The New Jersey Devils selected Slovakian defenseman Simon Nemec with the second-overall pick in the first round of the NHL draft Thursday night.

Nemec is a right-handed shot.

"It says a lot that not only did he play in the World Championship, but he was on the PP and 6-on-5 when they needed a goal," Devils chief scout Mark Dennehy said to NHL.com. "Right shot D are difficult to get. We got a good one."

The Flyers took leftwing Cutter Gauthier at No. 5. The only other neighboring team with a first-round pick was the New York Islanders, who instead sent it to Montreal for defenseman Alexander Romanov in a draft night trade.