Over the last handful of seasons, captain Nico Hischier has finally developed into the two-way force the New Jersey Devils hoped he'd be when they drafted him first overall in the 2017 NHL Draft.
The 26-year-old, eight years into his NHL career, just scored a career-high 35 goals in 2024-25, and it's fair to wonder how high Hischier can go, even with all the experience he has.
We know that Hischier also registered a career-high 80 points in the 2022-23 season--the year when the Devils had the best regular season in franchise history and stormed their way to the second round of the playoffs against most expectations.
So, how can the Devils best position Hischier for that kind of success again?
The two biggest factors are going to be how they can manage and lighten Hischier's workload defensively, and which winger can contribute the most next to him and Timo Meier.
Is it a coincidence that Hischier's best NHL season came when Michael McLeod had his breakout year? Potentially, but we can argue equally that center depth is important.
Trade deadline acquisition Cody Glass is going to play his part, and another potential addition, such as a David Kampf or even a Pavel Zacha, would go a long way, too.
Small adjustments will make Nico Hischier's life much easier for the New Jersey Devils
Hischier is a much better offensive player than many, especially nationally, give him credit for, but he can't score and defend against every team's top line at the same time.
The Devils' captain, alongside Meier, formed a solid partnership with veteran winger Stefan Noesen this past season, but Noesen ran out of gas late in the season and lacks the foot speed to play a more variable game offensively.
That's where a different winger, like Evgenii Dadonov, Connor Brown, or even Arseniy Gritsyuk, could help Hischier achieve even more in the offensive zone.
Brown makes a lot of sense as an experienced two-way play-driver, and he's a speedy player as well. Ditto for Gritsyuk, who is supremely talented but raw, and could benefit from playing alongside a Selke Trophy candidate in Hischier in his first season in the NHL.
If the Devils can make these adjustments and make life for Hischier easier, the results will follow. We've seen it already in the past.
But, as we know, a lot falls on the shoulders of Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald, and a lot depends on his ability to close these situations down.