The Devils burst onto the scene a couple of years ago and surprised many when they beat the New York Rangers in the playoffs. After missing the playoffs last year, the Devils made a coaching change, hiring Sheldon Keefe, and were predicted by many to win the Metro division this year. The Devils will undoubtedly try and keep pushing and maximize their window.
The Devils are only going to have a projected $12 million in cap room this offseason and several free agents, including former Penguin Cody Glass. Defender Luke Hughes will also be an RFA this summer and will likely have the Brinks truck backed up to his house. This means the Devils will likely not have the cap space to acquire one of the Penguins' more expensive players.
Luckily for the Devils, many of their best players are locked up for the next several years both offensively and defensively. Douggie Hamilton is under contract until 2028 and Brett Psece until 2030. They also have several young defenders, which is good for the Penguins because maybe one will be available.
Hypothetical Trade.
Simon Nemec for a 2026 first-round and second-round pick
The Devils have several promising young defenders, including 2022 Second overall pick Simon Nemec. 2022 second-rounder Seamus Casey and just selected six-foot-seven giant Anton Silayev 10th overall in the 2024 draft. Casey showed great promise this year, scoring eight points in fourteen games while Nemec only accumulated four points in twenty-seven games. Nemec has struggled to see consistent ice time and the Devils might be willing to move on from him if the price is right.
Why would the Penguins do this?
The Penguins, if they traded for Nemec, would acquire a twenty-one-year-old defender who was selected second overall after the Canadiens picked Juraj Slafkovský. Nemec would be a mainstay in the Penguins' defensive lineup and could be Kris Letang's replacement. Nemec is worth taking a shot on and would play immediately as opposed to a 2026 selection, who the Penguins will not see play in PPG Paints Arena until the 2030s.