Simon Nemec
Last year, General Manager Ron Francis utilized the Seattle Kraken’s first ever, first round pick to draft center Matty Beniers. Trying to build a new prospect pool for his young team, Francis may want to change things up and go in the other direction with this year’s early first-rounder.
Quite frankly, the Seattle Kraken could use players at any position. Adding a well-rounded two-way defenseman alongside last year’s second-round selection, Ryker Evans could be a smart and safe move after such a rough season. Olympic bronze medalist, Simon Nemec, is a player who fits in well with the Seattle Kraken’s system.
With an average player age of 27 years old, the Kraken only has a few years before its current blueline reaches peak performance. The team is also likely to see many changes in the next few seasons, with five of their currently signed defenseman hitting free agency in the next two years.
Francis tried to build his team to be good defensively, emphasizing drafting players capable of playing a physical game. While the defensive unit wasn’t awful, there is still plenty of room for improvement. We saw how much the Colorado Avalanche thrived when they were bolstered by their defense in this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs.
It is players like Cale Makar, Adam Fox, and Quinn Hughes that GMs are hoping to find to bolster up their own blue line. It remains to be seen whether Simon Nemec is that player, but it is worth looking into.
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
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.
There isn’t much to criticize about Nemec’s on-ice performance. He is praised for being a well-rounded two-way player and one of the best defensemen of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. However, like all young players, a few areas could use a little refinement.
Although a small detail, one area that could need some attention is his size. At only 18, there’s still plenty of time for him to pack on some muscle and learn to utilize his size to benefit him on the ice. However, Nemec has never been an overly physical player. At 6’1” and 192-pounds, he isn’t much of a physical threat. This isn’t to say he doesn’t use his body to be a menace; Nemec just isn’t as physical as other defensemen.
While the league is constantly evolving, there are several GMs who still love a physical player. Francis is one of them. A player’s value is often gauged by their skill set in today’s game rather than by their size. Nevertheless, it would still benefit Nemec to bulk up and put more muscle on his frame, so he doesn’t flounder in physical battles.
The overall consensus is that Nemec also needs to improve his shot, more pertinent, his accuracy. He has shown vast improvement behind the power of his shots, especially his wrister and one-timer. However, his inaccuracy is currently holding him back from being a comes to being a goal-scoring threat.
There has also been some slight criticism of him being a bit of a risk taker. Most of the time, his risk-taking pays dividends. However, although cliche, sometimes taking risks is… well, risky. Taking risks can be fun and exciting, especially if they work out in a player’s favor. But, having a keen awareness when taking said risks is also very important.
Simon Nemec is a dominant two-way defenseman who is possibly on his way to being the highest drafted player from Slovakia. With the busy season, his success has made him stand out above the current draft-eligible prospects in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.
Although he will likely never put up huge scoring numbers, Nemec still has a high offensive upside. His skating is the foundation for an incredible two-way game. He’s a very mobile skater who uses agility and multi-directional quickness to cover a lot of ground.
His swiftness aids him in winning tough battles along the boards and in front of the net. He is often willing to take on tough assignments in his own zone. He uses his good edgework to create great lateral movement. This creates space for him to drive the play forward.
While he may struggle with his shooting, Nemec is a strong and effective passer. Great lateral movement paired with his excellent puck control allows him to avoid defenders, opening up both passing and shooting lanes and setting his teammates up for scoring chances. More times than not, he will choose to pass, waiting until his teammates have positioned themselves in front of the net. And his passes usually are right on the mark.
He loves to join the rush, especially through the neutral zone. Nemec’s strong stick-handling skills help him generate perfect offensive zone entries. A very confident decision maker, his self-assurance and high hockey IQ have helped him grow offensively.
Nemec excels in his own end of the ice. Once again, he uses his strong skating to be effective defensively. Nemec has excellent gap control, which forces the opposing team out of scoring areas. He utilizes his hockey IQ and impeccable vision to read plays well and effectively anticipate the competition’s next moves.
Not an overly physical player, he sometimes struggles against bigger opponents. Instead of big, Nemic is tenacious. He won’t let anyone get away from him scot-free. For a young player, he is mature, keeps his composure while battling hard along the boards and delivering crosschecks, stick checks, and is effective at stealing the puck with a good poke check.
Playing alongside men for three seasons has also allowed him to develop at an accelerated rate. It won’t be a surprise if he is NHL-ready post-draft or a year after.
Simon Nemec has been linked to the Seattle Kraken numerous times this offseason. While it is mainly speculation and will remain so until Francis announces his selection, it makes sense if Seattle wants to select a defenseman in the draft.
The Kraken are very heavy on right-handed defensemen at the moment. Adam Larsson and William Borgen were the only two rostered players who naturally play right-handed. These days several players in the league play on their off side and have done it well. However, having an R-L defensive pairing on the ice is much easier.
Players lose approximately a third of the ice playing on their off-hand. It is better, and often more strategic, to have players on their strong side. When playing under pressure, a player on their off-hand is more often than not forced to play on the backhand. Playing on the forehand gives them a significant advantage in changing the point of attack.
So, while the Seattle Kraken’s blueline showed they could be versatile and adapt to playing their off-hand. Adding a right-handed defenseman would be very beneficial and provide more balance. And, as is human nature, we want what we don’t have, automatically making it more valuable.
Simon Nemec is also not under contract for next season. He made it clear that he wants to make the transition to playing in North America in 2022-23. If the Seattle Kraken needed him, Nemec could immediately impact their roster. Playing in the Slovakia pro league against men will be a great advantage when transitioning to the AHL or NHL.
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