What's up with Hischier?

[Frank Drebin]

The draft lottery worked in strange ways that year.

In fairness, he's a pretty damn good player for where the devils were actually supposed to pick that year, which was 5th.

Flyers were expected to pick 13th, where one might expect a player with Patrick's career trajectory to be 5 years later, but they picked second.

The avalanche, ironically lost the lottery as bad as the worst team in the league could, and still wound up with the best player in the draft.

Similar situation with the Canucks, moved 3 spots down but ended up with the second or third best player from the draft.

Vegas would have drafted a bust regardless.

Only team that really got lucky was Dallas.

 

[Frank Drebin]

30 games over 2 years, I think you can figure yourself...
In that timespan, he's never played a full month of hockey without a break because of injuries. Would he really be a better player if he had 10 more points in those odd games?
Let's give him a full season after what he's been through. His overall play and the many scoring chances say he'll start to produce sooner than later.

Being injury prone at his age isn't a great thing either

 

[NYRKing]

He’s uninspiring. Maybe in a rough patch in his career. I still recall how explosive he looked as a rookie but trending in the wrong direction at the moment.

 

[Zeeker]

All I have to say is, thank god the Devils, Rangers and Flyers got lucky in the Draft Lotto when they did, and not a few years earlier.

 

[FrozenJagrt]

of 268 forwards with at least 100 minutes played at 5 on 5, Nico Hischier's ranks in the entire NHL:

CF%- 9th
shots for %- 4th
xGF%- 11th
high danger CF%- 3rd

Fancy stats don't win games. These are meaningless without actual results to back them up. They might suggest he *should* start producing, but his history doesn't speak to that.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Fancy stats don't win games. These are meaningless without actual results to back them up. They might suggest he *should* start producing, but his history doesn't speak to that.

His history shows he's a 50-55 point center

So yes, he will start producing if he keeps these numbers up. Quite easily.

 

[ninetyeight]

Last year was whatever, freak injuries, broke his leg, got a puck to the face and then the whole team got covid.

So I was expecting him to have break out year this season, but unfortunately for the devils fans it hasn't happened. He's not bad, he's defensively solid, but you'd expect #1OA to have more offensive upside. I feel he plays a bit too carefully trying not to get hurt again and it has a big negative impact on his style. He needs to adapt or throw caution to the wind.

Luck probably has something to do with his production too, but the reality is he just isn't as offensively gifted as 1OA usually are or even the few other guys on his draft.

Sad time to be a devils fan, been and going through lots of injuries and nobody is playing to their potential.

 

[JT Kreider]

All I have to say is, thank god the Devils, Rangers and Flyers got lucky in the Draft Lotto when they did, and not a few years earlier.

The Rangers were in Game 7 of the ECF and Game 6 of the 2nd round a few years earlier before drafting 2nd and 1st OA

 

[Kaako Kappo]

Upwards trajectory cut short by a chain of injuries. Hope he can bounce back. Probably will.

 

[Romang67]

If Pettersson doesn't bounce back, that 2017 draft might go down as one of the worst forward drafts in recent history.

 

[Zeeker]

The Rangers were in Game 7 of the ECF and Game 6 of the 2nd round a few years earlier before drafting 2nd and 1st OA

Great! I’m still happy they lucked into drafting highly in the years they did rather than a few years earlier.

 

[sigma six]

All I have to say is, thank god the Devils, Rangers and Flyers got lucky in the Draft Lotto when they did, and not a few years earlier.

Philly has always had terrible luck. In the rare event they got to pick high, they ended up with JVR and Patrick. Pitkanen if you go further back.
The year they were the actual worst team in the league they lost the lottery to Chicago and that would have changed the franchise for sure.

 

[NJ DevLolz]

Better than Patrick, but also paid 6 times as much.

Also more than 6x better

 

[Burkeocet]

Not overly surprising. I've never really understood the hype with him

He had a good world juniors in his draft year which was viewed as weak (at the time) up top.

Hes going to be a solid second line centre for years to come. He is overpaid though and shouldn’t have gone that high in the draft. If he was picked 10-15, most wouldn’t see a problem. That contract is a reach too

 

[Devils090]

He had a good world juniors in his draft year which was viewed as weak (at the time) up top.

