The New Jersey Devils have long been viewed as one of the NHL’s most dangerous emerging teams, packed with young stars poised to become a real force in the Eastern Conference. While there have been flashes of that potential in recent years, it suddenly feels like big changes could be happening in a core that has been quietly working together for a while.
A new injury to Jack Hughes certainly didn’t help, but even his return couldn’t stop the bleeding. The Devils have gone 6-13-1 over their last twenty games, completely wasting an 8-1-0 start to the season. While the playoffs aren’t completely out of reach, frustration among the fanbase has boiled over and tough questions are starting to emerge, including whether Nico Hischier should be traded.
A humiliating 9-0 loss to the New York Islanders on Tuesday marked a new low, and in the aftermath Hischier said: begging for a response on Thursday evening in Pittsburgh. Instead, New Jersey produced another lifeless effort in a 4-1 loss, leaving the captain off the scoresheet for the third straight game.
That didn’t sit well with fans, and it led to more and more discussion about whether the Devils should consider shopping Hischier at this trade deadline.
Locked On Devils wrote:
“I think it’s okay to send Nico to the TDL. Maybe he’s a great player somewhere else, and the problems could be bigger than him (they are). But to pull out the ‘reaction game’ nonsense and then not even show up? Guess you should start the blowout with him,”
Hischier is in the middle of a bad year offensively and has only scored 32 points (12 goals, 20 assists) in 44 games played.
The 27-year-old is in the sixth season of the seven-year, $50.75 million extension he signed with the Devils in 2019 and is eligible for an extension beginning July 1, 2026.
Could New Jersey really trade Nico Hischier?
It feels wild to imagine the Devils considering moving their captain, but at the same time, no one saw this kind of season coming in New Jersey, so as Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman said recently, nothing can be ruled out.
What makes the idea of ​​a trade at least somewhat plausible is the fact that Hischier is expected to sign an extension as soon as this summer. If the organization is unwilling to pay the high price tag it commands, it may be wise to scour the market and see what a return would look like.
A lot needs to happen for that to become a reality, and it’s much more likely to be a topic of conversation this offseason. That said, every ugly loss raises more questions, so if the Devils don’t rock out, uncomfortable decisions like this could become inevitable.
Next: A trade package for Jack Hughes worth a closer look?
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