The latest update by New Jersey Devils Injury creates an unexpected opening for Simon Nemec

The 2024-25 New Jersey Devils season could be officially over, but unfortunately the team's long-standing fight with a rash of injuries is not.

Defender Johnathan Kovacevic said on Thursday that he would ask for a knee operation to correct an injury in game 3 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against Carolina Hurricanes, and is currently not expected to be ready for the beginning of the 2025-26 season.

The devils are most likely a defender to start next season, and the jury is still not in the upcoming RFA Luke Hughes, who did not speak on Thursday during the exit interview and whose injury status is still unknown.

What does that mean for the future devil? Well, it means that head coach Sheldon Keefe and Co. fall back on some ideas you have already used. This means that former No. 2 Simon Nemec fits back into the line -up and throws it back into the wolves.

Simon Nemec got a great chance with the devils

Simon Nemec started the Playoffs 2025 Stanley Cup on the bench and ended her as the most impressive defender of the devils. At both ends of the ice.

Keefe commissioned Nemec in game 2 a place in the line-up, and the 21-year-old never looked back. After a first game in which he scored a penalty and only played 14:12, Nemec rose in game 3 on the occasion, tore five goals and scored a dramatic overtime winner to enlarge his first point in the season as a devil.

With this goal, Nemec was the second youngest defender at the age of 21 and 69, who achieved an overtime destination in the Stanley Cup playoffs by NHL PR and Andrei Zyuzin (20 years, 97 days, 1998) has had less than a month.

Simon Nemec wins it in double OT !! 😱

His first #Stanleycup Playoff's goal is that @Energizer Overtime winner! pic.twitter.com/ictuqdhtue

– NHL (@NHL) April 26, 2025

After this game, Nemec said that his “self -confidence” was what is the key to a young player like him, especially if he meets the high expectations. His returned trust was tangible and was also reflected in the statistics.

In game 5, Nemec received a crucial main assistant for Stefan Noesen's first goal of bringing New Jersey 3-0 and playing 27:57, a row of devils.

We have no chance in this series and we would with the injuries we had in defense [Nemec] Doesn't increase in the way he did, ”Keefe said after the loss of game 5 with double crossings. And he is right.

Overall, Nemec ended his first playoff rodeo with a goal and an assist in four games, a +3 plus minus rating and six goals, while she scored an average of 20:40 ICE time.

Although Nemec had the youngest player in the squad of a team and the hurricanes in all situations, he directed all Devils defensive (at least 60 minutes of ice age) in 5-on-5-Korsi percentage at 44.78%per natural statistics trick.

In addition, the Devils exceeded the Hurricanes with Nemec on the ice with 5-to-5 with 3-0, and that is that Nemec only begins its shift in the offensive zone five times.

As a reference, Jonas Siegenthaler, who only played four minutes in the series as a Nemec with 5 against 5, had 14 offensive zone starts and he is not a guy who is known for his offensive.

An injury outside the season and a change of coach had the 2024-25 season on the wrong foot, but suddenly the opportunity knocks on its door.

The Slovakian ended its turbulent season in the second year to play one of the best hockey of his career, and now has another opportunity to force itself to set up knee injury to Kovacevic's knee injury.

Nemec and Kovacevic were also in the last training camp in the direct competition for a duty roster. Whatever happens next is at Nemec. The overall election of 2022 No. 2 will be a limited free agent at the end of the 2025-26 season.