The New Jersey Devils are trading defenseman Simon Nemec and forward Maxim Tsyplakov to the Calgary Flames for a second-round pick in this week's draft, first-round selections in 2027 and 2028, and prospect Etienne Morin, the teams announced Tuesday.
The first-rounders Calgary is surrendering initially belonged to the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche. The Flames recouped the picks by dealing Rasmus Andersson and Nazem Kadri this past season.
Nemec is a restricted free agent this offseason and had reportedly requested a trade. The Devils drafted him second overall in 2022, but Nemec struggled to carve out a consistent role on New Jersey's blue line despite beginning his career as a highly touted prospect.
The 22-year-old registered 26 points in 68 games last season while averaging 19:40 per contest.
The Devils acquired Tsyplakov from the New York Islanders in January. He produced 10 goals and 35 points as a rookie in 2024-25 but regressed heavily this past campaign with only four points in 49 appearances between the two Metropolitan Division clubs.
Although New Jersey missed the playoffs this spring, new general manager Sunny Mehta now has plenty of assets to seek roster improvements this offseason. The Devils own five first-round picks over the next two drafts and have over $13 million in cap space, per PuckPedia.
