Nemec said he spoke with Flames coach Ryan Huska two or three times about his potential role and he’s looking forward to showing what he can do in training camp.

“They know that I can play more, and I can be a better player with that,” Nemec said. “So, (Huska) just told me to be prepared for this.”

That includes the chance to skate more on the power play that Nemec coveted. He had one goal and one assist in his limited time on the man-advantage last season.

“I want to be on the No. 1 power play,” Nemec said. “I think Calgary can offer me that. I need to fight for that, but I will be ready for it. … We were three guys in New Jersey. We all wanted to play first power play, and it didn’t work well for me. I think in Calgary I can show that I can be a No. 1 power-play guy.”

Nemec demonstrated his offensive skill by scoring 10 even-strength goals last season, which was most among Devils defensemen. His three overtime goals tied Evan Bouchard of the Edmonton Oilers for first in the NHL at his position and were one short of the single-season record by a defenseman shared by Shayne Gostisbehere (2015-16) and Scott Niedermayer (2001-02).

Nemec completed his first NHL hat trick with an overtime goal in a 4-3 victory against the Chicago Blackhawks on Nov. 12.

“Maybe luck, maybe some skill,” Nemec said of his overtime success. “The 3-on-3 is always 50-50, but in New Jersey, we had unreal team (9-2 in overtime) … We just didn’t give them the puck and if you have the puck, it’s always easier. I was in great spots, and I found that spot and my teammates made a great plays and I just scored.”

Nemec believes he also showed his potential playing for Slovakia at the 2026 Winter Olympics, where he had two assists in six games. Although disappointed that Slovakia finished fourth after winning its group during the preliminary round, Nemec took a positive perspective from playing in the first Olympics to include NHL players since the 2014 Sochi Games.

“That I can play against every guy in the world, and I can play good hockey against them,” he said. “And also, that a small country like us, playing together and playing for something, we can do huge things. We almost won a bronze medal. At the end of the day, no one’s going to ask who finished fourth, but now it’s a good memory.”

Nemec hopes those games against the best players in the world will help him as he tries to take the next step in his NHL career with the Flames.

“Maybe that’s why Calgary traded for me because they watched the Olympics, and they saw like, ‘This guy can do it and we can give him that opportunity,'” he said. “And I feel like now it’s up to me how I’m going to handle it.”