With NHL free agency about one month away, the rumors are already swirling on what kind of blockbuster trades we can expect to happen this offseason.
According to Pierre LeBrun, writer and sportscaster for the Sports Network, reported that the Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, and Montreal Canadiens are among several teams that will be interested in Nico Hischier if he becomes available in this summer’s trade market.
While Lebrun reported that an extension remains as the most likely outcome for Hischier to remain with the New Jersey Devils, there is still a possibility that he will hit the trade market, which would create one of the biggest offseason storylines if he gets moved.
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For years now, the Los Angeles Kings have searched for a solution down the middle to solve their center position. With Anze Kopitar retiring, there are still question marks about who will take the mantle and become the next captain of the Kings organization.
Hischier in a Kings uniform will instantly change that conversation. The 27-year-old Devils captain has quickly developed into one of the best two-way centers in the NHL. Known for his leadership and offensive consistency, Hischier represents the exact type of player the Kings have been searching for in line with their organizational identity.
The Swiss hockey star finished this season with 28 goals, 38 assists, and 66 points playing all 82 games. Hischier has consistently stayed healthy every season, averaging 70 games played over the last five seasons, but it hasn’t translated into wins.
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In nine seasons, Hischier has qualified for the playoffs just three times and won only one playoff series, in the 2022-23 season. The Devils, as a franchise, have struggled to stay consistent throughout Hischier’s tenure with the team, currently sitting as just an average or good team, despite being loaded with top-tier offensive talent.
When healthy, players like Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, and Timo Meier form one of the most dangerous and skilled offensive cores in the NHL.
But outside of their top lines, the team’s depth and bottom-six forwards have frequently struggled to consistently generate offense or control play.
If Hischier wants a change of scenario, instead of constantly running it back with the same team and roster and remaining average at best, the Kings should put all the chips on the table for a potential trade this summer.
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Now, there is no rumored package or deal that LA can offer New Jersey to acquire Hischier, but it will likely include some of their young talent and multiple draft picks that New Jersey can use to build for their future.
Hischier signed a seven-year contract with the New Jersey Devils, carrying an average annual value of $7,250,000 million in the 2020-21 season and will expire at the end of the 2026-27 season, which will have him as an unrestricted free agent.
If no trade or contract extension happens, LA can wait until the summer of 2027 to pursue him as a free agent, but the risk is that Hischer may be interested in signing with the Kings or taking his talents elsewhere, where he feels he has a better chance of winning.
No matter what happens with Hischier this offseason, if he becomes available for a trade, the Kings have no choice but to pull the trigger and make a serious call to go all out for the star center.
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