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Nico Hischier

Trade Deadline Primer: New Jersey Devils

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With the trade deadline now less than two weeks away, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks.  Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs?  Next up is a look at the New Jersey Devils.

It’s been quite a disappointing season for the New Jersey Devils who looked to be a contender before the season started. The team was planning to do everything it could to prove to soon-to-be free-agent Taylor Hall that they would be contenders. They struck the jackpot at the draft, netting top pick Jack Hughes and then traded for defenseman P.K. Subban and KHL star Nikita Gusev, while signing Wayne Simmonds as a free-agent. However, it all backfired as all of their offseason acquisitions have struggled and Hall, in the meantime, has been traded to Arizona, while general manager Ray Shero has been fired as well. With the team looking to undergo a rebuild, the team are extremely likely to move on from a number of players at the trade deadline.

Record

21-26-10, eighth in the Metropolitan Division

Deadline Status

Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$28.697MM in a full-season cap hit, 1/3 used salary cap retention slots, 45/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2020: NJ 1st, ARZ 1st*, NJ 4th, BOS 4th, NJ 5th, NJ 6th, NJ 7th
2021: NJ 1st, NJ 3rd, ARZ 3rd**, NJ 4th, NJ 5th, NJ 6th

* If Arizona’s pick falls in the top three, then the Devils will get Arizona’s 2021 first-round pick.
** The 2021 third-round pick is conditional and can upgrade into a second-round pick if Arizona wins a playoff round this year or if Taylor Hall re-signs with the Coyotes.

Trade Chips

The team isn’t overloaded with pending UFAs, but one name that is likely to garner significant attention is defenseman Sami Vatanen. The blueliner is in the final year of his contract and with the rate that defensemen are getting injured, Vatanen’s price could be rising. The 28-year-old may not post big offensive numbers, but he is a solid second-pairing defenseman, who is averaging 21:45 of ice time with the Devils and should be able to offer a significant upgrade to many playoff teams. Vatanen has five goals and 23 points, which is pretty good for the blueliner, but also adds some physicality with 80 hits already this year to go with 50 blocked shots. Unfortunately for the Devils, bad timing hits as well, as Vatanen was placed on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury on Thursday. However, he is eligible to come off whenever he is ready, so the team hopes he may be back on the ice on Sunday or soon thereafter, which shouldn’t limit his trade value.

The team also is likely to consider moving Simmonds, who signed just a one-year deal with the Devils, and could provide a team with some bottom-six depth. While his skills have declined significantly over the last few years, the 31-year-old still can give a playoff team some much-needed physicality, although his $5MM price tag could be a challenge for many playoff teams to take on, although New Jersey does have the cap space to retain half of Simmonds salary, making a $2.5MM contract more palatable. His leadership skills in the locker room shouldn’t be dismissed either. Simmonds has just seven goals and 23 points this season, but does have 120 hits this season.

Andy Greene’s $5MM expiring contract is another option for playoff teams looking for a veteran blueliner who could make a difference in the playoffs. Once again, the Devils could retain half his salary if needed, but even at $2.5MM, several teams may balk at that. However, despite already being 37 years old, Greene could give a team a top penalty killing blueliner and play between 20-22 minutes a game, making him a valuable commodity.

Five Players To Watch For: F Blake Coleman, D Andy Greene, F Kyle Palmieri, F Wayne Simmonds, D Sami Vatanen

Team Needs

1) Draft Picks: While the Hall trade brought back a first and a conditional third-round pick (which could become a second in 2021), the Devils moved several picks, including two second-rounders for Subban and a second and a third-rounder for Gusev, leaving the team that is looking to rebuild with a shortage of draft picks. That likely will be their top focus.

2) Young Players: The team is building around their two star centers in Nico Hischier and Hughes, so they need to find as many young players and prospects who can step in as soon as possible to hasten the team’s rebuild. Especially if the Devils trade off a number of their players, New Jersey will have to replace them as quickly as possible.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

East Notes: Muzzin, Flyers, Bogosian, Hischier

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are currently in discussion with pending unrestricted free-agent defenseman Jake Muzzin. However, with the team’s cap situation next season and the fact that their top two blueliners, Muzzin and Tyson Barrie, will both be UFAs this summer, it becomes quite an interesting negotiations.

In fact, The Athletic’s James Mirtle (subscription required) writes that the Maple Leafs have a challenging negotiations in front of them. While Muzzin is a local, the team has to consider his age before signing him as he will turn 31 next week and the team cannot afford to be loaded down with a player down the road with a long-term deal. Unfortunately, Mirtle writes that Muzzin isn’t signing with Toronto on a short-term deal and suggests that it likely would be a four to five-year pact at about $5MM.

