Simon Nemec is a mobile two-way and highly-intelligent Slovak blueliner with all the makings of an elite top pairing defenseman. The standout in his game is his poise and confidence with the puck on his stick and how that is able to fuel his advanced playmaking game. He’s a heads-up player at the offensive blue line, constantly surveying the offensive zone with his head on a swivel when the puck is on his stick to identify where teammates and potential offensive threats are. He’s a smooth skater who is able to walk the line and use his legs to activate from the point when the puck is on his stick, allowing him to open up passing and shooting lanes with his mobility as well as making opposing checkers bite with his hands and shoulder fakes. His offensive vision is excellent, as he’s capable of finding teammates with cross-ice passes to set up one-time opportunities and can feed teammates in the slot when handling the puck along the boards. He’s a crisp and accurate passer who can deliver passes on the tape with purpose, as well as being capable of making soft finesse passes off both his forehand and backhand. He is also a more than capable puck-mover, as when he’s working at his best his mobility, vision, and passing ability all combine to allow him to move pucks to teammates to start the breakout or move pucks himself. He’s a capable defender who owns a good stick to breakup opposing rushes when defending in transition and he’s generally well-positioned when defending in his own zone. In order to maximize his potential, Nemec will need to continue to work on his consistency in his reads to trim out some defensive turnovers out of his game, as well as show more growth in his strength and physicality.

– FCHockey’s 2022 NHL Draft Guide