Prospect Info: #13 Nico Hischier: "I love to hockey" Part II

[VoidCreature]

This is some fine research, but it's missing the central point - yeah, teams don't just go down the list of top PPG players and pick the best guy, but Hischier wasn't competing against other 1st overall picks to be selected this year, and thus there's no reason to compare them to him - he was the 1st overall pick in 2017. Given the enormous range of outcomes for 1st overall picks - while most are superstars, some have had average to above average careers and some have had far worse than that - I don't really think it's a fair comparison. Some years there just isn't really a star player taken high.

Looking at that list is just setting yourself up for disappointment because Hischier doesn't quite have the resume that a lot of these other guys did. He is simply not a player on the level of a Stamkos or Tavares, not yet.

Hischier's resume is a puzzling thing. I look back and see that he scored 61 points in 22 games as a 15 year old in the Swiss under-17 league, but I have no idea how to value that production. I know there's NHLe for the NLA, but I haven't been able to find anything on the lower leagues in Switzerland. Might be that there are so few players who come out of there you can't create a reliable metric.

You could look at Hischier's performance in international events, but those are all playing for Switzerland. Score 2 total goals in the Olympics Switzerland.

All I know for sure is that Hischier was above 1.7 PPG in his first season on a new ice surface, in a new country, before a wrist injury saw him shoot 1% over the last month and a half of the season. He was also on a terrible team that had only 3 other players who were even drafted to the NHL, and none in the first four rounds. I choose to be optimistic.

 

[My3Sons]

I don't love the idea of rushing him to the NHL at 18 after only one North American junior season on a bad team. I realize he can't play in the AHL but maybe a year in a European men's league would keep his confidence intact and help him develop his game against lesser players, albeit adult players.

 

[Triumph]

Hischier's resume is a puzzling thing. I look back and see that he scored 61 points in 22 games as a 15 year old in the Swiss under-17 league, but I have no idea how to value that production. I know there's NHLe for the NLA, but I haven't been able to find anything on the lower leagues in Switzerland. Might be that there are so few players who come out of there you can't create a reliable metric.

You could look at Hischier's performance in international events, but those are all playing for Switzerland. Score 2 total goals in the Olympics Switzerland.

All I know for sure is that Hischier was above 1.7 PPG in his first season on a new ice surface, in a new country, before a wrist injury saw him shoot 1% over the last month and a half of the season. He was also on a terrible team that had only 3 other players who were even drafted to the NHL, and none in the first four rounds. I choose to be optimistic.

Everything you are talking about here - Hischier's results in Halifax, even his progression in the Swiss leagues - matters a hell of a lot more than what Rick Nash or Steven Stamkos did in their draft year. And yeah there's a lot to be optimistic about. I just think Year 1, on this team, expectations need to be tempered a bit.

 

[None Shall Pass]

That's absolutely a knock, if that's what you expect. The last 1st overall forward to score at a 35 point pace or lower in his rookie season was Patrik Stefan. The last 1st overall to score at a lower than 45 point pace was Rick Nash.

Now, obviously Joe Thornton only had 7 points his first year, so it's not the end of the world if Nico has a disastrous first season, but it is historically very unlikely that will happen.

Seems like we've been conditioned to expect the worst of our young players.

1. Scoring is down league wide. 50 points makes you a borderline 1st line forward.
2. Our leading scorers (Palms and Hall) put up 53 points last year - granted Hall, did it in only 72 games.
3. We were 3rd to last in goal scoring.
4. Zacha put up 24 points last year.

If a rookie puts up 35 points next year, we should be ecstatic.

 

[Burner Account]

I don't love the idea of rushing him to the NHL at 18 after only one North American junior season on a bad team. I realize he can't play in the AHL but maybe a year in a European men's league would keep his confidence intact and help him develop his game against lesser players, albeit adult players.

Gotta trust the powers that be.

 

[VoidCreature]

Was watching these highlights of him from his last year in Switzerland, and I noticed at 2:15 he takes the puck from Auston Matthews and sets up a goal. Would love to see that happen again in the NHL.

 

[Emperoreddy]

It is only rushing if he isn't ready, which is an assumption without any evidence at the moment.

We as fans won't really be able to put together a good idea until he is on the ice

 

[Brooklyndevil]

I guess we did pick the right guy. I read that Patrick had two abdominal operations this summer. I hope for his sake he stays injury free, however, I doubt that's the case.

 

[NjDevsRR]

Was watching these highlights of him from his last year in Switzerland, and I noticed at 2:15 he takes the puck from Auston Matthews and sets up a goal. Would love to see that happen again in the NHL.

He didn't take it from Matthews, and it wasn't a takeaway, pretty much a giveaway from the other USA player. Not much to show on that highlight.

 

[VoidCreature]

He didn't take it from Matthews, and it wasn't a takeaway, pretty much a giveaway from the other USA player. Not much to show on that highlight.