If the team does sign him to a contract similar to that, it is important that Toronto signs him to a front-loaded contract, which might make him more attractive to other teams later in the deal, which might allow Toronto to move him later on in the deal if he doesn’t age well. That might be the best-case scenario for the franchise, according to Mirtle.

  • The Philadelphia Flyers are in an interesting position as the trade deadline nears. After falling to the Tampa Bay Lightning Saturday, the Flyers are now holding onto the last wild card playoff berth in the Eastern Conference. Yet, The Athletic’s Charlie O’Connor (subscription required) writes that the Flyers will be buyers no matter what at the trade deadline. Regardless, the team likely won’t be going after the big names on the market as the team lacks the cap space to do that and in reality, Philadelphia isn’t really a Stanley Cup contender just yet. Nor is the team ready to move a first-round pick for player either. However, O’Connor adds that the team is far more likely to add a lower-level target, most likely upgrading at the wing.
  • The Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski reports that while defenseman Zach Bogosian has cleared waivers and been assigned to the Rochester Americans of the AHL, Bogosian’s agent, Darren Ferris said the two will meet in the next couple days and to discuss his next step, which will include whether Bogosian accepts the assignment to Rochester. The injury-prone 29-year-old has only appeared in five AHL games in his career, back during the 2008-09 season and may not be too keen on returning there at this point in his career.
  • NHL.com’s Amanda Stein reports that there is a good chance that all-star center Nico Hischier could return to the team on Sunday. Hischier, who has been out of the lineup since Feb. 1 with a knee injury, would give the team a significant boost if ready to return. Hischier has 13 goals and 32 points in 46 games.

2020 NHL All-Star Skills Participants Announced

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Before Saturday’s All-Star Game three-on-three tournament, the NHL’s best will take the ice on Friday night in the annual All-Star Skills event. There has been considerable hype around this year’s competition, given both the new “Shooting Stars” event, in which players will fire the puck at targets on the ice from platforms in the stands, and the participation of stars from the women’s game, including their own three-on-three scrimmage. Now, the league has announced who specifically will be taking part in each event, both new and classic. Below is the lineup for each event:

Fastest Skater

Jack Eichel, Buffalo Sabres
Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche
Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
Mathew Barzal, New York Islanders
Chris Kreider, New York Rangers
Anthony Duclair, Ottawa Senators
Travis Konecny, Philadelphia Flyers
Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks

Save Streak

David Rittich, Calgary Flames
Tristan Jarry, Pittsburgh Penguins
Jordan Binnington, St. Louis Blues
Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning
Frederik Andersen, Toronto Maple Leafs
Jacob Markstrom, Vancouver Canucks
Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals
Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets

Accuracy Shooting

Jaccob Slavin, Carolina Hurricanes
Tyler Bertuzzi, Detroit Red Wings
Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers
Jonathan Huberdeau, Florida Panthers
Nico Hischier, New Jersey Devils
Tomas Hertl, San Jose Sharks
Alex Pietrangelo, St. Louis Blues
Mark Scheifele, Winnipeg Jets

Hardest Shot

Mark Giordano, Calgary Flames
Seth Jones, Columbus Blue Jackets
Shea Weber, Montreal Canadiens
Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning
Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks
John Carlson, Washington Capitals

Shooting Stars

David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins
Matthew Tkachuk, Calgary Flames
Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks
Tyler Seguin, Dallas Stars
Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa Senators
David Perron, St. Louis Blues
Ryan O’Reilly, St. Louis Blues
Mitch Marner, Toronto Maple Leafs
American Women’s Elite All-Star (TBD)
Canadian Women’s Elite All-Star (TBD)

Women’s Three-On-Three

Team Canada: Meghan Agosta, Mélodie Daoust, Ann-Renée Desbiens, Renata Fast, Laura Fortino, Rebecca Johnston, Sarah Nurse, Marie-Philip Poulin, Natalie Spooner, Blayre Turnbull

Team USA: Kacey Bellamy, Alex Carpenter, Kendall Coyne Schofield, Brianna Decker, Amanda Kessel, Hilary Knight, Jocelyn Lamoureux-Davidson, Annie Pankowski, Alex Rigsby Cavallini, Lee Stecklein

All the action kicks off at 7:00pm local time in St. Louis, with coverage from NBCSN in the U.S and CBC, SN, and TVAS in Canada.

