Sunny Mehta has made his first trade as general manager of the New Jersey Devils.
On Tuesday afternoon, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported that the Devils were trading defenseman Simon Nemec to the Calgary Flames.
NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman quickly confirmed that Nemec and forward Maxim Tsyplakov would go to Calgary in exchange for a second-round pick this season, a first-round pick in 2027, a first-round pick in 2028 (both top 10 protected), and Etienne Morin
Per the team, the conditions of the picks are as follows:
* The first-round pick that is acquired by Calgary from the Vegas Golden Knights in either the 2027 or 2028 NHL Draft (whichever first-round pick Calgary receives from its January 18, 2026 trade with Vegas).
* The first-round pick that is acquired by Calgary from Colorado in either the 2028 or 2029 NHL Draft (whichever first-round pick Calgary receives from its March 6, 2026 trade with the Colorado Avalanche).
New Jersey now holds six picks in the 2026 NHL Draft (one first, two seconds including one from the New York Rangers, a fourth, fifth, and sixth).
Morin is a 21-year-old defenseman who spent last season with Calgary’s minor-league affiliates, the Calgary Wranglers (AHL) and the Rapid City Rush (ECHL).
Nemec was drafted second overall by New Jersey in 2022. He has appeared in 155 NHL games with the Devils and 112 in the American Hockey League with the Utica Comets. The 22-year-old appeared in 68 games for the Devils during the 2025-26 season, recording 26 points (11 goals, 15 assists).
New Jersey acquired Maxim Tsyplakov on January 27 from the New York Islanders for Ondrej Palat, a 3rd-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and a 6th-round pick in 2027. In 22 games with the Devils, he scored one goal.
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