Pat Pickens
It’s very hard to believe nine years has passed since the New Jersey Devils took Nico Hischier with the No. 1 pick in the 2017 NHL Draft.
It’s even harder to believe Hischier is already in the top-20 in games played in Devils history, despite the fact he has just one Stanley Cup Playoff series win to his credit.
But the Devils captain crossed the 600-game threshold in New Jersey’s 5-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday night.
“Everybody plays for each other in here,” Hischier said. “Obviously, I wanted to win, and I know everyone in here wanted to win here too.”
Hischier already is 19th on the Devils’ all-time games played list, despite the fact he is still only 10 months from his 30th birthday. He is quietly having another spectacular year by leading the Devils in goals (26) and is third on the team in points (58) with nine games to play.
Nico Hischier is Already a Devils All-Time Great Through 600 Games
He may fly under the radar, league-wide, and even in New Jersey. But through 600 games, Hischier is well on his way to having his number hang from the rafters at Prudential Center — and any potential future buildings in which the Devils play.
Hischier is four points behind Scott Gomez for sixth on the Devils’ all-time points list and already ranks fifth on the Devils’ all-time goals list with 197. With a hot finish he can hop into sole possession of third, since Travis Zajac and Bobby Holik share that mark with 202 goals in a Devils uniform.
If Hischier did surpass Zajac and Holik, or even pull even with them, it would mean he reached his third 30-goal season and second in row under Devils coach Sheldon Keefe. Keefe understands what an accomplishment that would be, especially with the defensive load Hischier carries each night.
“I don’t give Nico Hischier a lot of easy shifts,” Keefe said Sunday. “He picks up a lot of slack in areas where we need him to take on extra duty for our team.
“To have numbers like that and still be producing offense, is pretty tremendous.”
Hischier often takes second billing behind superstar center Jack Hughes. But even the Devils’ record holder for single-season points can appreciate Hischier’s accomplishment.
“He’s well on his way to 1,000 [games]. I think 1,000 is the big number, right?” Hughes said of Hischier. “But he’s so young, and already at 600 games, he’s just gotta keep going and he’s going to have a great career.”
The Devils Would be Wise to Lock In Nico Hischier After This Season
Hischier is eligible for a contract extension July 1, and locking in the New Jersey captain should be priority No. 1 of this offseason — on par with hiring a coach and/or general manager if the Harris/Blitzer ownership group decide to make a change.
Hischier is the key to any future success the Devils will have, even more so than Hughes. Hughes has shown himself to be an integral player, since the past two seasons have ended prematurely due to an injury to No. 86, but the Devils won’t sniff the Cup without Hischier’s two-way game.
Not re-signing Hischier would be one of the first signs of a roster teardown that few Devils fan can stomach based on how tantalizing this core’s potential is. The group, headlined by Hischier and Hughes, may not ultimately win anything but the first-round series over the New York Rangers in 2023, but management should keep giving it a chance to.
But Hischier has to want to stay too. For what it’s worth, he is talking like a player who wants to keep wearing No. 13 in New Jersey for years to come.
“I’m extremely grateful for [playing 600 games with the Devils],” Hischier said. “It kind of goes fast, to be honest. But I’m grateful to hit that milestone and hopefully have many more to come.”
