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Nico Hischier

#13 · Centre · New Jersey Devils

Born Jan 4, 1999 in Naters, CHE (age 27) · 6'1", 200 lb · Shoots left · Drafted 1st overall in 2017 by NJD (round 1)

Trophy case

E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence Draft Prospect Award 2016-17

Compare with a similar player

The forwards closest to him in points in 2019-20. Pick one to see the two side by side, or choose someone else.

Martin Necas CAR · 36 P in 64 GP Nazem Kadri COL · 36 P in 51 GP Oliver Bjorkstrand CBJ · 36 P in 49 GP Ryan Johansen NSH · 36 P in 68 GP Tomas Hertl SJS · 36 P in 48 GP

Career

Regular season games only. Pick a season to see its game log below. Cap hit is what he counted against the salary cap that season, where it is known.

0204060802017-18: 52 points5217-182018-19: 47 points4718-192019-20: 36 points3619-202020-21: 11 points1120-212021-22: 60 points6021-222022-23: 80 points8022-232023-24: 67 points6723-242024-25: 69 points6924-252025-26: 66 points6625-262026-27: 3 points326-27

Points by season. The darker bar is the season shown below.

Season Team GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Cap hit
2017-18 NJD 82 20 32 52 10 26 180 56 0.63 $925K
2018-19 NJD 69 17 30 47 0 24 160 53 0.68 $925K
2019-20 NJD 58 14 22 36 -16 12 123 48 0.62 $925K
2020-21 NJD 21 6 5 11 -9 4 44 11 0.52 $7.25M
2021-22 NJD 70 21 39 60 -1 17 153 50 0.86 $7.25M
2022-23 NJD 81 31 49 80 33 10 256 34 0.99 $7.25M
2023-24 NJD 71 27 40 67 -5 12 182 44 0.94 $7.25M
2024-25 NJD 75 35 34 69 9 20 187 44 0.92 $7.25M
2025-26 NJD 82 28 38 66 -6 29 211 58 0.80 $7.25M
2026-27 NJD 4 2 1 3 1 0 9 3 0.75 $7.25M
10 seasons Career 613 201 290 491 16 154 1505 401 0.80

Playoffs

Playoff games only. Pick a season to see that year's bracket.

Season Team GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP
2017-18 NJD 5 1 0 1 -4 0 6 9 0.20
2022-23 NJD 12 1 6 7 -5 2 33 26 0.58
2024-25 NJD 5 4 0 4 0 0 16 11 0.80
3 seasons Playoffs 22 6 6 12 -9 2 55 46 0.55

2019-20 season totals

GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Shooting % Avg TOI
58 14 22 36 -16 12 123 48 0.62 11.4 18:04

Contract

$925KCap hitends in 2020, then extended to 2027
$26KCap dollars per point36 points in 58 games
$113KCap dollars per goal above replacement8.2 goals above replacement
$7.5MWorth at the going ratewhat teams paid for a season like his
+$6.6MValueworth minus cap hit; below zero is overpaid

His cap hit for the whole season, set against what he did in the regular season. Lower is better value. In a season still being played the cost per point starts high and falls as the games add up. Value is coloured by where it ranks among the 668 ranked skaters whose contract is known. How value is worked out.

The contract

Signed by the New Jersey Devils on Jul 15, 2017, as an entry-level contract: 3 years and $11.325M, beginning in 2017-18. It runs through 2019-20, so this is its last season, and his extension takes over. His next contract is already signed: an extension with the New Jersey Devils on Oct 18, 2019, 7 years and $50.75M at $7.25M a season, beginning in 2020-21.

Season Cap hit Base salary Signing bonus Performance bonuses Paid in all Clause
2017-18 $925K $833K $93K $2.85M $925K
2018-19 $925K $833K $93K $2.85M $925K
2019-20 $925K $833K $93K $2.85M $925K

Each season of the contract, with this one marked. The cap hit is the same every year; what he is paid is not. The pay is as written when the contract was recorded in October 2024, so a later change, such as the rise in the lowest salary for 2026-27, is not shown.

Contracts he has signed

Signed Signed by Kind Seasons Years In all Cap hit
Jul 1, 2026 New Jersey Devils Extension 2027-28 to 2031-32 5 $58.5M $11.7M
Oct 18, 2019 New Jersey Devils Extension not begun 2020-21 to 2026-27 7 $50.75M $7.25M
Jul 15, 2017 New Jersey Devils Entry-level 2017-18 to 2019-20 3 $11.325M $925K

Every contract on record for him, newest first, with the team that signed him to it and the day it was signed. The one covering 2019-20 is marked. An extension is signed while the contract before it is still running, often a year ahead. A row with no team or date is a contract known only by its cap hit, most often one signed since October 2024.

