- Nico Hischier signed a five-year, $58.5M extension on July 1, his first day of eligibility
- The Devils captain says he never wanted to test the 2027 free agent market
- Read below for what Hischier said about Sunny Mehta and New Jersey’s bounce-back plan
Nico Hischier could have waited a year, hit the open market with the cap climbing, and let 31 teams bid on him. He never seriously thought about it.
The Devils captain talked through that decision with Chris Johnston of The Athletic at the NHL/NHLPA European Player Media Tour in Munich, and he did not dress it up.
“For me it was clear: My goal is to give something back to New Jersey,” Hischier said. “They gave me a chance to play in the NHL. They picked me.”
He put pen to paper on July 1, the first day the extension could be registered. Five years, $58.5 million, an $11.7 million cap hit starting in 2027-28. Pierre LeBrun had the terms that morning, and we covered the signing here.
Watch the moment New Jersey made it official:
Timing made the loyalty more interesting. Sunny Mehta replaced Tom Fitzgerald as general manager in April, so Hischier was being asked to commit to a front office he barely knew.
Johnston asked what he needed to hear before signing:
“We had some changes, and we wanted to know what the plan is. Obviously, there were talks. We discussed some things. And we came to the end, and I want to be part of the plan. I want to be part of this.”
Mehta arrived with two Stanley Cup rings from his time as an assistant GM in Florida. That resume clearly did some work.
“He’s a smart guy,” Hischier said. “I think the experience from him from Florida will help us. I think he’s just a guy that’s aware of things and has his way.”
The last four seasons in New Jersey have been a yo-yo. Playoffs in 2023, then a 31-point collapse. Playoffs again in 2025, then 87 points and a miss last spring.
“I’ve learned it’s a ruthless league,” Hischier said.
Jack Hughes, Luke Hughes, Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier are all signed long term alongside him. New Jersey also picked up two first-rounders in the June trade that sent Simon Nemec to Calgary.
Hischier set the bar for 2026-27 himself.
“We clearly want to have a bounce-back year and get back in those 16 spots. That’s the main target. I think we were all not happy how it was last year and we expect to be back.”
He has 142 goals and 342 points in 379 games over the past five seasons, averaging just under 20 minutes a night. Hischier turns 28 in January, and he just tied the best years of his career to a team that has missed the playoffs in two of the last three springs.
