One of the background narratives this offseason is the New Jersey Devils’ contract negotiations with captain Nico Hischier.
Insider Kevin Weekes delivered an encouraging update on Thursday, claiming that the Devils and Hischier were close to a mid-range deal that would keep the first-overall pick from 2017 in the Garden State for a few more seasons.
👀 Although talks are ongoing, my speculation is that C Hischier and @NJDevils will land on a medium term contract extension somewhere between
— Kevin Weekes (@KevinWeekes) June 11, 2026
11M- 13M range … #HockeyX pic.twitter.com/UgX43i5Cjj
That’s all well and nice, but the Devils should tread lightly, as the current situation between the Detroit Red Wings and Dylan Larkin should serve as a cautionary tale.
One of the talking points making the rounds was the purported animosity stemming from Larkin’s last contract negotiation with the Red Wings in 2023. While the parties agreed to an eight-year, $69.6 million contract, it didn’t come without some headbashing.
That’s something that weighed on Larkin’s shoulders despite his best efforts to win. Unfortunately, the Red Wings couldn’t win, and the 29-year-old ran out of patience.
While this statement doesn’t mean that the Devils should treat Hischier with kid gloves, it does mean that the Sunny Mehta regime should take care to avoid any posturing that could rub the Hischier club the wrong way.
That’s especially important if Hischier’s next contract is, say, a three-year pact. Considering where the NHL salary cap is going, plenty of stars will opt for shorter-term deals. Hence, the Devils can’t afford to leave any bad blood, as slight as it might be, between them and their captain.
Pressure will be on Devils to win ASAP
Realistically, “winning” doesn’t mean expecting to land the Stanley Cup next season. But at the very least, the Devils should return to the playoffs. If they can do that, it would send a signal to players and fans that the organization is making headway.
That wasn’t the case with Larkin in Detroit. In fact, things got to the point where Larkin publicly lashed out at Detroit’s inability to land major reinforcements at the 2024 trade deadline.
That hopefully won’t be the case with Hischier in New Jersey. But you have to think that situation could factor into the calculus of Hischier’s next contract, at least from his side. That’s why, in a way, bringing in Sunny Mehta now was the right move. Unlike Detroit, Hischier has the hope of dealing with a new administration that can at least offer a path forward. That might not have been the case had Tom Fitzgerald remained at the helm.
Ultimately, the Devils have a significant task ahead of them. And it seems that a short-term deal with a cap hit around $11 million or so might be the best bet.
