{"id":591747,"date":"2026-06-05T10:24:31","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T10:24:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/591747\/"},"modified":"2026-06-05T10:24:31","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T10:24:31","slug":"pittsburgh-penguins-linked-to-simon-nemec-trade-with-devils","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/591747\/","title":{"rendered":"Pittsburgh Penguins Linked to Simon Nemec Trade with Devils"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"A<\/a>A vision of things to come? Amid intense NHL trade rumors, this conceptual image shows defenseman Simon Nemec sporting the black and gold of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Will Pens GM Kyle Dubas pay the high asking price demanded by the New Jersey Devils to make this vision a reality this offseason?<\/p>\n

The NHL rumor mill is already running red-hot this offseason, and the Pittsburgh Penguins are reportedly looking directly at their Metropolitan Division rivals to fix their blue line. The target? New Jersey Devils<\/a> defenseman Simon Nemec<\/a>.<\/p>\n

According to Pittsburgh Hockey Now\u2019s Dan Kingerski, the restricted free agent has emerged as a highly suitable trade target for the Pens. If you are wondering why a 22-year-old former second-overall pick is suddenly the talk of the trade market, you have to look at the tale of two seasons Nemec just had. It is a puzzle that NHL front offices are currently trying to solve, and Pittsburgh seems incredibly eager to put the pieces together.<\/p>\n

In New Jersey, Nemec struggled to find his footing this season, posting just 26 points (11 goals, 15 assists) in 68 games. He looked hesitant, often caught overthinking plays in the defensive zone. Yet, when he suited up for Slovakia at the Olympics, he was an absolute revelation. He looked like the elite, top-pairing, puck-moving defenseman he was drafted to be. So, what is the truth? Is he being miscast in the New Jersey Devils\u2019 system, or was that brilliant Olympic performance just a mirage on international ice?<\/p>\n

As someone who evaluates defensive systems across the league, my insight leans toward the former. Nemec thrives on confidence and transition speed. New Jersey\u2019s current tactical setup often asks him to play a more static, dump-and-chase retrieval game, whereas the Olympic ice allowed him the space to dictate the pace. A move to Pittsburgh, where the culture still respects offensive instincts from the back end, could unlock his true ceiling.<\/p>\n

Evaluating the New Jersey Devils\u2019 Asking Price for Simon Nemec<\/p>\n

Just because Nemec might benefit from a change in scenery doesn\u2019t mean the New Jersey Devils are going to give him away. New GM Sunny Mehta is in a fascinating position. Because he is new to the big chair, he absolutely cannot afford to lose a trade involving a franchise cornerstone. He won\u2019t bend. Mehta will demand full boat or walk away from the table.<\/p>\n

Based on recent history and the premium placed on right-shot defensemen, acquiring Simon Nemec will cost the Pittsburgh Penguins a first-round pick plus an A-level prospect, or a straight-up \u201chockey trade\u201d featuring a player of equal caliber. However, because New Jersey is in a win-now window, the Devils might break the mold and demand an established, top-six veteran player who can address their immediate roster needs.<\/p>\n

Offer Sheet or Trade: How Can the Penguins Acquire Nemec?<\/p>\n

The Penguins aren\u2019t the only club keeping tabs on Simon Nemec. Because he is an RFA, his acquisition cost isn\u2019t just about trade assets, it\u2019s about his next contract. Clubs with an abundance of cap space might bypass negotiations with Mehta altogether and try the offer-sheet route, forcing New Jersey to match a bloated AAV or take the draft pick compensation. Ultimately, the determining factor for Pittsburgh will be balancing the cost of the trade with the realities of their salary cap.<\/p>\n

\"Simon<\/p>\n

Type
\n GP
\n G
\n A
\n P
\n +\/-<\/p>\n

Regular Season
\n 155
\n 16
\n 33
\n 49
\n -28<\/p>\n

Playoffs
\n 4
\n 1
\n 1
\n 2
\n 3<\/p>\n

Find the Latest Pittsburgh Penguins News & Watch Live<\/p>\n

Looking for more deep dives and the latest Pittsburgh Penguins news<\/a>? Make sure to bookmark nhltraderumor.com<\/a> so you never miss an update. While you\u2019re here, be sure to join our NHL Hockey Pool<\/a> for a chance to win cash prizes this season! Plus, if you need to know how to watch the Penguins game on TV today<\/a>, we have full broadcast schedules updated daily right on our website.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A vision of things to come? Amid intense NHL trade rumors, this conceptual image shows defenseman Simon Nemec…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":591748,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5109],"tags":[201,5,576,151,5185,5184,4,100,1178],"class_list":["post-591747","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-jersey-devils","tag-devils","tag-hockey","tag-new-jersey","tag-new-jersey-devils","tag-newjersey","tag-newjerseydevils","tag-nhl","tag-pittsburgh-penguins","tag-simon-nemec"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nhl\/116697016988361924","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/591747","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=591747"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/591747\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/591748"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=591747"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=591747"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=591747"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}