標籤: Hischier

The Swiss New Jersey Devils faced off against Germany in Zurich on Monday.

Nico Hischier and Timo Meier combined for four points as Switzerland defeated Germany 6-1 on Monday night at the 2026 IIHF World Championships in Zurich. The Devils captain had a goal and an assist, while Meyer added two assists. Switzerland—like Lenny Haminaho and Finland—improved to 3-0 in Group A play.

Hischier helped get the hosts on the board in the first period, providing the primary assist on the opening goal by Dennis Malgin.

Roman Josi picked up a secondary assist in the game. Switzerland kept that momentum going and outshot Germany 10-7 in the opening 20 minutes.

The second round was of Swiss power play. Meyer doubled the Swiss lead to 2–0 with a goal from Sven Andrighetto. Switzerland kept up the pressure, limiting Germany to just 4 shots in the middle frame, while Leonardo Zanoni deflected everything in front of him.

In the final minutes of the second period, Meyer drove the puck toward Germany’s goal line and fed Hischier streaking into the slot for a one-time chance, giving the Swiss a 4–0 lead on the power play.

After Hischier, Josi and Andrighetto scored two more goals in a 6–1 victory over Germany.

Hischier’s two-point game (1g, 1a) brings his point total to three (1g, 2a) through three games in the preliminary round.

Meier’s point total increases to four points (1G, 3A) through three games in the tournament. Meyer’s four points so far puts him in a six-way tie for fifth-most points in the tournament, highlighted by fellow NHLers Ryan O’Reilly and Lucas Raymond.

The Swiss team will next face Austria on Wednesday, May 20.

Switzerland is 3-0-0 so far in the preliminary round with wins over Germany, Latvia and Team USA.

James is the fully certified New Jersey Devils beat reporter for New Jersey Hockey Now on SportsNote and … More about James Nicholls

Is Nico Hischier going to cost the New Jersey Devils more than $11 million per season for the next eight years?

The latest AFP Analytics offseason contract projections indicate that may very well be the case.

The Devils have a lot of answers to answer under new general manager, Sunny Mehta.

And although they are heading into the summer with $11,875,000 in cap space, it seems like that money could be eaten up very quickly, with no real room to improve without making cuts elsewhere.

The NHL officially announced 12 days ago that the 2026-27 salary cap will be $104 million.

Here’s a quick look at the Devils’ projections:

updated cap outlook

Per Pakpedia projections for 2026–27:

• Salary Cap: $104,000,000
• Projected cap hit: $92,125,000
• Cap Space: $11,875,000
• Cap floor: $76.9 million

Although the Devils are comfortably on top despite the $1.25 million bonus paid in overtime, Mehta will have little time to work with due to some key extensions.

Here’s where the following major contracts are projected to land:

Pending Free Agent (2026 UFA/RFA)

• Arseny Gritsyuk:
  • Long-term: four years at $5.890 million AAV
  • Short term: two years at $3.046 million AAV
• Simon German:
  • Long term: seven years at $8.061 million AAV
  • Short term: two years at $4.473 million AAV
• Paul Couture: Three years at $2.325 million AAV
• Nico Dawes: $892,500 for one year

Extension-Eligible (July 1, 2026 – FA July 1, 2027)

These players can be given extensions starting July 1, but have one year left on their contracts and won’t hit free agency until 2027:

• Nico Hischier: $11.459 million AAV at eight years.
• Dawson Mercer:
  • Long-term: six years at $7.839 million AAV
  • Short: Two years at $5.762 million AAV
• Cody Glass: Three years at $4.302 million AAV
• Brandon Dillon: $3.814 million, one year
• Stefan Noesen: $1,122 million in one year
• Seamus Casey: $940,500 for one year

Looking towards 2027-28

Let’s assume the salary cap is projected to be $113,500,000 in 2027-28. At that time, the Devils are projected to have $47,125,000 in cap space (based on current commitments). Thus, if the Devils sign all of the above extensions – applying long-term deals to those with long-term projections – New Jersey will have only $1,370,500 in cap space on July 1, 2027.

