The New Jersey Devils and their captain Nico Hischier are closing in on a deal. According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, contract talks between the two sides have moved past the heaviest part of negotiations. That’s the kind of update Devils fans have been waiting for.
LeBrun reported Thursday night that the discussions are “over the hump” now. There is still some work left to finalize the extension, but the tone has shifted. And because Hischier has one year remaining on his current contract, nothing can be made official until July 1. Still, teams around the league that were hoping to pry him away are now reportedly moving on to other plans.
That part matters. Hischier has drawn plenty of interest from other clubs. But the Devils never seemed serious about letting him test the market. The captain has been with New Jersey since they drafted him first overall in 2017, and the organization clearly sees him as a cornerstone for the future.
LeBrun also broke down how the negotiations evolved. The Devils wanted to lock Hischier up long term from the start. His camp, led by agent Allain Roy, initially pushed for a shorter deal. Somewhere in the middle, they found common ground. That’s usually how these things go when both sides actually want to get it done.
A critical piece of the Devils’ turnaround
New Jersey is coming off a disappointing season and wants to bounce back in 2026-27. Bringing Hischier back is central to that plan. He’s not just the captain in name. He drives possession, kills penalties, and plays against other teams’ top lines every night.
Last season, Hischier put up 28 goals and 66 points over 82 games. Those numbers don’t tell the whole story. He’s one of those players whose impact shows up in the details. Faceoff wins. Defensive reads. The kind of stuff that doesn’t always show up on a scoresheet but wins you games in April and May.
The Devils have some cap flexibility, but locking up a player like Hischier at the right number is going to shape how they build the rest of the roster. If the extension gets done as expected, it frees up the front office to focus on other needs without worrying about their captain hitting the open market.
For now, the wait is mostly procedural. July 1 is the real deadline. But based on what LeBrun is hearing, the hard part is already behind them.
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