He slipped in ahead of Matthews to take it. I guess it's semantics whether it was a takeaway or not. Was still fun to watch.

 

[NJDevs26]

FWIW I was at the US Open today and they showed Nico and Blake Speers on the big board at one point during the Nadal match. Not even a murmur from the crowd But I guess he did get to meet Federer cause he was there in advance of his match.

 

[Ech0]

FWIW I was at the US Open today and they showed Nico and Blake Speers on the big board at one point during the Nadal match. Not even a murmur from the crowd But I guess he did get to meet Federer cause he was there in advance of his match.

Haha, I was there too! I was yelling from my seat, and people where like...who's that?

 

[exeswiss]

i have here some juicy medical test infos from Nico and Nolan

Nicos test

nolans test

source is a well informed swiss hockey journalist named Klaus Zaugg

the whole article is in german but maybe google translate helps.

http://www.watson.ch/Sport/Eismeist...-Darum-wurde-Nico-Hischier-der-Nummer-1-Draft

edit here a video from the tested things





edit edit:
nicos complete Scouting combine report incl. medical check report
https://www.dropbox.com/s/bz2ewrf6b0jn7ze/Nico17.pdf?dl=0

nolans complete Scouting combine report incl. medical check report
https://www.dropbox.com/s/82mnmidakhqgbyz/Nolan17.pdf?dl=0

 

[Darkauron]

Wow interesting thanks.

 

[Edmonton East]

So Nico was a whole half inch shorter than Nolan lol

Also, I hope to hell that VO2 max post 1 minute HR is wrong. It has to be wrong...

 

[torero]

So Nico was a whole half inch shorter than Nolan lol

Also, I hope to hell that VO2 max post 1 minute HR is wrong. It has to be wrong...

what would it mean ? difference between nolan and hischier ?

 

[VoidCreature]

Just found this video of what looks like Hischier doing a charity event back in Switzerland while browsing Youtube.

 

[holyprime]

Altough the data about Patrick is interesting, because of his injury history, i just can't unsee this:

well informed swiss hockey journalist named Klaus Zaugg

 

[Devils731]

what would it mean ? difference between nolan and hischier ?

I was wondering the same thing. Nico's overall VO2 results appeared average to slightly above average compared to all the other players tested.

 

[Lou is God]

I hope Nico is playing Monday night, if so I'm going.

 

[Edmonton East]

So Nico was a whole half inch shorter than Nolan lol

Also, I hope to hell that VO2 max post 1 minute HR is wrong. It has to be wrong...

what would it mean ? difference between nolan and hischier ?

I was wondering the same thing. Nico's overall VO2 results appeared average to slightly above average compared to all the other players tested.

I have a good amount of experience doing VO2 max testing (late high school and soccer in college). Both of their results, in general, aren't alarming in any way. What is very strange is to see a max heart rate for Nico at 194 and then his heart rate a full minute post workout only recovered to 185. That's bizarre and I have to think it's a measurement issue. Of course there are exceptions, but generally speaking, only individuals in very poor cardiovascular shape would see results like that. Or if they had a heart condition. You should have recovered roughly 20% after a minute.

 

[The Noot]

Altough the data about Patrick is interesting, because of his injury history, i just can't unsee this:

To be fair, Zaugg has sources. His opinion pieces tend to be garbage, though.

 

[Zippy316]

I hope Nico is playing Monday night, if so I'm going.

Seems like it. Gross keeps making references to that and Siegenthaler (A swiss friend of Hischier's on the Caps) seems to think he's playing as well.

 

[NJDevs26]

I may go just for an early Nico watch, had sold my regular tickets but got free comps to both preseason games just in case I felt like going.

 

[torero]

I have a good amount of experience doing VO2 max testing (late high school and soccer in college). Both of their results, in general, aren't alarming in any way. What is very strange is to see a max heart rate for Nico at 194 and then his heart rate a full minute post workout only recovered to 185. That's bizarre and I have to think it's a measurement issue. Of course there are exceptions, but generally speaking, only individuals in very poor cardiovascular shape would see results like that. Or if they had a heart condition. You should have recovered roughly 20% after a minute.

OK ... i understand you. So peak rate is during effort ... peak for the heart. and 1 minute after, the rate should be down ... like Nolan at 145. and Nico's measurement is still at 185 ... which would be worrisome .... indeed ;-)

that is one of the things of athlets hearts ... they recover quickly ! they stay as low as possible (big volume pumping with low heartbeats is preferable than low volume with many heartbeats) .

I remember some years ago in the fitness ... i was measured ... and recovered faster than Hishier
which obviously nobody cares but highlighting that Hischier's measurement MUST be wrong coz i was 45 at the time and in good shape but still overweight ... (the sad life of bankers )

Good observation ! Well done CoryForVezina !