If there's a defenseman on the market, the Detroit Red Wings are on the hunt. Everyone from the physically imposing Rasmus Ristolainen to the towering titan Tyler Myers is on general manager Steve Yzerman's radar. Today, another name came up in trade discussions: Simon Nemec of the New Jersey Devils. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic believes a change could be made soon.
"Going to be interesting to see what happens on the Simon Nemec front," LeBrun writes. "Devils are taking calls on the second overall pick from '22. No shortage of teams checking in. New Jersey happy to keep him, but if there's a deal that upgrades their forwards in a real way, they're going to listen."
Nemec, a former second overall pick, is at a crossroads in his career. The Devils, who currently sit second-to-last in the Eastern Conference, need to make a change. They're short on offense and replete with defensemen. To make matters worse, per PuckPedia, they're at their limit when it comes to the salary cap and Nemec is up for an extension. The Devils are between a rock and a hard place -- and the Red Wings can more than exploit this.
How Nemec can help the Red Wings
Nemec, 22, is in the midst of a career-best season. In 47 games, he's compiled nine goals and 12 assists for 21 points on the Devils' bottom defensive pairing. He played a key role on Team Slovakia in the 2026 Milan Cortina Olypmics, helping Slovakia make its way to their medal round. It's clear that Nemec has potentail that the Devils have yet to tap. Should they decide they're ready to move on, the Red Wings could be a perfect trade candidate.
Yzerman and the Red Wings are seeking a second-pair, right-shot defenseman. A player with Nemec's potential doesn't show up often. Should he find his way to the Red Wings, he'll slot in opposite to Ben Chiarot. Their styles complement one another: where Chiarot relies on his physicality, Nemec's high hockey IQ and positioning can free up some breathing room for the forwards on the roster to make an impact.
As far as cost goes, the Devils, per LeBrun, want to upgrade their forwards. Luckily, the Red Wings have plenty in the prospect pipeline on the forward front. From goal-scorers like Michael Brandsegg-Nygard to fast, flashy forwards like Amadeus Lombardi, the Red Wings have plenty to offer any would-be suitors. The question, however, lies in what Yzerman hopes to do with Friday looming on the horizon.
The pressure is on for Steve Yzerman
This season is Yzerman's first major test as the general manager. He'll need to walk a tightrope in order to set the Red Wings up for long-term success. There are too many instances where general managers make hasty moves to contend (think the Ottawa Senators), only for their core to regress and fall apart. What Yzerman is searching for is a key difference-maker. Someone that comes with flexibility, cost and term. Someone he won't have to rush in to signing as soon as he can.
Nemec might just be the answer to his question.