NHL: New Jersey Devils at Toronto Maple Leafs - Source: Imagn

Nico Hischier update: Devils HC Sheldon Keefe provides latest update on captain's injury

Modified Jan 27, 2025 18:44 GMT

New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier left the third period of Saturday's 4-3 overtime win over the Montreal Canadiens with an undisclosed injury. He was said to be day-to-day following the game, though it appears it could be more serious than that.

The 26-year-old has been ruled out of Monday's game in Philadelphia and has returned to New Jersey for further evaluation of the injury.

Coach Sheldon Keefe provided a more in-depth update on Hischier's status. Devils reporter Gabriel Trevino shared Keefe's comments on X (formerly Twitter).

"He's gone back to Jersey to get evaluated. We'll have more information once we get that figured out. ... He might have the hardest job in hockey right now; in terms of the level of competition he plays against, the face-offs, all three zones, penalty kill," Keefe said.

Expand Tweet

Hischier will miss his first game of the season on Monday night, having featured in all 51 of New Jersey's games thus far. The Devils are presently placed third in the Metropolitan Division, with a record of 28-17-6 (62 points).

Nico Hischier's odds of winning Selke Trophy

The Devils will certainly miss Nico Hischier for however long he remains sidelined from the lineup.

The captain has produced 43 points (24 goals, 19 assists), and a +11 rating in 51 games while playing a career-high 20:21 minutes a night. He also leads the NHL in faceoffs (1,220), and faceoff wins (677).

The first overall pick from the 2017 draft has become one of the best all-around players in hockey and it's now getting recognized around the league.

Prior to the injury, Hischier had the second shortest odds to win the Selke Trophy (best defensive forward in the league) at +300 according to the FanDuel Sportsbook. Only Aleksander Barkov at -260 has shorter odds of winning the award.

The Devils will hope that Nico Hischier returns as soon as possible.

New Jersey will take on a divisional opponent in the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday night at the Wells Fargo Center. The puck drops at 7 p.m. EST.

Nylander continues cold streak, dreadful PK, and more: 3 reasons why Toronto Maple Leafs lost 4-1 to Dallas Stars