Summer blockbuster season has arrived in Calgary, with the Flames landing former No. 2 overall pick Simon Nemec and winger Maxim Tsyplakov in a major trade that signals a clear push to reshape both their present and future.
In return, Calgary sends a substantial package that includes a conditional 2027 first-round pick (VGK), a conditional 2028 first-round pick (COL), a 2026 second-round pick (NYR), and defenceman Etienne Morin. Both first-round selections are top-10 protected, giving the Flames some measure of insurance while still paying a steep price for two NHL-ready pieces.
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Nemec stands out as the headliner of the deal — a former second-overall pick still early in his career but already carrying meaningful NHL experience. The right-shot defenceman appeared in 68 games during the 2025-26 season, posting a career-high 26 points (11 goals, 15 assists) along with 26 penalty minutes. Over three NHL seasons since his debut in 2023-24, he has now played 155 games, steadily building confidence and offensive impact from the blue line.
Internationally, Nemec has been a key figure for Slovakia on the world stage. He represented his country at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics, recording two assists in six games as Slovakia finished just outside the medals in fourth place. That came after a bronze-medal run at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, marking two separate Olympic appearances before the age of 23.
His résumé stretches back into junior and international dominance. Nemec captained Slovakia at the 2021 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where he was named tournament MVP after posting six points. He followed that with a standout performance at the 2022 IIHF World Championship, setting a tournament record for the most points by an 18-year-old defenceman with six points in eight games.
Nemec is a right-shot defenceman from Liptovsky Mikulas, Slovakia, born February 15, 2004. He stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 190 pounds. Originally selected by the New Jersey Devils with the second overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, Nemec has quickly established himself as a young blueliner with significant NHL experience.
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The Flames also bring in Maxim Tsyplakov, a late-blooming winger whose path to the NHL has been far less conventional but no less impactful in terms of physical presence and versatility. In 126 NHL games split between the New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils, Tsyplakov has recorded 39 points, including 12 goals and 27 assists. He originally joined the Islanders as an undrafted free agent in 2024, quickly earning a regular role before being moved to New Jersey during the 2025-26 season, where he added 22 more games to his resume.
Before arriving in North America, Tsyplakov built an extensive professional foundation in Russia’s KHL, playing 327 games with Spartak Moscow and producing 121 points, including 63 goals and 58 assists. His game has translated into a heavy, north-south style that brings size and straight-line speed to an NHL lineup.
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