Simon Nemec Draws Offer Sheet Attention With 11 Goals, 26 Points
Simon Nemec scored 11 goals and 26 points this season, and that production is why his name is already being discussed as a possible offer sheet target. The New Jersey Devils have three offer sheet eligible players as of July 1, turning one young defender into a summer roster decision that could cost draft capital.
Nemec and the Devils’ July 1 list
Arseny Gritsyuk, Nemec and Paul Cotter are the three Devils players on that July 1 list. Nemec stands out because he is 22 years old, was selected second overall in 2022 and has already shown the kind of puck-moving ability teams pay for on the open market.
He finished the 2025-26 season with 11 goals and 26 points, a step forward for a defenseman whose offensive numbers already put him on the radar. The case for interest is simple: he has top-four puck-moving defenseman potential and an outside chance to grow into a top-pair blueliner.
Why rival teams would call
Opposing general managers could reach the $9 million-plus range on a long-term offer for Nemec and send only a first-, second- and third-round pick back to New Jersey. That compensation package is why offer sheet talk now sits at the center of the Devils’ summer, with the club forced to think about whether matching a rival’s number is cheaper than losing a young core defenseman.
Nemec’s appeal is not only the scoring line. The article notes that he struggles defensively and is bound to make a costly mistake here and there, which complicates the decision for any team trying to project his value over several seasons.
Poise at the 2026 Winter Olympics
Nemec also showed strides in the 2025-26 season and had poise at the 2026 Winter Olympics, evidence that his stock is not built on one hot stretch alone. For the Devils, that leaves a narrow but real window: keep a player with first-round pedigree and growth upside, or risk a deal that forces a choice between matching a premium contract and accepting draft-pick compensation.
That is the practical read for New Jersey this summer. If another team believes the offense and poise are worth the price, Nemec is the RFA most likely to turn the Devils’ July 1 flexibility into a hard cap decision.
