Some of that drought has come with Hall sidelined by a right knee contusion, but it's also fair to wonder if Hischier is dealing with something that happens with a lot of rookies. Hischier played 57 games in the QMJHL last season, the most hockey he has played in his life. After going through training camp, preseason, and putting up 20 points in his first 27 NHL games, could it be that Hischier is struggling with the combination of workload and jumping from juniors to the top hockey league on Earth?
"I think there's a lot of truth to that, about guys hitting a wall," Devils coach John Hynes said. "But I think when you look at today's day and age with the sports science, there's no more morning skates, basically, there's lots of days off, you try to monitor what their workouts are based on what their minutes are played. So, I think that sometimes guys can hit a wall mentally, but I think with all the things that we try to do, and the things going on around the league of rest, recovery, I think it can help guys like that push right through and continue to play real well."
The evidence certainly exists that rookies can go through dry patches. Really, all players can, but it's instructive that Auston Matthews, last season's No. 1 pick, went through a five-game scoring drought in October and November, a stretch of seven games in January and February where he notched just one point, and a seven-game run of zeroes in March.
The previous two top picks were Connor McDavid, who missed half his rookie season due to injury, and Aaron Ekblad, a defenseman, but before that, Nathan MacKinnon had scoring droughts of five games in October and four in March, plus a one-point-in-five-games spell in January. Matthews and MacKinnon both won the Calder Trophy, so, what Hynes said about maintaining a high level of play certainly is true. While he has not been filling the scoresheet, Hischier has not felt worn down, nor has he noted a dip in his own play.
"I would lie if I would say it's easy, but it's going good so far, I think," Hischier said. "They treat us professional here. We have good recovery stuff to do and to help us with everything in recovery. I think it's just a thing, you've got to take care of yourself. Each player, you've got to take care of yourself, on an off day or whatever. I'm doing fine so far, I think."
Hischier thinks right, at least as far as his coach is concerned. Going a couple of weeks without scoring is tough, but there is more to Hischier's game than that, and he has stayed mentally strong throughout.
"Nico's been very good," Hynes said. "I think the consistency which he's played with has been impressive. Coming in, being the first-overall pick, we knew we were gonna get a player that's a great skater, high hockey intellect, can play both sides of the puck very well, which he does. He's been basically our No. 1 center as an 18-year-old. He plays power play, penalty kill, 3-on-3, 4-on-4, and he's done a very good job. He's one of these guys, as I've said before, his ability to be consistently good for such a young player has been impressive. He's not only a special player, but a special person."
