New Jersey Devils: 5 Stupid Narratives You Will Hear This Offseason

Nico Hischier Was A Bad Choice For Captain

This dumb narrative is already getting some traction across social media. Nico Hischier missed the first few weeks of the season with a major leg injury. As soon as he was about to come back, he got COVID. Then, just five games into his season, he was hit in the face with a deflected shot. He ended up playing just 21 games this season, and 16 of those games came with a very distracting cage on his face.

Despite all the setbacks, Hischier still scored six goals in 21 games. He was on pace for 24 goals in an 82-game season. It would have been awesome if he actually did that, but the pace is actually not bad. His assist numbers were brutal, but it had a lot to do with issues finding the right linemates until Pavel Zacha and Jesper Bratt settled in as his wingers.

The Devils didn’t name a captain at the top of the season because they were waiting for Hischier to come back. He was always going to be the captain. The other two options were Travis Zajac or Kyle Palmieri. They both got traded at once to the New York Islanders before the trade deadline. That would be a bad look.

However, some people think that Jack Hughes would be a better choice for captain. He’s the star, and the Devils started giving him more of a leadership role. He was on the ice for bigger moments, and the team seemed to rely on him.

Hischier was and is the right choice for captain. He may be young, but he has a leadership quality that doesn’t seem to come from anyone else. Let Hughes focus on becoming a superstar. Hischier can lead this team into its next generation.