5 New Jersey Devils Players Who Could Help Playoff Teams Now
By Nick Villano
Nico Hischier to the Penguins
The New Jersey Devils only got a few games of Nico Hischier this season. After dealing with a partially broken leg, a bout with COVID-19, and a facial fracture after getting hit with a deflected shot, Hischier only played 21 games this season. Now, he’s on his way to represent Switzerland in the World Championships along with teammate Jonas Siegenthaler.
What if he could stay in North America and instead go for a World Championship, he could go for the Stanley Cup? He would obviously choose to stay here and try and win the ultimate prize in sports.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are currently down 1-0 after losing to the Islanders in overtime on Sunday. Sidney Crosby had a great game, but in overtime, the Penguins couldn’t find the winning goal. They added Jeff Carter and Kasperi Kapanen in the past year, and they had an impact on the game. They didn’t have the kind of impact Palmieri had, who opened the scoring and also ended the game with an overtime goal.
Hischier would provide that stat second-line center while Evgeni Malkin is injured. Malkin is dealing with a lower-body injury, and it’s not clear when he could return. Hischier would take that second-line role immediately, and if Malkin does come back, Hischier would do great between Jason Zucker and Evan Rodriguez. The Penguins would immediately become an intriguing contender if they had Hischier playing center.