We’re gonna talk about the timely arrival of Simon Nemec in the links below, and be sure to check out the story and/or watch the clip with Jeff Marek. But, man, did the New Jersey Devils need this.
It’s funny, because coming into the season, we knew the Devils were going to need someone to raise their level if the Devils were going to take a step forward. Nemec is one of those names, perhaps unexpectedly. However, it’s not just him. Arseny Gritsyuk‘s doing it, Dawson Mercer is doing it, and look, whether you want to admit it or not, Luke Hughes is doing it.
Give the youngest Hughes brother a break. He’s playing his off-side, and is logging the most minutes on a nightly basis since Brett Pesce‘s absence.
The Devils need to get healthy, but in the meantime, these are the guys buoying New Jersey. And they’re still winning games.
In the links, more conversation about Simon Nemec.
Elsewhere, a brawl on Broadway! The kids are alright in Pittsburgh, and another 2026 UFA off the board.
Let’s do that hockey.
Devils Trade Rumors & News
New Jersey Hockey Now: Better late than never is what I always say. And for Simon Nemec, his timing actually couldn’t have been better. The Devils needed someone to step up this season, and it came from an unexpected source. Here’s why Nemec is finally arriving.
Devils Rink Report: Jeff Marek joined me this week to discuss Simon Nemec, his breakout season so far, and why he didn’t give up on the Slovakian blueliner after a rough start to his professional career 👇🏼
Be sure to like and subscribe to Devils Rink Report, and turn on those notifications for when we go LIVE every Friday on YouTube!
NHL Trade Talk, News, & National Hockey Now
Think Jonathan Quick was unhappy with the Blueshirts’ loss last night? After the buzzer, he went after Mason Appleton, who shot the puck into the empty-net following the buzzer. What followed was a benches clearing brawl 👇🏼
Forever Blueshirts: Before the brawl, here’s how the Rangers wasted a brilliant effort by Jonathan Quick, by Jim Cerny.
Pittsburgh Hockey Now: The Pittsburgh Penguins suddenly have a couple of young guns that look like future studs. And by future, I mean they might have already arrived, and are contributing now. But will be doing so for a long time. Sergei Murashov is the latest, looking like the now and future between Pittsburgh’s pipes.
Montreal Hockey Now: Man, Kirby Dach has some tough injury luck. Devils fans know a little bit about that kind of thing. Dach is injured, again. The Montreal Canadiens forward faces the same timeline as Jack Hughes.
ESPN: The big story of the day came from Emily Kaplan, who broke the news that Adrian Kempe and the Los Angeles Kings finally agreed to terms on a new long-term contract.
