New Jersey Devils notes: On Nemec's strong play, Hischier's impact, and more

David Mudrak dives into Nemec's play since being recalled, Hischier's two-way impact, and the Devils turning a corner.

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By David Mudrak (@MuddyOpinions)

Although a couple of duds were mixed in, December has brought enjoyable hockey. The New Jersey Devils have won four out of six games - including a thrilling one over the third-place Boston Bruins.

With the annoying scheduling persisting (another back-to-back incoming), there was a bit of a lull in game action prior to this post.

Instead of reflecting on previous games, let’s look over a few positive areas of interest regarding the team over the last week and change. 

Simon Nemec shining

Although Nemec has a strong draft pedigree, and was clearly considered a highly talented player, he has far exceeded expectations by stepping directly into top pair responsibilities. 

Nemec is an excellent defenseman. Not excellent for a rookie, or excellent for a nineteen-year-old, or excellent for an injury replacement - he has simply been excellent.

He is averaging 21 minutes a game. Usually, defensemen must be slowly brought up to speed in the NHL with a sheltered role that results in limited minutes. Nemec has been thrown right into the fires of the league, picking up time in every game state and having nearly an even split between offensive and defensive zone starts.

Nemec is not being sheltered, and it is clear that he does not need to be. He has more than held his own, putting up three points and posting a 56.13 CF% over his first six games. 

And yet, these numbers do not capture how incredible Nemec has been. His talent stands out because of the many small but brilliant plays he has made. These moments do not often show up in statistics, but they do suggest that Nemec is likely a special player that will continue to blossom over the next few years. 

One such moment occurred during the game against the resurgent Edmonton Oilers on December 10th. Nemec began hard backward skating to create separation from a forechecking Oiler to cleanly receive a pass from his defensive partner and to give himself enough space to complete a beautiful bank pass off the far boards, resulting not only in a successful breakout but also a zone entry.

This play demonstrates that Nemec can think through multiple variables quickly and stitch together a series of short choices that produce a simple but great play. It was a play that will never show up on a highlight reel, but it helps win games by swiftly getting the puck into the other zone and capitalizing on the rush abilities of the team. 

Furthermore, Nemec was involved in many small plays that disrupted incredibly talented players on opposing teams, such as Connor McDavid or Brad Marchand. An early play against Marchand on the December 13th game was relatively simple. Nemec perfectly timed his pressure on Marchand so that he could not complete a shot he was already committed to, allowing Nemec to dislodge and steal it from him. Nemec is denying some of the best players in the league one-on-one. 

Nemec has shown these small details in the big moments, too. For his first goal, scored against the Seattle Kraken on December 8th, Nemec knew when to pinch and enter the play.

More impressively, and what makes Nemec special, he knew that a simple pinch was not enough, so he shifted his path down into the zone to the left, placing him between the defensive coverage collapsing to him and giving him enough space to get a good shot off.

Nemec is gifted both defensively and offensively, and it will be extremely exciting to watch him for many years to come. 

Hischier a true captain