Devils’ Nico Hischier to return after 6-game absence due to oblique injury

New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier will make his return to the lineup Saturday versus the Dallas Stars after missing the past six games due to an oblique injury, Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed Saturday per team reporter Amanda Stein.

Sidelined since late January, Hischier has made 51 appearances with the Devils this season in which he has recorded 24 goals and 19 assists to sit third in team scoring with 43 points. Originally chosen by New Jersey atop the 2017 NHL Draft, the 26-year-old Swiss-born forward is skating in his eighth season with the Devils. A year ago, Hischier reached near point-per-game production as he tallied 27 goals and 40 assists through 71 appearances. Hischier reached a career-high 80 points with the Devils in 2022-23. Through two stints in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Hischier has added two goals and six assists for eight points across 17 postseason appearances.

Beyond Hischier, Keefe also confirmed Saturday that the Devils will see the return of center Jack Hughes, who rejoins the team following his recent participation with Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off. Through four appearances at the inaugural tournament, the 23-year-old Orlando, Fla., native finished with one assist en route to a second-place finish. On the season, Hughes and Hischier both pace the Devils with 24 goals, while Hughes headlines the squad with 65 points coming in 57 games. The first-overall selection from the 2019 NHL Draft, Hughes has racked up 346 points across six seasons and 363 career contests with New Jersey.

Entering Saturday’s contest against the Stars, the Devils sit third place in the Metropolitan Division with a 31-20-6 record and 68 points, two points back of the second place Carolina Hurricanes. The Devils have qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs two times in the past 12 years.