What does it mean for devils

With $11.875 million in projected cap space for 2026-27, the Devils have ample room to pursue most or all of the major free agents and extension eligible players without drastic roster surgery. Of course, this doesn’t mean players who are probably going to walk like Denis Cholovsky and Evgeni Dadonov.

The big commitments – Hischier (up $11.459 million), Nemec (up $8.061 million), Gritsyuk (up $5.89 million), and Mercer (up $7.839 million) – will consume a large portion of that space.

This situation perfectly reflects the rapid inflation in the NHL salary cap. This cap is projected to increase from $104 million in 2026–27 to $113.5 million in 2027–28, resulting in a large jump in available dollars. Through 2027-28, the Devils are currently projected to have approximately $47.125 million in cap space – more than four times the room they will have this upcoming summer.

That said, it is not realistic to retain every pending free agent and extension-eligible player. The Devils will have to make choices – allowing some depth players to walk or move while prioritizing key pieces. Even with strong cap inflation, the money can disappear quickly after an extension is signed. Expect Mehta to be selective this summer and possibly look for ways to shed salary from existing contracts to create more breathing room.

Overall, the projections are encouraging for New Jersey. However, if the Devils are looking for outside help, Mehta will have to find ways to shed some of the burden.

James is the fully certified New Jersey Devils beat reporter for New Jersey Hockey Now on SportsNote and … More about James Nicholls

The New Jersey Devils trading Nico Hischier is a bad idea. However, not trading for Quinn Hughes is also a bad idea.

You have to give to get.

I want to reiterate that I am not advocating that the Devils should move Hischier. They should build their 1-2 center punch around him and Jack Hughes.

After all, the Devils are screwed by keeping Hischier—who is undoubtedly a top-line center—on the second line.

Still, you’re not getting Quin without premium returns. And if you can acquire arguably the best defenseman in the league, you will.

It’s more than uniting the Hughes brothers. Still, the Minnesota Wild are just as interested in employing them all on one team as the Devils.

evidence?

After bringing Quinn back from Vancouver last season, Bill Guerin tried to bring in Luke Hughes via the Devils trade.

This will undoubtedly help Guerin sign the Jacks as a free agent in 2030. Nevertheless, the Devils did not entertain Guerin’s pursuit of Luke, and the Devils remained with two of the three Hughes brothers.

However, Sunny Mehta is no Tom Fitzgerald. How much does he desire to unite Hughes’s triumvirate – if at all?

How much is he willing to trade his captain for Quinn?

This seems unlikely. Still, if the nuclear option of acquiring Quinn is successful for Hischier, there are options who should be available to fill the center void this summer, even if not the same as the Devils captain.

Perhaps Quinn’s presence covers any holes left by Hischier, because although you’re upgrading with Quinn, you’re upgrading at center.

Ryan O’Reilly-Nashville Predators

The Nashville Predators were treating Ryan O’Reilly with kid gloves last season.

O’Reilly has no protection from a trade, yet Predators GM Barry Trotz was treating him as if he did. Thus, despite all the trade speculation, O’Reilly remained in Nashville as they tried for the playoffs.

They couldn’t make it, and now Nashville will have a new GM.

Who will be at the helm in Nashville has yet to be determined, but after a roller coaster season, a new GM should be ready to move O’Reilly who is going into the last year of his contract on a roster that needs to get younger.

O’Reilly is cut from the same cloth as Hischier. He may no longer have elite metrics in the neutral and defensive zones, but he’s still on the bubble.

In his age-34 season, O’Reilly scored 25 goals and 74 points in 81 games. That’s fewer goals than Hischier (28) but more points (66) while winning 55.8% of faceoffs.

