Devils’ Nico Hischier out day-to-day

New Jersey Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe said postgame Saturday that captain Nico Hischier will be out day to day. Hischier took a cross-check to the ribs from Nick Suzuki during Saturday night’s 4-3 victory versus the Montreal Canadiens.

Hischier left the game in the third period, he tallied one goal earlier in the game.

Hischier is up to 24 goals and 19 assists for 43 points through 51 appearances this season so far. Hischier is second in Selke-Trophy odds, and is currently on pace to set a career-high 39 goals.

The Switzerland native tallied 27 goals and 40 assists for 67 points in 71 games during the 2023-24 campaign.

Hischier was the Devils’ first overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, and he’s spent the entirety of his eight-season NHL career in New Jersey. He’s currently in the fifth year of a seven-year contract with a $7.25 million cap hit, one that he signed as an extension in the final season of his entry-level contract in 2019.

The Devils injuries are starting to mount up, this comes one game after Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom suffered a sprained MCL in his left knee that will keep him out for four to six weeks.

New Jersey sits third in the Metropolitan Division with a 28-17-6 record and 62 points through 51 games. They trail the Carolina Hurricanes by two points. The Devils are slated to face the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday, before a rematch on Wednesday.

Full updates on Hischier’s status will come before Monday’s game versus the Flyers. If Hischier is to miss Monday’s contest, watch for Dawson Mercer to get moved up in the lines.