New Jersey Devils Q&A: On Hischier's scoring, Slafkovsky's upside, off-season targets, & more

I answered your questions re: the draft, trade targets, and the hottest topics surrounding the team.

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Only four teams remain in the NHL playoffs. As such, the vast majority of the league is fully engaged in off-season mode and preparing for all the action we’ll see in the months ahead

I wanted to do at least one more Q&A before the fireworks begin. Let’s get right to it.

Q: What do you think is Nico's ceiling for point production? Is his 70 pt pace from last season sustainable?

I think Nico can get to the point – no pun intended – where he averages one per game over the course of a full season. Perhaps even a little more with the way scoring is rising.

Hischier is a very efficient 5v5 player. He’s awesome in transition, he sets up a bunch of chances for his wingers upon entry, and he is making strides as a finisher as well.

He just set a career high in goals in the NHL and was converting on seemingly everything for Switzerland at the World Hockey Championships.

With better linemates – Bratt is great, but it was essentially a 50/50 chance whether Nico was with him in 2021-22 – and a useful power play where Nico can, you know, pick up a few points, I think 80+ could be in the cards.

Q: What's Juraj Slafkovsky's real upside? It seems like some love him and others don't

I think Juraj Slafkovsky can be a top line player. There are some holes in this game; at times he runs himself out of real estate while challenging anyone and everyone wide. But there is so much to like with him.

He is extremely confident carrying the puck and plays with great gravity; he draws a lot of attention to himself and is capable of making passes all over the ice to open teammates. He has a very nice release with his shot. And he’s very good off puck.

His stick checking and pick pocketing ability lead to a lot of extra possessions for his teams – often against unset defenses – and he is dangerous in those situations.

I think his skillset could perfectly compliment a Jack Hughes or Nico Hischier. He’ll work to get them pucks back, he’ll take pressure off them through the neutral zone, and he can finish chances they create for him.

Q: Do you have an update on Damon Severson’s contract situation?

I do. The update is that there is no update at all. There have been no preliminary talks regarding an extension or what it might look like.

I wouldn’t read too much into that, though. The Devils kept Severson post-deadline, presumably with the intention of keeping him around if terms are reasonable.

Tom Fitzgerald is also knee-deep in draft preparation, not to mention trying to extend restricted free agents like Jesper Bratt. That gets priority over talking extension with Severson when he’s not even eligible to sign for more than a month.

I’m sure the Devils will get to it in due time.

Q: What do you believe Jonas Siegenthaler and Damon Severson extensions would look like?