Overview
- The New Jersey Devils agreed on Wednesday to a five-year extension with captain Nico Hischier that carries an average annual value of about $11.7 million and begins on July 1, 2027.
- The contract buys out Hischier’s upcoming unrestricted free-agent years and keeps him under team control through the 2031–32 season.
- Delaying the start until 2027 keeps Hischier on his current $7.25 million cap hit for 2026–27 and gives general manager Sunny Mehta short-term salary-cap flexibility to pursue other moves.
- Hischier is a durable two-way top-line center known for elite faceoff numbers and consistent 60–70 point seasons, which teams and analysts cited as the justification for the raise.
- The signing follows Mehta’s early efforts to lock in the Devils’ core top-six and leaves New Jersey with room to address remaining needs such as long-term goaltending.