Oh captain, my captain.
Nico Hischier became the highest-drafted Switzerland-born in National Hockey League history when the New Jersey Devils selected him as their No. 1 overall pick back in 2017. He has since delivered 422 points across eight seasons of play, including a career-high season so far of 80 points as recently as the 2022-23 season after playing in the NHL All-Star Game in 2020.
In fact, this most recent season saw him reach his career-high in goals scored with 35.
But, has he reached his ceiling?
Why Nico Hischier hasn't hit ceiling
Hischier ceiling is one of a high-end two-way first-line center, not necessarily a pure offensive superstar. For that reason, he has not yet reached his ceiling.
So far, Hischier's best season to date was his previously mentioned 2022-23 season in which he scored 31 goals and had a career-high of 49 assists.
He's in his prime age (25-years-old) for the league and a solid player, but has been slowed down by team injuries and inconsistency.
Hischier himself also shown struggles as of late when it comes to shut down the middle of the ice on the penalty kill; once this improves, his ceiling will only raise as a result.
What makes him such a good player with high potential is how he wins matchups at five-on-five and how effective he is on the power play (and, increasingly, how high-percentage his shot is).
This past year, Hischier scored 35 total goals and 34 assists for a total of 69 points across the 2024-25 season. As such, the 6'1", 200 pound player may never be a 90+ point player, but a healthy Hischier at full potential can consistency provide captain-level leadership (since Feb. of 2021) around the 80 point range.
There's little doubt that once New Jersey settles their roster and has a team at full-health, Hischier should easily be able to hit at least 85 points a season by the time he's 30.