New Jersey Devils

Devils Captain Nico Hischier Receives High Praise, ‘He Takes on A Lot’

After scoring his NHL leading ninth goal of the season on Sunday, head coach Sheldon Keefe explains why the Devils captain has been so impressive and explains he takes on so much more than just a goal scoring role.

Published

6 months ago

October 28, 2024

James Nichols

Credit: New Jersey Devils

NEWARK — As it currently stands, New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier is on pace to score 61.5 goals by the end of the season. Will that pace hold up? Probably not. However, the Devils captain is proving to be the leader in New Jersey, not just by label, but by his performance on the ice.

On Sunday, amid the Devils’ 6-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks, Hischier scored his ninth goal of the season, which currently leads the NHL.

Devils Postgame: Offense Explodes in Imperfect 6-2 Win vs. Anaheim Ducks

After potting 31 goals and 80 points in 81 games in the 2022-23 season en route to a Selke Trophy nomination, the Devils captain regressed a bit last season to 27 goals and 67 points in 71 games.

In fact, while battling early injuries, it took Hischier 25 games to reach the nine goal mark last season. After a long summer and return to full health, he’s accomplished the feat in just 12 games, while still in the month of October.

Although Hischier’s torrid goal-scoring pace is expected to slow down, he’s certainly still a candidate to return to the 30-goal mark.

“You love the fact that he’s scoring the way that he is and getting rewarded,” head coach Sheldon Keefe explained. “Because for a guy like him that gives so much to the team — the hard matchups, the face offs, the penalty killing, the leadership responsibility, the burden that comes with being the captain and the leader. He takes on a lot. So you want to see a guy like him get rewarded. And yeah, he’s feeling it.”

Coming from the Toronto Maple Leafs previously, Keefe worked with now ex-captain, John Tavares. The former Leafs captain was the kind of player who similarly said all the right things and typically performed well on the ice. However, he’s not the Selke candidate that Hischier is, who takes on extra responsibilities.

“I’ve just been so impressed with him. We talked about it. I’m learning more and more about him every single day. And he’s just been really good,” Keefe continued.

One of the things that has impressed the Devils’ head coach so much is that Hischier is not only holding others accountable on the bench or in the locker room. He’s holding himself accountable as well.

“Even something the other night in the overtime game [against the New York Islanders], he wasn’t having a great night in the face off the circle. He wanted to make sure I knew that, so he told me, and maybe get somebody else to take the face off in overtime for us,” Keefe explained. “And I said, ‘Nope, you’re gonna go win this one for us.’ And he went out and won the face off back. He gave everything he had and not only won the face off, but ripped one off the bar, and he was that close to being the hero. So that’s kind of guy we have there, and I really enjoy working with him.”

Perhaps the Devils have begun to turn a corner. Their victory over the Ducks on Sunday, although imperfect, was a step in the right direction. The Devils played fast-paced, a high puck-possession game in which the Devils’ captain accrued a positive 9-2 scoring chance differential and 63.64 CF%.

There’s little doubt who the Devils’ MVP has been so far this season. As the captain in New Jersey, there’s little doubt Hischier is leading with his voice and by example. He’s blown his new head coach away with his presence.

“He’s been outstanding. I have respect for his game from a distance. Being behind the bench and seeing him every day, it’s been tremendous,” Keefe explained. “I call on him to do a lot of heavy lifting for our team. To still find offense the way he has, it’s outstanding.”

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