15 most important people in New Jersey Devils organization: 2. Nico Hischier

The New Jersey Devils started to see their trajectory trend up when they won the lottery in 2017. They selected Nico Hischier with the first overall pick in the draft and he has now become one of their best players. 

Hischier is also their captain. He is the heart and soul of the team as they progress towards being a consistent Stanley Cup contender. His biggest dream is to have Gary Bettman hand him the Stanley Cup as the captain of the last team standing. 

What is it that makes Nico Hischier so great? It starts and ends with his two-way play. He is a proven goal scorer and point producer while also being one of the best defensive forwards in the NHL. 

In 2022-23, Hischier came in second place for the Selke Trophy. He only finished behind Patrice Bergeron who has won it the most of any player in history and was the model two-way player for two decades. 

The New Jersey Devils are looking for Nico Hischier to dominate this season

Because of all these incredible skills. Hischier comes into this season as the second most important person in the organization. They wouldn’t be able to win anything without him at the height of his powers. 

Hischier gives up some offense to perform his responsibilities in the defensive zone at a high level. Even with that, he scores plenty of goals and creates plenty of plays for his teammates. He drives play as well as any center in the league. 

When you think of Stanley Cup-winning two-way centers like Jonathan Toews, Sasha Barkov, Anze Kopitar, or the aforementioned Patrice Bergeron, Hischier can be next on that list with his style. 

If this season goes to the best of Hischier’s ability, he will be a top-five vote-getter for the Selke Trophy. He also may even win it, that’s how good he is. Reaching 90-100 points is not off the table either. 

Whenever a team is one of the favorites to compete for the Cup, a player of Hischier’s caliber is going to be high on a list like this. He is a magnificent player with big expectations.