You’re betting on the 35-year-old O’Reilly’s play as a potential short-term stopgap solution and pending free-agent to fill the void.

Mason McTavish-Anaheim Ducks

You might be shopping upside down here.

It seems things are rocky between the Anaheim Ducks and Mason McTavish, who often served as a healthy scratch through two rounds in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The ducks were eliminated on Thursday night. The focus now turns to the offseason where they will undoubtedly look to improve on an unexpectedly successful 2025-26.

Still, McTavish serving as a healthy scratch in his most important games over seven seasons shows where he stands in the eyes of Joel Quenneville.

Now the Ducks will have to make a decision about his future, just like they did with Trevor Zegras last summer.

And it worked out very well for the Philadelphia Flyers.

McTavish has completed the first year of a six-year contract with an average annual value of $7 million. Heading into his age-24 season, there is still a lot to like about McTavish’s game.

The Ducks forward has shown good scoring touch with occasional high-end flashes — winning battles along the wall, driving through contact, and making quick plays in tight areas — but his skating and defensive reliability remain glaring areas of limited consistency so far.

Perhaps Quinn’s tarpaulin-like ability to cover the ice will make up for the defensive deficiencies here. And the Ducks would certainly be selling the player at a low price.

Shane Wright-Seattle Kraken

For a more defensively reliable option, Shane Wright brings some interesting tools to his game – he’s a strong short-field player with solid wheels and reliable defense.

That said, he has seen very limited puck touches in both of his NHL seasons, making it hard to project him as a true driver given how limited his overall participation has been.

Instead, he will need the support of two key top-six wingers. Perhaps Timo Meier and Dawson Mercer will provide ample support until Wright figures out how to move the game forward on his own – or rather If He figures out how to carry the game on his own.

The Kraken were challenging Wright to make his splash at the 2026 NHL trade deadline. In this situation, the Devils are a good fit for a 22-year-old player heading into the final year of his entry-level contract. And there is a positive side to Wright’s development as the aforementioned playdriver.

Wright was more successful in his first full season in 2024–25, scoring 19 goals and 44 points in 79 games, compared to only 12 goals and 27 points the previous season.

Perhaps in a more offensive system in New Jersey – as opposed to Seattle – he can unlock what made him so popular in his draft year.

James is the fully certified New Jersey Devils beat reporter for New Jersey Hockey Now on SportsNote and … More about James Nicholls

Yesterday was a dark day for the New Jersey Devils. After players learned of Tom Fitzgerald’s fate the first time they stepped on the ice, they reacted to the fate of the now former Devils general manager. No one was pleased, and everyone had nothing but good things to say about Fitzgerald.

As a person, he was a kind, genuine human being. However, as a GM he did not come without flaws.

And then, that night the devils were officially destroyed. Now, there are four games left on the schedule before the team breaks up for the offseason.

In the link, Fitzgerald’s cause of death in New Jersey, the Devils captain’s non-committal response, and Jack Hughes’ immediate reaction about the only GM he knows being fired were highlighted.

Devil’s Trade Rumors and News

New Jersey Hockey Now: The Devils are officially moving on from Tom Fitzgerald. Here are five reasons why the Devils fired the now former GM.

Following Monday night’s news, we asked Nico Hischier his thoughts on his future as he becomes eligible to sign an extension with New Jersey on July 1. His response was non-committal.

And after all that doom and gloom, the Devils were officially eliminated from the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Tuesday night against the Philadelphia Flyers.

📺 devil’s rink report: Here are Jack Hughes’ thoughts on the Devils officially firing Fitzgerald from the locker room on Tuesday, via Devils Rink Report.

Full episode here 👇🏼

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James is the fully certified New Jersey Devils beat reporter for New Jersey Hockey Now on SportsNote and … More about James Nicholls

It’s hard to believe that nine years have passed since the New Jersey Devils selected Nico Hischier with the No. 1 pick in the 2017 NHL Draft.