2019-20 analytics

Rating

+8.2Goals above replacement81st of 670 skaters, 62nd of 439 forwards
+1.4Wins above replacementgoals above replacement divided by six
+5.3Goals above averagethe five parts below added up

Each number is coloured by where it ranks among the 439 ranked forwards: green is in the top fifth and red the bottom fifth, with paler shades in between and amber for the middle. Hover over a tile for its percentile.

Even-strength offence+1.1 66th percentileEven-strength defence+0.1 48th percentilePower play+1.1 91st percentilePenalty kill+0.3 83rd percentilePenalties+2.7 98th percentile

The goals he added to his team's goal difference, compared with a spare-part player given the same ice time. Each part is measured against the league, so zero is an average skater, and the rank beside it is among forwards. A full season is about two-thirds the player and one-third chance. Before 2023-24 the NHL timed events less exactly, and differently from rink to rink, so expected goals for this season are rougher than for recent ones.

05101520252017-182019-202021-222023-242025-26Goals above replacementGoals above replacement, by season

On the ice

What happened at five-on-five while he was on the ice. What these numbers mean

47.8Corsi for %693 attempts for, 756 against
+1.3CF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
48.8Expected goals for %33.8 expected for, 35.4 against
+2.6xGF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
49.1Fenwick for %unblocked attempts
44.4Goals for %28 for, 35 against
98.5PDO7.3% shooting + 91.2% saves
140Attempts takenhis own shot attempts

Each share is coloured by where it ranks among the 583 skaters who played enough to be ranked: green is in the top fifth and red the bottom fifth, with paler shades in between and amber for the middle. Hover over a tile for its percentile. PDO and attempts taken are left plain, since neither is good or bad on its own.

Who he played with

Forward lineGPTimeCF%xGF%Goals
Kyle Palmieri · Taylor Hall · Nico Hischier23148:4548.748.18-6
Kyle Palmieri · Jesper Bratt · Nico Hischier19144:0949.857.88-2
Kyle Palmieri · Nico Hischier · Jack Hughes1090:4942.348.00-3
Pavel Zacha · Jesper Bratt · Nico Hischier853:5958.044.03-4

The lines he spent the most time in at five-on-five, with the team's share of the shot attempts and expected goals, and the goals for and against, while they were out. The two shares are coloured as above, against the league's lines that played a fair amount together. Hover over one for its percentile.

Chances and finishing

Expected goals adds up how likely each of his shots was to go in, judged by where it came from, what kind of shot it was and whether it was a rebound. All situations, leaving out shots at an empty net. Before 2023-24 the NHL timed events less exactly, and differently from rink to rink, so expected goals for this season are rougher than for recent ones.

14Goalsnot counting empty-netters
16.2Expected goalsfrom 173 unblocked attempts
-2.2Goals above expectedgoals minus expected goals
Chances created 0.93 expected goals per 60 minutes76th
Shot quality 9.4% chance per attempt85th
Finishing -2.2 goals above expected26thOne season of finishing is mostly luck.

Each bar shows the share of forwards he is ahead of, among the 410 who played 300 minutes or more this season.

051015Game 20Game 40Expected 16.2Goals 14

His goals and his expected goals as the season went on. When the goals line pulls away above, he is scoring more than his chances were worth; below, less.

Where he shot from

Every attempt he took this season, in all situations, attacking the net on the right. Darker red means more attempts from that spot, and each dot is a goal. "Show every shot" switches to a dot for each attempt, bigger for a better chance. Click a goal for its details.

