New Jersey Devils: Assessing All-Star Bids For Remaining Players
By Nick Villano
Nico Hischier
Nico Hischier started the season looking like the best player on the Devils roster. His counting and advanced stats were some of the best in the league. He was great at 5v5, and he was playing meaningful defensive minutes, both at the end of wins and on the penalty kill. Hischier was doing just about everything the Devils needed to get the W on a nightly basis. That’s on top of being the captain for one of the biggest surprises of the season.
His numbers have dropped as of late. Hischier is 70th in the league when it comes to high-danger chance percentage. His line isn’t really considered the best on the team, and unfortunately for him, Hischier’s offensive opportunities are mostly going to Hughes.
He’s still third on the team in points with 38. He leads the team with five game-winning goals. This includes game-winning goals in wins versus Pittsburgh and Detroit over the last two weeks. The Devils were spiraling, and the team captain stepped up.
Hischier is on the ice for 19:40 per game. Only Hughes plays more than Hischier at forward. What’s going against the Devils’ captain is he is doing all the little things right. Little things don’t send players to All-Star Games.