New York Rangers general manager Chris Drury banked on his decision to keep center Vincent Trocheck past the trade deadline would pay off. For the most part it was, as Trocheck was the top center available this offseason, whether it was in free agency or on the trade block. But then, Dylan Larkin requested a trade from the Detroit Red Wings, and thus instantly supplanting him as the top center. With Larkin, however, he initially submitted a three-team trade list, thus limiting his potential market. However, the Red Wings reportedly asked Larkin to expand his list of preferred destinations.
There was another center that was potentially available, and that was Nico Hischier of the rival New Jersey Devils. Hischier has one year left on his contract before hitting free agency, and there was debate as to whether or not the Devils and new general manager Sunny Mehta would be able to finalize a contract extension with him. If not, there was a chance he could be traded, especially to a center-needy team. However, the latter doesn't appear to be happening.
ESPN's Kevin Weekes posted on X on Thursday that his "speculation" is that Hischier and the Devils will finalize a "medium term contract extension" with an annual salary between $11-13 million.
👀 Although talks are ongoing, my speculation is that C Hischier and @NJDevils will land on a medium term contract extension somewhere between
— Kevin Weekes (@KevinWeekes) June 11, 2026
11M- 13M range … #HockeyX pic.twitter.com/UgX43i5Cjj
Nico Hischier contract update helps Vincent Trocheck's market, but it keeps him as Rangers rival
There is good and bad regarding this news. Let's start with the good. The good thing is that if Hischier were to be available via a trade, he'd leap over Trocheck on the available center rankings. Thus, the Rangers would wait a bit longer to find a trade partner. Or, the options would be limited, which wouldn't bode well for a return. Hischier would be a fit for teams looking for a center, Minnesota Wild and Montreal Canadiens if he were to be made available in a trade, two teams that could use Trocheck.
Then, there's the bad news — Hischier staying in New Jersey for the foreseeable future. While Jack Hughes does get the majority of the attention, and understandably so, Hischier is a truly underrated and good player. In the past five seasons, Hischier is a consistent 60-point-plus player. His best year was in 2022-23, where he put up 31 goals and 49 assists for 80 points. This past season, Hischier recorded 66 points (28 goals, 38 assists) in 82 games.
For Rangers fans, they know just how much of a pain it is to play against Hischier. In 32 career games against the Rangers, Hischier has 26 points (eight goals, 18 assists). The only team Hischier is more productive against are the Washington Capitals, who he put up 30 points in 30 career games against.
It will be interesting to see what Weekes means by a "medium term" contract. But things appear to be trending towards the former No. 1 overall pick staying in New Jersey for longer, and continuing to be a rival of the Rangers.
But, maybe Hischier staying will help out Trocheck's market. Of course, that all depends on when the huge Larkin domino falls, and how much he'll go for.
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