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New Jersey Devils: Nico Hischier’s Healthy, And That’s A Great Thing

By Nick Villano

NEWARK, NJ - APRIL 05: New Jersey Devils center Nico Hischier (13) skates during the third period of the National Hockey League Game between the New Jersey Devils and the Toronto Maple Leafs on April 5, 2018, at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
NEWARK, NJ - APRIL 05: New Jersey Devils center Nico Hischier (13) skates during the third period of the National Hockey League Game between the New Jersey Devils and the Toronto Maple Leafs on April 5, 2018, at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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The New Jersey Devils revealed in April that number-one overall pick Nico Hischier spent the second half of the season with a wrist injury. That’s why already seeing him on the ice is very good news.

Nico Hischier was a force to be reckoned with in his rookie year. No, he did not have the effect on the game that his linemate and MVP Taylor Hall did, but he was extremely effective. The New  Jersey Devils were extremely happy with how he grew throughout the season, and his second half numbers showed he could be even better the next season.

That’s what made some Devils fans worry when it came out that Hischier injured his wrist during the season. Is this something that could linger? Should we worry about Hischier dealing with injuries in the future? Was he really too small to play in the NHL at this point?

Well, Hischier made huge strides to alleviate fears for most fans. NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti (we miss you) reports that the Swiss forward is 100 percent healthy, and back on the ice. He’s practicing with Sweden’s SC Bern, one of the top teams in the country. The fact that doctors say he’s able to shoot the puck and stick handle is a big deal.

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I’m not going to overplay this, it wasn’t like Hischier needed surgery. He missed the IIHF World Championships with the injury, but time in the regular season was not in jeopardy. However, this could have been an injury that lingered if it wasn’t taken care of correctly.

The fact that Hischier is already back on the ice shows that this likely won’t be a problem. Training camp hasn’t even started, and Hischier is already training.

Hischier will be very important to the Devils this season. The fact that he’s starting it off on the right foot has to give fans hope that this season could be even better than last year. Hall can only get so much better. With Nico, the sky is the limit. In a perfect world he could double his points. It’s likely not going to happen, but you can’t say it’s impossible.

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