James NicholsWed, April 29, 2026 at 7:08 PM UTC·5 min readThe New Jersey Devils face perhaps the most pivotal offseason in the franchises history.
It’s an offseason where they can put their name back into the contender conversation. Or, it’s one where they can completely derail their trajectory which could set them back years. Another long-rebuild is not what Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment seemingly want to sign up for.
With cap space opening up and a new general manager making decisions, three key eligible extensions stand out: franchise captain Nico Hischier, former No.2 overall selection Simon Nemec, and standout rookie Arseny Gritsyuk.
So, how will Sunny Mehta settle these contracts this summer?
There’s a lot of Hischier discourse online these days.
The Devils’ captain is undoubetly an elite two-way center. In fact, he might be one of the best.
He becomes extension-eligible on July 1, 2027. Thus, Hischier has one year left on his seven-year, $7.25M AAV deal. Yet, there’s some urgency to get a contract done for the only centerman to reach 900 and 1,000 faceoff wins in 2025-26.
Most likely projection: Eight–year extension, $10.5–11.5M AAV
Despite the fan-made narrative, Hischier is a proven leader. His strong faceoff wins percentage cannot be undervalued and his penalty-killing contributions, and elite underlying metrics are impressive, even in a statistic off year while on a struggling team in 2025-26.
A natural stylistic comparison is Sasha Barkov of the Florida Panthers. Both are elite defensive centers who dominate in shutdown roles, the face-off dot, excel on the penalty kill, and provide leadership as captains.
Hischier’s Selke-level play echoes Barkov’s consistent excellence in that department.
The comparison has limits, however. Barkov is a true superstar with multiple 80–90 point seasons and a Stanley Cup pedigree.
Hischier on the other hand is a very good 60–70 point producer—with one 80-point season under his belt—which reflects that higher offensive tier and impact as opposed to superstar pedigree.
Therefore, Hischier’s profile could align better with some mid-20s elite-centers accounting for their percentage against the cap.
Dylan Larkin (Detroit, age 26 at signing): Eight years at 10.4% of the cap ($8.7M AAV).
Sebastian Aho (Carolina, age 26 at signing): Eight years at 11.7% of the cap ($9.75M AAV).
Roope Hintz (Dallas, age 26 at signing): Eight years at 10.1% of the cap ($8.45M AAV).
Hischier outperforms recent eight-year deals signed by lesser players at the time, such as Bo Horvat (eight years, 10.2%), Tomas Hertl (eight years, 9.9%), and Mark Scheifele (eight years, 9.7%).
Obviously, locking Hischier in now avoids 2027 UFA risk and cements a 1-2 down the middle alongside Jack Hughes long-term.
An eight-figure salary feels inevitable for the Devils captain.