Maple Leafs Should Inquire About Devils’ Nemec – The Hockey Writers Toronto Maple Leafs Latest News, Analysis & More

The 2022 NHL Draft saw two promising defenders get drafted within the first six picks. The New Jersey Devils selected Simon Nemec second overall and the Columbus Blue Jackets picked David Jiricek sixth overall. Both players were projected as being steady foundations on the backend.

However, things have changed as Jiricek was already moved to get more of an opportunity with the Minnesota Wild. Now, Nemec is in the same situation as Jiricek was last season as he appears to be wanting more of an opportunity, be that with the Devils or elsewhere. As a result, the Toronto Maple Leafs should throw their name into the hat and look to acquire a defender with the ability to produce from the backend. 

Seeing as how the team’s offense has dried up, getting younger, faster and more productive is something they should really consider. They missed out on Jiricek and shouldn’t hesitate on Nemec if he’s available.

Nemec in Same Boat as Jiricek

It’s clear that there’s some frustration with Nemec as he wants to be a full-time NHLer. The only problem is, there’s a big crowd on the Devils’ defense. With the play of Jonathan Kovacevic and the signing of Brett Pesce to a six-year deal, you can understand why Nemec is feeling the way he is as he got pushed further down the depth chart. Especially since he looked to have found his footing with 19 points in 60 games as a rookie last season. 

As a result, Nemec is in the same spot as Jiricek was, barely getting any opportunity compared to what he saw last season. He said that he feels that he has proven himself in the American Hockey League with the Utica Comets and that if this drags on, it’s something that will need to be addressed. Nemec has 18 points in 26 games this season, 12 of which have been primary points. Overall, he has 104 games of experience under his belt in the AHL with 60 points during that span, good for a point per game rate of 0.58. For a defenseman that can excel on both sides of the puck, that’s good production. 

Nemec has played nine games this season with the Devils, though he has taken a big step back, as his last game was on Oct. 22 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. He’s 20 years old and still has some growing to do, but given the state of the Devils blue line on the right side, it’ll be difficult for him to crack the roster down the line. I’ve been a big fan of Nemec ever since his draft year and thought that he could be a difference maker for the Devils. Selecting him was a no brainer as he has a strong two-way game, offensive instincts and great mobility and has played against senior competition in his draft year. 

Related: Revisiting the Maple Leafs’ Jake Muzzin Trade

This is where the Maple Leafs need to come in and take advantage of the situation, given what he has done in the past.

The Maple Leafs Need More Offense

Of the regular pairs to play 300 minutes this season, the Maple Leafs’ top pair in expected goals percentage is Jake McCabe and Chris Tanev– more two-way, shut-down players– with 56.2%. 

Morgan Rielly and Oliver Ekman-Larsson are at 50.5% and both have more offensive upside. Rielly and Ekman-Larsson lead defenders on the team in points with 22 and 19 respectively, but that isn’t enough as the team doesn’t get enough offense as the team has 11 goals from the blue line. Tanev and McCabe aren’t supposed to be the one’s driving the offense as they’re there to shut things down, but they are and have the production you’d expect with 14 and 13 points respectively. Even if Rielly never gets to the 60-point mark, you’d like a little more consistency, production-wise. 

Now let’s be realistic, could Nemec be inserted in the Maple Leafs lineup right now? Probably not, as he’s still young and needs to continue to learn and develop to round out his game. Though you could argue that he could be an improvement over Connor Timmins as his play has been questionable as of late. Nemec could definitely be that player down the line where he could be just as impactful and dynamic on the blue line, giving the team more energy and depth. Seeing as he’s a right-shot, it would give them a shooting threat from the point and on the power play.

The Framework

With the Jiricek trade, there’s already a framework in place. The Columbus Blue Jackets received Daemon Hunt, a first-round pick in 2025, third and fourth round picks in 2026 and a second-round pick in 2027. 

However, the Maple Leafs do lack draft capital as they have used most of it in the past to attempt to go on deep runs. They do still have the picks to give up necessary to acquire them, but it will put them in a deeper hole. Could that be worth it in acquiring a young, puck-moving defender? It was worth it for general manager Bill Guerin to do that with Jiricek. Maybe Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving could do the same. Nemec would have a better shot at joining the Maple Leafs down the line than he would with the Devils unless they move on from someone.

What if the picks aren’t enough and you may need to add onto it? What if you were to swap defenders and move on from someone like Topi Niemela or even add a strong depth defender in the deal like Marshall Rifai or Mikko Kokkonen? Hunt was included in that Jiricek deal and he’s in the AHL with the Cleveland Monsters, maybe a defensive defenseman could be an option. Seeing as Nemec was a second overall selection, you may need to add a little more to the pot.

Related: Mitch Marner Becomes Fastest Maple Leafs Player to 700 Points

If the Maple Leafs are willing to part with their picks like a first and second as well as a strong depth piece for a highly regarded defender, you really need to consider that. Given how the offense from the blue line is just average and not a real threat, adding a young defender like Nemec could be a difference maker for the future. They don’t have a player like him in the system or in the lineup, so it might be worth it to look into.

Statistics from Money Puck and AHL Tracker.