Devils signs Nico Hischier to 7-year extension
The New Jersey Devils have locked up former No. 1 overall draft pick Nico Hischier to a seven-year, $50.75-million contract, the team announced Friday.
Hischier will earn $7.25 million on an annual basis when the extension kicks in next season, putting him on track to be the highest-paid forward on the Devils. This likely will change, of course, if the Devils can successfully retain pending unrestricted free agent Taylor Hall, who will surely command more than defenseman P.K. Subban’s team-high annual salary of $9 million.
Here’s how the contract breaks down, according to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston:
Nico Hischier's extension also includes a modified no-trade clause in the eligible years.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) October 18, 2019
Chosen first overall in 2017, Hischier has scored 37 goals and registered 101 points in two-plus seasons in New Jersey. He hasn’t matched the production of the two game-changing centres chosen with the top selection right before him, but Hischier, 20, remains a productive and important member of the Devils’ top six, and an important building block to continue to surround with talent.
Hischier will have to improve on his production to live up to the expectations tied to earning over $7 million for the next seven seasons, but the deal could work out well in the organization’s favour if he continues to build on an upward trajectory.
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