The New Jersey Devils, according to the National Hockey League, have two top-20 centers in the game right now.
Jack Hughes came in as the 10th-best center in the league, while Nico Hischier checked in at #15. The Edmonton Oilers, with Connor McDavid (#1) and Leon Draisaitl (#4), are the only other team with two on this list.
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Each of them had a different path to finding their way on the list. For Hughes, it’s all about speed, skill, and offensive production. In addition to winning the Gold Medal with Team USA by scoring the Golden Goal in the NHL, he is a sure-fire point-per-game player. If he stays healthy going forward, there will be Devils records for him to surpass in the future.
As for Nico Hischier, he is a top two-way player in the game. His name, although he has only finished second, is often in the Selke Trophy conversations.
While being as responsible as you can be in the defensive zone, Hischier makes things happen in the offensive zone as well. He isn’t as flashy as some other players on the list, but he is good for 28-35 goals in any given year, and he will always be right around a point per game.
Others on the list include Macklin Celebrini (#3), Jack Eichel (#6), Sidney Crosby (#7), and Connor Bedard (#16). The rest can be seen below:
Having two elite centers is a large key to winning big in the playoffs. New Jersey has that, as long as they stay healthy. If they can get what they need from the rest of the roster, these two should be leaders on a great team in 2026-27.
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