Snapshots: Crosby, Hischier, Sandin

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The Pittsburgh Penguins were 10-6-1 after winning the last game Sidney Crosby played this season, back in the early part of November. When the captain went down to core muscle surgery he had been putting off since training camp, many wondered how the team—with several other key players already on the sideline—would stay in the playoff race.

Not only did the Penguins stay in the race, but they ended up going 18-6-4 without Crosby and now are about to get their captain back while sitting firmly in a playoff position. Crosby will make his return to the lineup against the Minnesota Wild and try to continue his point-per-game pace. If he does, it would be the 15th consecutive season that Crosby reaches that milestone.

  • Nico Hischier may not get the kind of press that other first-overall draft picks do, but he is still having a strong start to his career. After scoring 52 and 47 points in each of his first two seasons, Hischier is on pace for a new career-high this year. That play has been rewarded, as the 21-year old center will replace Kyle Palmieri at the upcoming All-Star game as the representative from the New Jersey Devils. Palmieri will miss the game with a foot injury.
  • With Rasmus Sandin taking over for Morgan Rielly in the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup tonight, the young defenseman will get another game closer to burning the first year of his entry-level deal. Sandin will play in his seventh NHL contest tonight; when he plays in ten his deal will kick in and have him on track to become a restricted free agent in 2022.

Minor Transactions: 12/10/19

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The NHL already saw a coach fired for unprofessional conduct this morning and now prepares for a busy evening with 12 games on the schedule. There’s no slowing down as we head into the middle of December. As teams prepare for all the action, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves.

  • Mason Appleton has been reassigned by the Winnipeg Jets as they get set to take on the Detroit Red Wings tonight. The 23-year old forward has played in nine games for the team, but will now return to the AHL where he spent much of the last two seasons.
  • With Nico Hischier still sick, he has been placed on injured reserve in order to recall Michael McLeod from the minor leagues. The New Jersey Devils’ center’s designation is retroactive to December 5th, meaning he can come off as soon as he’s healthy enough to return.
  • The Colorado Avalanche have returned Adam Werner to the minor leagues, meaning Philipp Grubauer must be healthy enough to return to action. The Avalanche relied on Werner earlier this season as an emergency fill-in, but his place is in the AHL at this point in his career.
  • Just like most of the other days this season, Cory Conacher has been flipped by the Tampa Bay Lightning–this time to the AHL. Conacher has been bounced back and forth all year, but this move is a little more interesting thanks to the presence of Mitchell Stephens. After making his debut last night, Stephens will stay on the roster for the time being.
  • Speaking of debuts, the Calgary Flames have recalled Matthew Phillips from the minor leagues and will insert him into the lineup tonight against the Arizona Coyotes. Phillips is one of the AHL’s most dynamic offensive weapons this season, but stands just 5’8″ 160-lbs.

Five Key Stories: 10/14/19 – 10/20/19

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While there was a consistent flow of trade rumors this week, no team pulled the trigger on a big move. That’s not to say there weren’t several additions, as well as subtractions, this week, as a big extension, a free agent signing, a suspension, an injury, and a coaching staff change are the stories of the week:

Hischier Extended Seven Years: The New Jersey Devils may be off to a surprisingly rough start to the season, but young centerpiece Nico Hischier remains a bright spot for the team. A timely source of good news for a disappointed fan base, the Devils announced a seven-year, $50.75MM extension. The new $7.25MM cap hit for the 2017 first overall pick is hardly an overpay so long as the talented center continues to develop. Especially in light of a increasingly higher salary cap ceiling, the new deal could be a bargain for New Jersey, particularly toward the end of the contract.

Panthers Add Boyle: Respected veteran forward Brian Boyle was a surprise omission from this summer’s list of free agent signings, but the Florida Panthers recognized a need in their bottom six and addressed it with a one-year deal for the two-way ace. Boyle actually enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career last year and has been a highly valuable hired gun late in his career. An affordable addition of experience and ability, Boyle could prove to be a key signing by Florida. The Philadelphia Flyers made a similar addition, signing Chris Stewart to a one-year deal.

Zykov Suspended 20 Games: Young Vegas Golden Knights forward Valentin Zykov will be out of the lineup for some time, as the NHL announced a 20-game suspension as a result of a failed drug test. Zykov reportedly violated the joint Performance Enhancing Substances Program and as a result will sit until late November. While the Golden Knights claim Zykov admitted to taking an illegal substance, the player continues to state that he is unaware of how he failed the drug test.

