Nemec traded to Flames by Devils for draft picks, Morin

Simon Nemec was traded to the Calgary Flames by the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday.

The Devils also sent Maxim Tsyplakov  to the Flames for conditional first-round picks in the 2027 NHL Draft and 2028 NHL Draft, a second-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and defenseman prospect Etienne Morin. Both conditional picks are top 10 protected.

Nemec, a 22-year-old defenseman, had an NHL career-high 26 points (11 goals, 15 assists) in 68 games this season. He completed his entry-level contract and can become a restricted free agent July 1. 

“I expected something (to) happen; I’m pretty excited to join Calgary,” Nemec told the Flames website. “It’s a good young team. … I think it can be a really good spot for me, so I’m really happy.”

The No. 2 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, Nemec has 49 points (16 goals, 33 assists) in 155 regular-season games and two points (one goal, one assist) in four Stanley Cup Playoff games. He's the highest Slovakia-born defenseman taken in the NHL Draft, had two assists in six games for fourth-place Team Slovakia at the 2026 Winter Olympics and helped his country win its first Olympic hockey medal at the 2022 Beijing Games.

Tsyplakov, a 27-year-old forward, had four points (two goals, two assists) in 49 games this season, two points (one goal, one assist) after New Jersey acquired him in a trade with the New York Islanders on Jan. 27, for a third-round pick in the 2026 draft and a sixth-round pick in the 2027 draft. He signed a one-year contract with the Islanders on May 16, 2024, after seven seasons for Spartak in the Kontinental Hockey League.

Morin, 21, has yet to play in the NHL. He was selected by the Flames in the second round (No. 48) of the 2023 NHL Draft and played this season for Calgary in the American Hockey League and Rapid City of the ECHL. He helped Moncton win the 2025 Quebec Maritimes Hockey League championship and a place in the Memorial Cup. 

The Devils (42-27-3) and Flames (34-39-9) each missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs. New Jersey hired Sunny Mehta as general manager April 16 after firing Tom Fitzgerald 10 days earlier.