Report says Nico Hischier's contract is going to pay him $12 million per season, but for how long?

The New Jersey Devils have a lot on their to-do list this offseason, but what was at the top has never been more obvious. They traded Simon Nemec to the Calgary Flames to end the logjam on defense, added AHL center depth, and drafted Alexander Command and Lavr Gashilov to address the center situation in the prospect pool, but signing Nico Hischier was the number-one priority for new GM Sunny Mehta. 

All signs point to this being a very easy process. While word on the street was that teams were circling Hischier as an early trade candidate, Mehta and the Devils held strong, and that now seems to have worked. The captain appears to be returning, but it’s going to cost the Devils. Quite literally. 

According to NHL Insider from the Fourth Period, Dave Pagnotta, the Hischier deal will pay him $12 million per season for five years. That’s a hefty contract for one that isn’t going full term. For those who don’t remember, the collective bargaining agreement has some slight changes going into effect this year. One of the biggest changes is that contract lengths cannot exceed seven years for re-signing your own player and six years for free agents. 

Nico Hischier appears to be a sure thing for the New Jersey Devils

Hischier had one last chance to sign for the full eight years, but he opted to sign for just five years. That aligns with what some other star players are doing. Auston Matthews’ last extension was for four years. Connor McDavid signed for just two extra years, but that seems like a different situation entirely. 

Hischier has a chance to play the next six seasons with the Devils, as he still has one more year left on his current contract. This is a hefty raise from the $7.25 million salary he’s making on the contract he signed with the late Ray Shero. 

We all knew that Hischier was going to get a raise. Reports said he was looking for a salary in the $11-13 million range and that the two sides had agreed to a middle ground on contract length. Finding a way to $12 million per season and five years appears to be exactly in the middle of what everyone wanted. This is one way to come out of this process with everyone happy. 

Hischier is too important part of the Devils’ fabric to play elsewhere. The Devils have not been good enough with Hischier on the roster. It’s been a mess, but this is a good chance to let Sunny Mehta continue to cook.

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