It’s even harder to believe that Hischier is already in the top 20 in games played in Devils history, despite the fact that he only has one Stanley Cup playoff series win to his name.

But the Devils captain crossed the 600-game threshold in New Jersey’s 5-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday night.

“Everyone here plays for each other,” Hischier said. “Obviously, I wanted to win, and I know everyone here wanted to win, too.”

Hischier is already 19th on the Devils’ all-time games played list, despite the fact that he is still only 10 months away from his 30th birthday. He’s quietly having another great year by leading the Devils in goals (26) and is third on the team in points (58) with nine games played.

Nico Hischier is already a Devils all-time great through 600 games

He can fly under the radar, league-wide, and even in New Jersey. But through 600 games, Hischier is on his way to hanging his number from the rafters at the Prudential Center — and any potential future building in which the Devils play.

Hischier is four points behind Scott Gomez for sixth on the Devils’ all-time points list and is already fifth on the Devils’ all-time goals list with 197. With a hot finish he can hope to take sole possession of third place, as Travis Zajac and Bobby Holik share that mark with 202 goals in a Devils uniform.

If Hischier finished ahead of Zajac and Holik, or even tied with them, it would mean he reached his third 30-goal season and second in a row under Devils coach Sheldon Keefe. Keefe understands what an accomplishment that will be, especially with the defensive load that Hischier carries every night.

“I don’t give Nico Hischier a very easy transition,” Keefe said Sunday. “He is very carefree in areas where we need him to take extra charge for our team.

“To have those numbers and still be aggressive, is tremendous.”

Hischier often plays second fiddle to superstar center Jack Hughes. But even the Devils’ record holder for single-season points can appreciate Hischier’s accomplishment.

“He’s headed for 1,000 [games]. I think 1,000 is a big number, right?” Hughes said of Hischier. “But he’s very young, and has already played 600 games, he just has to keep going and he’ll have a great career.”

The Devils would be wise to lock up Nico Hischier after this season

Hischier is eligible for a contract extension on July 1, and adding New Jersey’s captain should be priority No. 1 this offseason – on par with hiring a coach and/or general manager if the Harris/Blitzer ownership group decides to make a change.

The key to any future success for the Devils is Hischier, even more so than Hughes. Hughes has shown himself to be an integral player as the last two seasons have been prematurely ended by injury to No. 86, but the Devils won’t smell a Cup without Hischier’s two-way play.

Not re-signing Hischier would be one of the first signs of the roster falling apart, which some Devils fans might be able to stomach based on how attractive the potential of this core is. The group headlined by Hischier and Hughes will ultimately win nothing more than a first-round series over the New York Rangers in 2023, but management should keep giving it a chance.

But Hischier will have to stay, too. For what it’s worth, he’s talking like a player who wants to wear No. 13 in New Jersey for years to come.

“I am extremely grateful for [playing 600 games with the Devils],” Hischier said. “To be honest, it happens pretty fast. But I am grateful to have reached that milestone and hope there are more to come.”

Pat Pickens is an award-winning sports writer and author who has covered the NHL since 2013. He reveals more about Pat Pickens.

看看奎因·休斯在大樓裡時會發生什麼？新澤西魔鬼隊的曲棍球打得很棒。

現在，如果他穿著紅色和黑色的衣服就好了。

然而，這不應該影響魔鬼隊週一晚上的工作。新澤西隊在四場客場之旅中最不可能的比賽中止住了四場比賽的下滑。

這是我們幾個月來見過的魔鬼隊打得最好的曲棍球之一，讓人想起我們看到的球隊連續八場比賽獲勝。

現在，任何人都不應該說：“我們回來了。”

然而，生命的跡象當然是值得歡迎的，離外卡只有四分。

上一次魔鬼隊贏得一場重要比賽時，我們說這將是他們可以指出的一場比賽，並說這是一場翻盤的開始。我們不會是傻瓜，兩次做出同樣的假設，但贏得明尼蘇達州的第一個休斯碗一定意味著什麼，對吧？

