Here's what Simon Nemec's next contract could look like with the Calgary Flames

The Calgary Flames made their first big splash of the offseason on Tuesday afternoon in a trade with the New Jersey Devils.

The Flames traded a 2026 second-round pick, along with first-round selections in 2027 and 2028, and blueline prospect Etienne Morin to the Devils. In exchange, they received defenceman Simon Nemec and forward Maxim Tysplakov.

The biggest get in this deal is Nemec, who was selected second overall in the 2022 draft. The 22-year-old defenceman showed promise with the Devils this past season, registering 11 goals and 26 points in 68 games.

That said, there are still many flaws in Nemec’s game, particularly on the defensive side of his game. That, in part, limited his playing opportunity with the Devils, and subsequently resulted in Nemec’s frustration with the organization.

Now, he will get a fresh start in Calgary. Before that happens, however, a contract extension needs to be put in place.

Nemec is set to become an RFA on July 1. There has been speculation that he was seeking a deal that would pay him roughly $9 million per season, though that feels quite steep given that he’s nowhere near his full potential at this time.

AFP Analytics projects that the Czech blueliner will instead earn a seven-year, $56.4 million deal with an average annual value of $8.06 million. There is still a ton of risk in such a deal for the Flames, though it’s obvious they have a ton of confidence in him, given the package they sent the Devils way. On top of that, the Flames are in no sort of cap crunch, as they currently sit with more than $20 million in cap space.

If management prefers to avoid the risk of a long-term deal, they could also elect to bridge Nemec. AFP Analytics is projecting that on a short, two-year deal, Nemec would earn roughly $4.5 million per season.

The issue with going short-term is that if Nemec turns into the player the Flames envision, they could be forced to pay him far more than $8 million on a future deal. After all, the maximum salary cap is expected to continue rising in the years to come.

Ideally, the Flames would re-sign Nemec to a long-term extension with a cap hit closer to the $7 million range. If they can’t get him on board, a bridge deal may be the better solution, as the promising young defenceman has yet to prove he can be a true top-pairing option.

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