Hjarlmarsson Out Three Months: Niklas Hjalmarsson’s penchant for shot blocking has cost him, as the Arizona Coyotes defenseman will miss an anticipated three months with a cracked fibula in his left leg. One of the more dependable defensive blue liners in the NHL, Hjalmarsson’s loss is a major blow for the ‘Yotes. The injury has sparked trade rumors in the desert, as Arizona was already off to a shaky start before losing one of their top players. Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares was another big-name injury this week, out two weeks with a broken finger.

Fitzgerald Joins Devils’ Bench: Considered by many to be the most improved team in the league heading into this season, the New Jersey Devils have not gotten off to the start than most expected. Head coach John Hynes is on the hot seat and the organization wants a closer look at the situation in the locker room. Assistant GM Tom Fitzgerald will add assistant coach to his list of responsibilities for the time being, joining Hynes’ staff. It could be a sign of things to come for New Jersey if they don’t turn things around soon.

Metropolitan Notes: Hischier, Barzal, Murray

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Nico Hischier has been impressive in his first two years in the league since being drafted first-overall in 2017. However, while those numbers have been solid, they haven’t been exceptional either with a 20-goal rookie season the highlight of his career so far. That might make it look like the New Jersey Devils would have preferred to sign a bridge deal with their young prospect, which might give the team more flexibility in the short-term.

However, Chris Ryan of NJ.com writes that both sides made it clear to each other they both wanted a long-term deal, which is what he got in the end when Hischier signed a seven-year, $50.75MM contract on Friday. The 20-year-old made it quite clear that he wanted to stay in a Devils’ uniform and made it clear that signing an extension was a top priority.

“I felt really welcomed since day one here. I was really happy, was treated well,” Hischier said. “They give me the confidence a player needs. So I had no reason why I wouldn’t want to stay here. I was happy they felt the same way, so there wasn’t a lot of back and forth.”

Obviously, if Hischier continues to improve on his game, the $7.25MM AAV could end up being a bargain.

  • Speaking of Hischier’s contract, one person who took note of the deal was New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal, who has been watching numerous pending restricted free agents already sign long-term deals. Barzal, represented by CAA’s Pat Brisson, will be a restricted free agent this summer, but so far has not signed an extension yet. Barzal says that while he’s noted the RFA signings, he isn’t worried about his contract, according to Newsday’s Andrew Gross. “At this point, it’s really just between my agent and Lou [Lamoriello] right now,” Barzal said. “I don’t talk to Lou about contract stuff. If it happens in the next two months or if it happens in June, it doesn’t really matter to me. I’m just focused on the season right now. “It’s something that eventually is going to happen,” Barzal added. I’m pretty good at just kind of pushing that stuff aside and just worrying about what’s going on right now.” While Hischier walked out with a $7.25MM AAV, Barzal could be getting something even higher, with Gross suggesting he could command a comparable contract to the one that Colorado Avalanche’s Mikko Rantanen signed this summer (six years at $55.5MM, a $9.25MM AAV).
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets were without defenseman Ryan Murray Saturday and will remain day-to-day with an upper-body injury after being injured in Friday’s loss to the Chicago Blackhawks, according to the team. Murray left the game in the third period, playing only one shift and missing the final 17 minutes of the game. The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline reports it’s not considered to be a serious injury. Dean Kukan came in to replace him in the lineup.

New Jersey Devils Extend Nico Hischier

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The New Jersey Devils have extended one of their key forwards, but unfortunately it’s not Taylor Hall. The team has reached a seven-year extension with Nico Hischier that will carry an average annual value of $7.25MM. Hischier is in the final year of his entry-level contract and scheduled for restricted free agency next summer. Chris Johnston of Sportsnet and PuckPedia provide the full breakdown:

  • 2020-21: $4.0MM salary + $3.0MM signing bonus
  • 2021-22: $7.25MM salary
  • 2022-23: $4.5MM salary
  • 2023-24: $7.75MM salary
  • 2024-25: $7.75MM salary + 10-team no-trade clause
  • 2025-26: $8.0MM salary +10-team no-trade clause
  • 2026-27: $8.5MM salary +10-team no-trade clause

The first-overall pick from 2017, Hischier stepped directly into the NHL and had immediate success on a Devils team that shocked many by making the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. Scoring 52 points he trailed only Hart Trophy-winner Taylor Hall for the team lead, but actually finished seventh in Calder Trophy voting thanks to an impressive rookie class (Mathew Barzal and his 85-point season took home the award).

While his sophomore season was marred by injury and he’s already been banged up this year, Hischier hasn’t disappointed fans in New Jersey that saw him as a rock-solid two-way center in his draft class. Slotting him in along with Jack Hughes as the team’s top-two pivots for years is the basis of a very good forward group, even if it’s not paying off so far this season.

