The New Jersey Devils lost in overtime of Game 5 of their first-round matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes by a score of 5-4. It was a power-play goal for Sebastian Aho that eliminated the Devils from the postseason.
New Jersey was one of the league’s best teams based on record going into Christmas, but things went south after that. They squeaked into the playoffs and didn’t have much of a chance once they were in, despite putting up a good fight against Carolina.
Although he would never say it because he’s a true team guy, captain Nico Hischier should be proud of his 2024-25 campaign. From the beginning of the season until the very end, he was marvelous.
During the regular season, while being one of the top defensive forwards in the NHL, Hischier scored 35 goals and had 34 assists for 69 points in 75 games. In the postseason, he had four goals in five games while matching up against Carolina’s top players.
No matter what was going on in New Jersey’s world, Hischier was out there competing to the best of his ability daily. No matter what, he always believed that he could lead this team to victory.
When Jack Hughes left the lineup for the remainder of the season due to injury, Hischier started to draw even harder matchups. That did not slow him down at all. You can make the argument that he got even better.
Hischier has another level to get to when it comes to playmaking, but he’s just now starting to get into his prime at 26. Following a 35-goal season, the sky is the limit.
Nico Hischier, despite the pressures of the Devils' season, excelled in a big way
Getting Hughes back, adding a significant amount of depth to the lineup, and more development for young players should make the Devils a more consistent team next year. With Hischier only getting better in all three zones with each passing year, he is the perfect player to lead the team.
Hischier is likely going to get some Selke Trophy love at the NHL Awards. He may be nominated, he may win, he will almost certainly finish in the top five. To say he's one of the best two-way forwards in the NHL would be an understatement.
Personal accolades don't matter much to Hischier. This is a guy who scores a ton, plays well all over the ice, and earns a ton of praise for the way he handles himself on and off the ice. None of it matters to him if the team isn't making a deep run.
Guys who play with Nico Hischier talk about his leadership often. He brings his best effort one every shift. The team must head into this off-season with the mentality that they must get him (and the other stars on the team) more help as they head into 2025-26.