Prospect Info: #1 Nico Hischier (C): "I love to hockey" Update: Signed. Will wear #13

[Baemon Severson*]

Rumor has it there will be some Nico news coming tomorrow

Damn, he's demanding a trade to the Rangers!?!?

Seriously, it's probably the ELC

 

[OmNomNom]

I was generally a Patrick guy since we won the #1OA, but I'm buying into the Nico hype and excited to see him full-time. Different skill-sets, play-styles, etc. and both will probably end up being great players but I'm happy with our choice. Nico seems like a more fun person to be around, but that's all from brief glimpses.

Have to wonder if Quenneville played a role in our scouting process - Shero used Nico DURING the draft, I can't imagine he didn't also call JQ and ask him about the behind-the-scenes of Nolan as well

i think an interview said somewhere that JQ was asked about nolan, actually

 

[Triumph]

There's literally nothing to second guess with the information we have. I fail to see how anyone can make a compelling argument that they know more than the entire Devils scouting department (as well as Dallas that would've reportedly taken Nico).

This is another argument from authority - I don't care how much the Devils scouting department (or coaching staff or whoever else) supposedly 'know' - NHL teams are wildly wrong about stuff all the time.

However, if at the end of this season Nico barely looks like an NHL player while Nolan looks like a generational talent, it might be fair to say that the Devils may have goofed (Yes, I know you can't completely judge a draft 1 year out). And your point that "there's a ton of information that no one had in June" doesn't really sit well with me. Scouts make their bones by projecting forward. If they mess up with their projection, they deserve some blame.

The future is uncertain and unknowable - to me, scouts can make much larger errors by trying to project forward than by just evaluating who the best players are at that particular level. And sure, sometimes a guy's game just won't get to the next level and scouts can see that, but finding 'the next Milan Lucic' has gotten a lot of scouts in trouble even though the real Milan Lucic certainly made whoever found him quite proud of his projection.

 

[Tretyak 20]

I was generally a Patrick guy since we won the #1OA, but I'm buying into the Nico hype and excited to see him full-time. Different skill-sets, play-styles, etc. and both will probably end up being great players but I'm happy with our choice.

Same here. I was definitely pro-Patrick, but always said I trusted Castron and our scouts. If they gave Nico the nod, that says more than anything I've seen or heard about the two players.

I've been getting excited about Nico since the pick was made, and really hope he can fulfill his potential as a Zetterberg/Datsyuk type player for us in the future - and of course you've gotta love the kid's attitude.

Right now if I had to make a prediction about his future I would say:

1C - 70% chance
1W - 20% chance
2C - 6% chance
2W - 3% chance
Anything less - 1% chance.

 

[MartyOwns]

i preferred patrick too. somehow, even with his 'injury history' he is the safer pick to me. he's more proven, more of a 'known' vs. 'unknown'. that said, i trust the staff, **** patrick, he's a flyer, we should probably wait until next offseason to re-hash these comparisons.

 

[mtnet]

I was pro-Patrick prior to pick so I was kind of shocked on draft day but by the next day I was over it. I put my faith in our gm and scouts and just that fast I was fully on board and getting really excited about drafting Nico. I'll trust they know what's best for the team.

Hearing after the draft that Patrick had yet another surgery just a couple weeks prior made me feel even better about our pick. Maybe the injuries will not be a lingering factor with Patrick but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried about it heading into the draft if we picked him. That stuff aside though I think NP is going to be a fine center in the NHL.

As for Nico, I have really high hopes.

 

[Lou is God]

 

[BruinLVGA]

Damn, he's demanding a trade to the Rangers!?!?

Seriously, it's probably the ELC

No, to the Bruins. (I wish)

 

[BruinLVGA]

I just love Nico. He really seems like a down to earth nice kid.

By the way, Valaisans (folks from the Swiss state he comes from) in my experience are generally good hearted folks. Blue collar, in the nicest possible way. Not surprised that Nico is very humble.

 

[My3Sons]

This is another argument from authority - I don't care how much the Devils scouting department (or coaching staff or whoever else) supposedly 'know' - NHL teams are wildly wrong about stuff all the time.



The future is uncertain and unknowable - to me, scouts can make much larger errors by trying to project forward than by just evaluating who the best players are at that particular level. And sure, sometimes a guy's game just won't get to the next level and scouts can see that, but finding 'the next Milan Lucic' has gotten a lot of scouts in trouble even though the real Milan Lucic certainly made whoever found him quite proud of his projection.[/QUOT

To some extent the scouts are splitting hairs. The kids drafted at the top of the draft are rarely that out of the box - even this year in a supposedly weak year (whatever that means) the first round largely included the players you expected it to. Maybe some guys surprised a bit like where Liljegren fell but the idea that he'd fall was certainly on the table. Similarly there was a fair amount of hype for Kostin and people were surprised he fell but he still went in the first round.

 

[Captain Lou]

Since one of the main issues with Nolan is his injury situations, I find it incredible that anyone would call Nico the higher risk player given the fact that Nolan is on the shelf right now.

IMO, Nico is the higher reward, lower risk player. Those injuries scare the crap out of me.

 

[Cult of Hynes]

Since one of the main issues with Nolan is his injury situations, I find it incredible that anyone would call Nico the higher risk player given the fact that Nolan is on the shelf right now.

IMO, Nico is the higher reward, lower risk player. Those injuries scare the crap out of me.

I agree with all of this.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Nico's best gift to me so far from this very limited look st him is his hands.

 

[D3vilsH0ck3y]

Number and contract to be released/signed tomorrow

 

[Emperoreddy]

Number and contract to be released/signed tomorrow

Makes sense they waited to get it done while he was here in NJ.

 

[Cheddabombs]

Number and contract to be released/signed tomorrow

Jersey will be ordered tomorrow then!

 

[MadDevil]

Since one of the main issues with Nolan is his injury situations, I find it incredible that anyone would call Nico the higher risk player given the fact that Nolan is on the shelf right now.

IMO, Nico is the higher reward, lower risk player. Those injuries scare the crap out of me.

I think there's two different arguments when it comes to risk/reward though. One is the injuries, but I think where much of the argument comes from is in terms of their floors/ceilings. As in, Patrick's floor might be higher than Nico's, so if he doesn't hit his ceiling, he's still a safer bet than if Nico doesn't. Not saying I necessarily agree with that line of logic, but I understand where people are coming from with it.

 

[HenriquesJawLine]

Number and contract to be released/signed tomorrow

3 years for somebody with no NHL experience?!?!?

 

[Cheddabombs]

3 years for somebody with no NHL experience?!?!?

pls no

There's enough of that on the main board

 

[Ripshot 43]

3 years for somebody with no NHL experience?!?!?

pls no

There's enough of that on the main board

I'm scared... what is this about?

 

[HenriquesJawLine]

pls no

There's enough of that on the main board

It's so stupid but the responses on twitter make me laugh every time

 

[NJDevs26]

Since one of the main issues with Nolan is his injury situations, I find it incredible that anyone would call Nico the higher risk player given the fact that Nolan is on the shelf right now.

IMO, Nico is the higher reward, lower risk player. Those injuries scare the crap out of me.

Right now is three months before the season starts though. Worrying about Nolan missing camp in July is just as premature as worrying about Nico's stamina.

 

[EliasFTW]

I hope he isn't wearing 33. It's just such a gross number.

 

[mtnet]

With them moving on from Cammalleri I'm thinking it's just gotta be #13. Unless Nico just wants to go another way with that.

 

[NjDevs4994]

Give him 17