Nemec becomes a genuine top-pairing defenseman, right now, there's still plenty of risk that comes with this move.

Grade: B+

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