New Jersey Devils
Simon Nemec and Seamus Casey Devils Future in Question
Simon Nemec and Seamus Casey’s Devils future is now in question after Johnathan Kovacevic inked a long-term extension with New Jersey.
NEWARK—One of the biggest takeaway’s from the New Jersey Devils’ trade deadline was some housekeeping. The Devils inked Johnathan Kovacevic to a five-year extension, locking up the 27-year-old defenseman long-term. As a result, Devils top prospect defensemen Simon Nemec and Seamus Casey see their Devils future in question.
READ MORE: Devils Sign Johnathan Kovacevic to Extension, Raises Blueline Questions
The Devils were trounced by the Winnipeg Jets on Friday, the same day Kovacevic’s extension was announced in New Jersey. After the loss, he reflected on his excitement to remain with the Devils long-term, while also noting how to get back to playing New Jersey’s brand that gave them success earlier in 2024-25.
“Yeah, I’m pumped to be a part of this group for a long time,” Kovacevic said. “Now it’s about, you know, being a part of the solution where we’re kind of stuck a little bit here. And, you know, I think it starts with emotion, intensity, physicality, and then we want to bring that Sunday [versus the Philadelphia Flyers]. Then, hopefully we can kind of will our team to a little bit more energy or positivity, and we’ll get the results.”
The Devils certainly played a lot better on Sunday, albeit, against a far weaker Flyers squad who just sold off some significant parts at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline.
In the lineup was Kovacevic. However, Nemec served as a healthy scratch in favor of newly acquired Dennis Cholowski. Seamus Casey wasn’t an option as he was reassigned one day prior.
Here’s where it gets interesting. If NHL teams wanted their players to be eligible for the American Hockey League playoffs, they would have had to have been on the AHL team’s roster by Friday’s deadline. Therefore, Casey will play with Utica, likely for the remainder of the season and if they make the playoffs. However, Nemec won’t be eligible to go back down to Utica and play the final stretch of their season or the playoffs.
He’s with the varsity club for the rest of the season.
Nemec and Casey’s status for this season isn’t in question. It’s the right-handed defensemen’s long-term futures that are now blurry as a result of a congested blueline.
Kovacevic’s five-year extension solidifies the long-term outlook of New Jersey’s defense core on the right side. Brett Pesce has another five years on his deal after this season, and Dougie Hamilton has three.
With two prospects as near-ready to the NHL as Nemec and Casey are, it’s difficult to imagine a situation where they have no path to regular NHL minutes.
New Jersey Hockey Now asked Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald what the plan is for the young blueliners given the circumstances.
“You know what, we’ve got these two young guys. It gives us optionality moving forward,” Fitzgerald explained. “When you have good, young prospects that come in, then you’ve got options. I’m not going to sit here and name what option A, B, or C will be, but you know what? It’s great to have these options. Again, they still can go to the American Hockey League, and can play [there] because that’s what the CBA tells me. Not only us, but a lot of teams utilize the CBA to maximize the strength of their organization. And I think the right side is definitely the strength of ours.”
This past December, rumors circulated that perhaps Simon Nemec wanted a fresh start elsewhere.
The Slovakian prospect squashed any misconception that he didn’t want to be in the Devils’ organization.
RELATED: Simon Nemec Clarifies Comments, Trade Rumors, Devils Future (+)
However, that was before he had no path to claim an everyday role with the Devils, and he’s been on the record stating he believes he belongs in the NHL full-time.
Will he request a trade at this point? Only he knows the answer to that question. But there’s no doubt that it could be a while before both Nemec and Casey have the opportunity to claim an NHL role in New Jersey.
That brings us to this summer.
The Devils were out seeking an impact and depth scorer at the trade deadline. They walked away with the latter, but not the former.
Perhaps, Fitzgerald weaponizes the Devils’ strength and trades one or both of them for impact wingers to strengthen the top-six for 2025-26. With no deadline increasing pressure to get a deal done, there’s plenty of time to hammer out an even deal for the teams involved.
Whereas the Devils weren’t interested in trading Nemec before, he and Casey are suddenly now expendable assets.
The Devils are a healthy Jack Hughes and a piece or two away from being legitimate threats to take over the Metropolitan Division, Eastern Conference, and declare themselves as Stanley Cup contenders.
Their path in doing so could be through Nemec and Casey, whose futures in New Jersey are suddenly clouded.
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