Game log

Date Opponent Result G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits TOI
Mar 10, 2020 vs PIT L 2-5 0 1 1 -3 0 5 0 18:54
Mar 7, 2020 @ NYR W 6-4 0 1 1 0 2 1 1 16:29
Mar 6, 2020 vs STL W 4-2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 17:31
Mar 3, 2020 @ VGK L 0-3 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 18:10
Mar 1, 2020 @ ANA W 3-0 1 0 1 1 0 3 1 16:21
Feb 29, 2020 @ LAK L 1-2 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 0 3 0 16:42
Feb 27, 2020 @ SJS L 2-3 (OT) 0 0 0 -2 0 1 0 20:20
Feb 25, 2020 @ DET W 4-1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 19:44
Feb 22, 2020 vs WSH W 3-2 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 17:25
Feb 20, 2020 vs SJS W 2-1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 18:27
Feb 18, 2020 @ STL L 0-3 0 0 0 -2 0 2 1 19:46
Feb 16, 2020 vs CBJ W 4-3 (SO) 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 17:48
Feb 1, 2020 vs DAL L 2-3 (OT) 1 0 1 1 0 2 2 13:51
Jan 30, 2020 vs NSH L 5-6 (SO) 0 1 1 2 0 1 2 21:03
Jan 27, 2020 @ OTT W 4-3 (SO) 0 1 1 0 0 1 2 22:13
Jan 18, 2020 @ CBJ L 0-5 0 0 0 -1 0 5 0 17:55
Jan 16, 2020 @ WSH L 2-5 0 1 1 -2 0 1 1 17:59
Jan 14, 2020 @ TOR L 4-7 0 0 0 -2 0 1 1 19:20
Jan 12, 2020 vs TBL W 3-1 0 0 0 -1 0 2 1 19:27
Jan 11, 2020 @ WSH W 5-1 2 0 2 2 2 2 1 17:18
Jan 9, 2020 @ NYR L 3-6 0 0 0 0 2 4 0 17:03
Jan 7, 2020 vs NYI L 3-4 (OT) 1 1 2 -1 0 5 1 19:35
Jan 4, 2020 vs COL L 2-5 0 0 0 -1 0 1 0 21:51
Jan 2, 2020 @ NYI W 2-1 1 0 1 0 0 4 0 20:12
Dec 31, 2019 vs BOS W 3-2 (SO) 0 1 1 1 0 3 0 20:03
Dec 29, 2019 @ OTT W 4-3 (OT) 1 0 1 -1 0 5 0 19:01
Dec 27, 2019 vs TOR L 4-5 (OT) 1 2 3 1 0 1 0 19:33
Dec 23, 2019 @ CHI W 7-1 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 18:00
Dec 21, 2019 @ CBJ L 1-5 0 0 0 -1 0 1 0 16:37
Dec 20, 2019 vs WSH L 3-6 0 1 1 -2 0 1 0 19:19
Dec 18, 2019 vs ANA W 3-1 1 0 1 2 2 2 2 18:34
Dec 14, 2019 @ ARI W 2-1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 18:58
Dec 13, 2019 @ COL L 1-3 0 0 0 -1 0 2 0 20:19
Dec 3, 2019 vs VGK L 3-4 1 0 1 0 0 3 3 18:18
Dec 2, 2019 @ BUF L 1-7 1 0 1 0 0 3 3 16:52
Nov 30, 2019 vs NYR L 0-4 0 0 0 -2 0 3 1 21:16
Nov 28, 2019 @ MTL W 6-4 0 1 1 -2 0 4 0 17:26
Nov 26, 2019 vs MIN L 2-3 0 1 1 0 2 2 1 17:18
Nov 23, 2019 vs DET W 5-1 0 1 1 3 0 4 0 18:13
Nov 22, 2019 @ PIT L 1-4 0 1 1 0 0 0 4 17:17
Nov 19, 2019 vs BOS L 1-5 0 0 0 -1 0 2 0 15:51
Nov 16, 2019 @ MTL W 4-3 (OT) 1 1 2 0 0 3 1 20:15
Nov 15, 2019 vs PIT W 2-1 0 0 0 0 0 4 4 19:12
Nov 13, 2019 vs OTT L 2-4 0 1 1 0 0 2 0 19:08
Nov 10, 2019 @ VAN W 2-1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 15:43
Nov 8, 2019 @ EDM L 0-4 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 16:48
Nov 7, 2019 @ CGY L 2-5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 14:38
Nov 5, 2019 @ WPG W 2-1 (SO) 1 0 1 0 0 4 1 19:58
Nov 2, 2019 @ CAR W 5-3 1 0 1 0 0 2 1 16:17
Nov 1, 2019 vs PHI L 3-4 (SO) 0 1 1 0 0 4 0 19:23
Oct 30, 2019 vs TBL L 6-7 (OT) 0 2 2 -1 2 4 0 15:08
Oct 25, 2019 vs ARI L 3-5 0 0 0 -2 0 0 1 13:14
Oct 14, 2019 vs FLA L 4-6 0 0 0 -1 0 1 0 05:22
Oct 12, 2019 @ BOS L 0-3 0 0 0 -1 0 1 0 18:03
Oct 10, 2019 vs EDM L 3-4 (SO) 0 1 1 2 0 3 0 20:41
Oct 9, 2019 @ PHI L 0-4 0 0 0 -2 0 0 3 18:25
Oct 5, 2019 @ BUF L 2-7 0 1 1 0 0 2 1 16:52
Oct 4, 2019 vs WPG L 4-5 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 20:06