Devils make Nico Hischier injured reserve decision

Hischier has been designated “week-to-week” and placed on injured reserve after taking a crosscheck from Nick Suzuki. He has already missed four games, in which the Devils are 2-2. Despite the absence, Hischier leads New Jersey with 24 goals. His career high is 31, which he is on pace to smash when he comes back.

Hischier is not the only Devils player out for an extended period. Jacob Markstrom will miss the 4 Nations Face-Off with a sprained MCL and defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler will “miss some time.” This is a harsh reminder of last year when the Devils missed the playoffs despite Stanley Cup aspirations because of injuries.

The Devils have not announced what Hischier’s injury is, so his exact timeline is completely unknown. The good news for New Jersey is the 4 Nations tournament is just a few days away and they will have two weeks off. Hischier’s native Switzerland is not in the tournament, so he will have that time to rest and recover.

How can the Devils replace Nico Hischier at the trade deadline?

There are only a few games left for the Devils before the March 7 trade deadline. Hischier is an elite defensive center who has turned up his offensive games in recent years. Players of his caliber are not usually available at the deadline and the seller’s market will hurt New Jersey.

The best center yet to be traded is Brock Nelson, who may stay with the New York Islanders considering their recent hot stretch. If they can pry him away from former Devils GM Lou Lamoriello before March 7, it would put them in the highest tier of contenders. But the other options available would not be enough to put them back in the division race

Kraken center Yanni Gourde would help replace Hischier’s defensive abilities without providing top-end scoring. He has won two Stanley Cups with the Tampa Bay Lightning and is a former teammate of Devils’ winger Ondrej Palat. The fit would be natural and not duplicative of Hischier when he does come back.

The Devils should make a trade to go all-in on this core this season, assuming Hischier and Markstrom can come back this season.