Seattle Kraken Draft Profile: Simon Nemec
Draft Profile
Date of Birth: February 15, 2004
Age: 18
Place of Birth: Liptovsky Mikulas, Slovakia
Position: Defense
Shoots: Right
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 192lbs
NHL Comparison: Roman Josi
Here's a look at Nemec vs. Quinn Hughes (one of the 13 in the ball park). Hughes' equivalency in his D-1 and DY is in the 99.5th percentile for the past 30 years. And Nemec's equivalency is ~35% higher than Hughes each year. Nutty stuff. pic.twitter.com/KUA8yZqFxe
— Byron Bader (@ByronMBader) June 3, 2022
Pre-NHL Draft Accomplishments
At just 18 years old, Simon Nemec has the start of a pretty impressive hockey resume. This year was filled with several major accomplishments for the young defenseman. The gold, silver, and bronze medals he won this season will be a big factor when GMs consider him at the 2022 NHL Entry Draft in July.
He started the season strong, captaining Team Slovakia in the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup. In what has been called their best-ever showing, Nemec led Slovakia to a silver medal in the tournament. He finished second in scoring among defensemen, putting up 1 goal with 5 helpers. His work on the power play was outstanding and consistently reliable for his team. He was awarded tournament MVP.
Making another appearance for his home country, Nemec brought home a gold medal with the Slovakia U-18 team in the WJC U-18. He continued to stay busy, showcasing his talent in the international spotlight as part of the bronze medal-winning at the 2022 Bejing Olympics.
Unlike many North American players his age, Nemec has also played in a top-tier pro league since age 16. Last season, Nemec put up an impressive 26 points (1g, 21a) in 39 games for HK Nitra in Slovakia’s top pro league. He took on a prominent role for his team, which isn’t very common for players his age. Even more impressive in the playoffs, he posted an incredible 17 points (5g, 12a) in 19 games.