Former Devil shockingly admits New Jersey was close to drafting Avalanche standout over Hischier
Photo credit: Rich Graessle / NHLI
When the New Jersey Devils secured the first-overall pick in 2017, it was widely believed their choice would come down to either Nolan Patrick or Nico Hischier.
Ultimately, the Devils went with Hischier, a decision that proved wise, as he has become of the league's top two-way forwards and now serves as the team's captain.
Former Devils confirm Hischier wasn't always top choice and wanted Makar instead.
Daniel Amoia from The Hockey Writers reports that a recent discussion on the One Time All-Stars podcast, featuring former Devils Corey Schneider and Brian Boyle, revealed that the Devils had actually debated making a slight reach to select Cale Makar, who is now considered one of the greatest NHL's best defenseman.
«I recall going up to the offices with [general manager] Ray [Shero] for a postseason meeting. They have their giant draft board with the magnets of the [prospect] names on them. It was mostly covered up, but you could see at the top, it was Hischier, Makar and Heiskanen. Those three names were grouped together. And then a separate section was Patrick, whoever else, and whoever else. I do think they were considering Makar and Heiskanen at #1 () This could be all happenstance, and those names just happened to be together, but I feel like based on my discussions with RayI think Makar was definitely in the mix for that first pick.» -Schneider
Looking back, Makar might have been the smarter choice over Hischier, boasting an impressive 428 points in 395 games as a defenseman, along with a stellar +136 rating.
"However, he didn't have quite the same pedigree then, since he unconventionally developed in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) as opposed to the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) like most. If he did play in the CHL, there's a very good chance he would have gone first. Instead, the slight question mark saw him slip to the Avalanche at #4." -Amoia
Believe or not, Hischier has only two seasons left on his contract, which expires after the 2026-27 season. However, it's difficult to envision a scenario where he doesn't stay with the Devils long-term.
"The biggest difference between Makar and Heiskanen versus Hischier is that the latter has experienced a lot less winning. Makar is a Stanley Cup Champion and Heiskanen, while cup-less, has played in 93 Stanley Cup playoff games." -Amoia
Hischier has appeared in only 22 playoff games and has won just one series in his nine-year career so far. The Devils face a crucial offseason if they want to achieve their goals and help their captain finally bring their captain some hardware.
| POLL | ||
JUIN 23 | 25 ANSWERS Former Devil shockingly admits New Jersey was close to drafting Avalanche standout over Hischier Who would you have selected first overall at the 2017 NHL Draft? | ||
| Nico Hischier | 2 | 8 % |
| Cale Makar | 23 | 92 % |
| List of polls | ||
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