Hes going to be a solid second line centre for years to come. He is overpaid though and shouldn’t have gone that high in the draft. If he was picked 10-15, most wouldn’t see a problem. That contract is a reach too

well his contract isn’t an issue at all considering the Cap space the Devils have(especially when Subban is off the books next year) so overpaid or not it’s really not a big deal.

Nico will end up a fine 2C once Hughes gets healthy, and that’s perfectly fine. I’d like more production from him but it is what it is at this point, hopefully we add wingers who can actually score goals too.

At the end of the day the Devils are going have 3 legit Centers in Hughes, Nico and Mercer and that’s quite alright with me.

Sucks to win the lottery when it’s not a Matthews or McDavid but hey, some people win the Powerball and some win a pick 4…you get what you get

 

[StreetHawk]

well his contract isn’t an issue at all considering the Cap space the Devils have(especially when Subban is off the books next year) so overpaid or not it’s really not a big deal.

Nico will end up a fine 2C once Hughes gets healthy, and that’s perfectly fine. I’d like more production from him but it is what it is at this point, hopefully we add wingers who can actually score goals too.

At the end of the day the Devils are going have 3 legit Centers in Hughes, Nico and Mercer and that’s quite alright with me.

Sucks to win the lottery when it’s not a Matthews or McDavid but hey, some people win the Powerball and some win a pick 4…you get what you get

A 2C at $7.25 is a big ticket for a non Selke trophy C like a O’Reilly. But at least his production won’t plummet in later years like most ufa who get max term in their late 20’s.

his big cap hit will make trading him later a little tougher. Either retaining or taking back some contract to even things out.

 

[Fulham]

I see him as a similar player to Brenden Morrison, can play as a 1C with superior players but better suited to be a good 2 way 2nd liner. He isn't a play driver, however he is a good facilitator, that wont slow down better offensive players when pushed up the lineup.

 

[Zenos]

RNH 2.0

I get the comparison, but even then I feel like Nico fails to hit the mark.

RNH hit the ground running and was an absolute force the minute he touched NHL ice. He scored a huge goal in his very first game, a hat-trick in his third, and by the time November rolled around, had collected his first 5-point game. Had he not been injured, he would have played in the Allstar game and was runner up to Landeskog for the Calder and tied him in scoring despite playing 20 fewer games.

Obviously he never maintained that level (due to injuries, or coaching changes, or whatever it was) but I don't feel like Hischier has ever hit those highs. At least not yet.

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

of 268 forwards with at least 100 minutes played at 5 on 5, Nico Hischier's ranks in the entire NHL:

CF%- 9th
shots for %- 4th
xGF%- 11th
high danger CF%- 3rd

OK, I'm funny, I'll respect respect and I'm not afraid to clean the house, or change a diaper.

I'm still ugly and poor as f*** and Hischer still isn't producing like a 1st overall pick, or a player paid 7.25 per year

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

OK, I'm funny, I'll respect respect and I'm not afraid to clean the house, or change a diaper.

I'm still ugly and poor as f*** and Hischer still isn't producing like a 1st overall pick, or a player paid 7.25 per year

Where he was selected has no bearing on anything 4-5 years later. Especially considering the other guy that was a top 2 pick is barely an NHL player

~$7 million is the going rate for a good young 2C nowadays, which is what Hischier is and will continue to be.

 

[Shocker]

Obviously not a great 1st overall pick so far, but still a decent player, the points will come eventually.

He's been good, but no puck luck and a terrible team.

 

[crowsnestmcgee]

I never realized he's their captain

 

[LaVal]

The whole 1st overall thing needs some context. Prior to the draft it was considered to be an exceptionally weak year especially for top end talent, and often said that whoever was taken 1st overall wouldn't have been taken in the top-5 in most other years. I think it's a little unfair to label him as a failed 1st overall.

Yes the draft did produce some great players (e.g. Heiskanen/Makar) but even bad drafts will produce some gems.

Similar situation with the Canucks, moved 3 spots down but ended up with the second or third best player from the draft.

On an unrelated note, Vancouver had Makar ranked #1 overall that draft, so the 3 spot drop didn't benefit them.