After a summer which saw several star restricted free agents miss part of training camp and the preseason, teams are locking up their young names even quicker this time around. Hischier joins names like Alex DeBrincat, Clayton Keller and Thomas Chabot signing long-term deals well before they hit the open market.

Because he hit the NHL so young, a seven-year extension actually buys out three UFA seasons for Hischier, keeping him at a reasonable price for the Devils to work with. While his offensive totals haven’t quite popped off the page so far, his underlying numbers and defensive ability make for a very valuable player.

For the Devils, who desperately want to extend Hall if they can before he hits unrestricted free agency, getting Hischier done now gives them a ton of cost-certainty moving forward. Hughes won’t need an extension for another few seasons, while P.K. Subban and Damon Severson are locked in through at least the 2021-22 season.

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic was first to break news of the deal.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Eastern Notes: Hischier, Van Riemsdyk, Ladd, Miller

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With teams trying to get a jump on their 2020 restricted free agents, another team has started negotiations with one of their players. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun (subscription required) writes in his notebook that the New Jersey Devils have started negotiations with center Nico Hischier. While the talks are preliminary so far, it’s a good sign the team wants to tackle the negotiations early as opposed to having it affect their training camp or a potential holdout of the 2020-21 season.

Hischier, the first-overall pick in the 2017 draft, has been a key piece to the Devils team the last two years. He put up a solid rookie campaign as an 18-year-old, scoring 20 goals for a total of 52 points. Despite missing 13 games last season, his numbers were solid as well, putting up 17 goals and 47 points and has established himself as a reliable top-six player who is currently centering the top line. Whether he will remain the top-line center or move to the second line once 2019 first-overall pick Jack Hughes establishes himself is unknown, but it gives the Devils two elite centers to build around.

  • The Carolina Hurricanes got some news on the health of veteran defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk, who is still recovering from shoulder surgery in early May, is getting closer to a return, according to News-Observer’s Chip Alexander. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour said he expects van Riemsdyk to return “soon,” but isn’t ready to refer to him as day-to-day either. “He’s definitely getting closer,” said Brind’Amour. The 28-year-old played 78 games for the Hurricanes last year.
  • New York Islanders head coach Barry Trotz said that veteran forward Andrew Ladd practiced Saturday and will continue to practice with the team in a non-contact jersey for a while, according to Newsday’s Andrew Gross. The Islanders intend to protect the 33-year-old from injury from the torn ACL injury he sustained in March and isn’t expected back until November. Ladd only played 26 games for the team last season and only produced 12 goals the year before. Ladd still has three more years on his contract after this one at $5.5MM AAV.
  • New York Rangers prospect K’Andre Miller, the team’s 22nd-overall pick in the 2018 draft, was suspended by the University of Wisconsin hockey team for a violation of team rules, according to Wisconsin State Journal’s Todd Milewski. No word on how long the suspension is for or whether he will miss the season opener on Friday against No. 11 Boston College, but associate head coach Mark Osiecki said that Miller was still with the team and involved in off-ice workouts. He is not practicing with the team at the moment. The blueliner scored five goals and 22 points in 26 games last season as a freshman with the Badgers.

New Jersey Devils Select Jack Hughes First Overall

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Kaapo Kakko pushed to be selected first in this year’s NHL Entry Draft more than many expected, but in the end the initial presumptive top overall pick claimed the mantle. American center Jack Hughes was selected first overall by the New Jersey Devils and GM Ray Shero. This is the second time in three years that the Devils have won the NHL Draft Lottery and selected first overall and the second time they have used the pick on a center, taking Nico Hischier in 2017.

When Hischier was selected, it was a come-from-behind story, as the Swiss pivot passed up long-anticipated top prospect Nolan Patrick for the honor. This year was the opposite story, as Hughes held off a push from Kakko as both players excelled in their respective seasons and on the international stage. Hughes set records for the U.S. National Team Development Program during his 112-point season, while also chipping in a whopping 20 points in seven games at the U-18 World Juniors, four points in four games at the U-20 World Juniors, and holding his own against NHL competition with three points in seven games at the recent World Championships.

At the end of the day, centers hold a premium over wingers and Hughes in particular is a special talent at the position. His skating, evasiveness, puck possession, and play-making are all elite for his age and he will likely grow into a perennial All-Star given his ability to control pace and create offense. The Devils are in great shape down the middle with Hughes and Hischier in the fold for a long time to come.

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