The New Jersey Devils had three offer-sheet eligible players on July 1, but Simon Nemec is the one who could force another team to make the boldest move. The 22-year-old defenseman, a former second overall pick in 2022, is viewed as a player with top-four puck-moving defenseman potential and an outside chance to grow into a top-pair blueliner.

That profile is why Nemec keeps surfacing in discussion around a long-term offer sheet. One assessment put it plainly: if any of the three eligible Devils players would make a rival general manager think twice, it is Nemec. An opposing GM could push the number into the $9 million-plus range, a level that would leave New Jersey with only a first-, second- and third-round pick as compensation.

Nemec’s value is tied to what he showed on the ice this season. He scored 11 goals and finished with 26 points, and the article says he made strides in the 2025-26 season while showing poise at the 2026 Winter Olympics. That offensive jump matters because it adds to an already appealing skill set for a young right-shot defenseman who can move the puck and drive play.

There is still a clear catch. The same evaluation that praises his upside also says Nemec struggled defensively according to analytics. That is the tension for any team considering whether to make an aggressive play: the ceiling is high, but the floor is not yet secure.

Offer sheets remain rare and dramatic, which is part of why Nemec’s name stands out now. They have become a bigger talking point since the St. Louis Blues successfully poached Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg from the Edmonton Oilers with offer sheets two summers ago, a reminder that the mechanism is not just theory. It can change a roster if a rival is willing to gamble on both the player and the compensation.

Nemec is not the only Devils player eligible for that kind of attention. Arseny Gritsyuk and Paul Cotter are also on the list, but the highest-end talent is the defenseman with the former No. 2 draft pedigree. New Jersey has reason to hope that pedigree, his age and his recent progress are enough to keep others from testing the market too hard. If they are not, the Devils could be forced to decide whether a young blue-liner with real upside is worth more than the draft capital they would get back.