When Calgary paid a steep price to land Simon Nemec, it was a clear sign of how far Craig Conroy is willing to go in building this roster from the back end forward.
The Flames general manager has already made one big move in net, sending Jacob Markstrom to New Jersey in a 2024 trade that opened the door for Dustin Wolf to take over full-time NHL duty. He also used the 2024 draft to grab Zayne Parekh ninth overall, adding one of the OHL’s most prolific offensive defensemen in decades. Now Calgary has doubled down on that idea by bringing in another young blueline talent with real upside.
On June 23, 2026, the Flames acquired Nemec and Maxim Tsyplakov from the Devils in exchange for Etienne Morin, a 2026 second-round pick, a 2027 first-round pick and a 2028 first-round pick.
Nemec arrives with a resume that already stands out. The 22-year-old was drafted second overall by New Jersey in 2022, one pick after Montreal took Juraj Slafkovsky.
Since then, he’s put together two full years of pro hockey in Slovakia, appeared in two Olympics, won bronze in 2022 and piled up 155 NHL games. The offensive instincts are real, and the Flames are betting those skills can blossom in the right environment.
That environment never fully materialized in New Jersey. The Devils already had Dougie Hamilton on the roster when Nemec was drafted, and Luke Hughes soon added another high-end offensive option on the blue line.
Hughes, taken fourth overall in 2021, reached the NHL roster late in 2022-23 after two seasons at the University of Michigan and quickly settled in. With Hamilton established, Hughes ascending and Nemec still needing some polish, the logjam left Nemec in limbo.
Calgary is a different story. There simply aren’t as many established offensive defensemen ahead of him, which is why the case for his upside looks so much cleaner now. The Flames are not just giving him a chance; they’re building around the idea that he can become more than he showed in New Jersey.
So what should his first season in Calgary look like? For one thing, a lot of ice time appears to be coming his way.
Nemec has talked in recent interviews, including during the European Player Media Tour, about his conversations with head coach Ryan Huska and his own push to handle more minutes in every situation. He’s even taken up biking to improve his cardio.
He’s also aiming for top-unit power play time, though it remains to be seen whether he rotates with Parekh or joins him there.
That’s the bet Calgary is making: a 22-year-old with a lot of runway, a hefty contract and the kind of offensive upside that could look enormous if it clicks. The Flames have clearly decided to give him every opportunity to reach it.
If Nemec grows into that ceiling and builds chemistry with Parekh, Carson Carels and Kevin Bahl, the payoff could be huge.
In Other News...
Craig Conroys Early Flames Trade Record Already Raises One Concern
Craig Conroys first run of significant moves as Flames general manager has been closely watched because they touched some of the biggest names on the roster and helped set the tone for where Calgary is headed next. The reviews have not been uniformly harsh, but they have not been especially flattering either, with the early returns on deals involving Chris Tanev, Noah Hanifin and Nikita Okhotiuk drawing mixed grades depending on what the Flames ultimately get from the players and picks coming back.
The Tanev move in particular feels like the kind of transaction that will keep being debated in Calgary, since the value package has to be weighed against what the veteran defender still brings. The Hanifin deal is still in wait-and-see mode because the prospect side of the return has to develop before anyone can fairly judge it, while the Okhotiuk trade has already turned into a cautionary note after only a brief stop in Calgary before he moved on. [Read more 🡒]
Zayne Parekh Is Showing Why Flames Fans Should Be Excited Again
Zayne Parekhs first pro season came with some growing pains, and those challenges showed up in both his confidence and the way he played. But heading toward training camp, Flames general manager Craig Conroy says the young defenceman looks far more comfortable now, carrying himself with more ease after a stretch of recent strong performances that included a notable goal in the American League.
For Calgary, that matters because Parekh is still one of the organizations most intriguing prospects, and the organization wants to see his game travel with him when the next level gets serious again. Conroy has seen enough lately to believe the reset is taking hold, and the real test will come once camp opens and Parekh has to show that the confidence hes rediscovered can hold up under NHL pressure. [Read more 🡒]
Craig Conroy Once Challenged Darryl Sutter And Paid For It
Craig Conroy has spent years around the Flames as a player, executive and now general manager, but one of the more revealing stories from his playing days was a reminder that he was never shy about speaking his mind. On the Spittin Chiclets podcast, Conroy recounted a moment when he pushed back on Darryl Sutter after the coach was criticizing players without, in Conroys view, offering much help in return.
The exchange came with a cost in the moment, as Conroy found himself out of the lineup for the rest of that game. But the relationship did not stay there, and the two eventually moved past it, with Conroy back in the mix the next night and logging significant minutes against Edmonton, a small but telling snapshot of the blunt, old-school dynamic that has long surrounded both men. [Read more 🡒]