讓我們進行一些觀察。

觀察結果

1. 主教練謝爾登·基夫選擇讓西蒙·內梅克替補，讓道吉·漢密爾頓進入首發陣容，這當然得到了回報。這位魔鬼隊的明星後衛現在處於一個尷尬的境地，他處於交易傳聞的中心。他本來不想離開，但現在他似乎被推出了門外。那麼，他該怎麼辦呢？提高他的貿易價值。週一他確實通過發揮自己的優勢做到了這一點。他在防守和中立區表現出色，但在冰面進攻端卻非常活躍。漢密爾頓移動他的腳步，權威地移動冰球，強行射門，並送出兩次主要助攻。 Dougie 的標誌性遊戲中唯一缺少的就是強力比賽中轟隆隆的拍板得分。道吉今晚向魔鬼隊報了仇。
2. 留在藍線上的喬納森·科瓦切維奇是魔鬼隊在上一場比賽中抓傷漢密爾頓時選擇的球員。他的第一個轉變很難看，我立即想到，“呃哦，魔鬼隊很快就要落後了。”馬修·博爾迪（Matthew Boldy）用棍子上的冰球飛過科瓦切維奇（Kovacevic），並與瑞安·哈特曼（Ryan Hartman）創造了一次奇人衝刺。哈特曼無法接住傳球，因此得分機會被否定。然而，對於科瓦切維奇來說，很明顯他的時機已經不對了。他捏得太高太晚了，失去了覆蓋範圍，這讓喬納斯·西根塔勒陷入了艱難的二對一局面。這只是他的第二場比賽，而且是背靠背的情況。我們會在這裡放他一馬。時間和位置意識應該伴隨更多的次數。
3. 尼科·希斯基爾今天戰勝了魔鬼隊。他是他們五個進球中四個進球的一個因素。他特別贏得了兩場沿牆的冰球大戰，分別是道森·默瑟為魔鬼隊打進的第一個進球，以及翁德雷·帕拉特打進的第二個進球。然後，當傑斯帕·布拉特擴大差距時，希斯基爾沒有計入進球表，但他——等等——在球門線以下贏得了另一場冰球大戰，這讓傑克·休斯被送上了冰面，這讓布拉特有機會得分。這很可能是希斯基爾本賽季最好的一場比賽。
   • 順便一提。帕拉特打進兩球？在他週日打了不到七分鐘之後？當然可以，為什麼不呢？打破了20場比賽的進球荒。他需要它。如果他不會被要求放棄不交易條款，那麼他就必須開始生產。也許他會多捐一點。
4. 在進入周一的最後五場比賽中，狂野隊分別出手 34、28、35、34 和 36 次。然而，週一魔鬼隊將荒野隊的射門次數限制在 22 次。魔鬼隊能夠通過兩種方式壓制投籃。第一，他們回到了一支控球率很高的球隊的根源。第二，他們堵塞了槽位，整夜限制了狂野的低危險機會。這無疑發揮了新澤西州的優勢。
5. 值得讚揚的是，雅各布·馬克斯特羅姆在明尼蘇達州表現出色。他抵禦了一些早期的狂野壓力，幫助魔鬼隊穩定了比賽，直到他們接管了冰球並最終取得領先。在剩下的比賽中，他幾乎沒有被召喚。然而，當他在的時候，他卻在幾個關鍵時刻出現了。然而，這就是魔鬼隊必須在他面前打的比賽。限制活動，就限制了錯誤。 22 次射門，20 次撲救是馬克斯特羅姆的標誌，他在本賽季的第 11 場胜利中，撲救超出預期 0.88 次。

詹姆斯是新澤西魔鬼隊擊敗新澤西曲棍球的記者，現在在 Sportsnaut 和 PHWA 上新…更多關於詹姆斯·尼科爾斯