Hischier, the No. 1 pick in the
2017 NHL Draft,
will arrive in New Jersey with similar pressure, but Hall and his teammates will attempt to lighten the load on the 18-year-old center.
"I don't think anyone is expecting him to score 100 points this season," Hall said Thursday at the annual Smashfest Charity Ping-Pong Challenge. "But we certainly do want him to be a valuable part of our team and to contribute and have some success. It's up to him how he does], but as a group we have to shelter him a bit and make sure he's comfortable."
The pressure facing a No. 1 pick may be more intense now than it was when Hall entered the NHL, given the success of the past two No. 1 picks, Connor McDavid of the Oilers in 2015 and Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2016. Hall said to expect a young player, no matter his pedigree, to score 40 goals in his rookie season, as Matthews did, or win the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP in his second season, as McDavid did, is unrealistic.
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"Not everybody is going to [do that]," said Hall, who played with McDavid in Edmonton two seasons ago. "I think that you have to come in and just worry about yourself as a player, improving in Year One, Year Two, Year Three and hopefully as the season goes along, [improve] in your first year.
"I watched a few clips from [Devils] development camp and [Hischier] looked great. I'm excited to get to camp and play with him. I've heard nothing but good things about him as a player and as a guy. He's a huge addition to our team."
Hall is trying to help the Devils end their five-season Stanley Cup Playoff drought. A veteran of 453 regular-season NHL games, Hall, 25, never has been to the postseason in his seven seasons in the League and said he's tired of his seasons ending in early April. The Devils had 70 points last season (28-40-14), fewest in the Eastern Conference.
"It would be great [to get to the playoffs]," Hall said. "I've had some long summers, and this one right now seems to probably be the longest one of all. I'd like to get to the playoffs, experience that spotlight, the energy, having your team be able to compete for the Stanley Cup. That's all I want to play for, so hopefully that happens soon.
"It's been seven years now for me without playoffs. I didn't go to the [IIHF] World Championship or have surgery or anything [this year], so it's just felt like a long summer, but I'm excited to get back to it."
The Devils have been active during the offseason. They signed unrestricted free agent center Brian Boyle on July 1 and acquired Marcus Johansson, a skilled offensive forward, in a trade from the Washington Capitals on July 2. The moves have left Hall eager for training camp to begin in September.
"We've got some good pieces," he said. "I don't think the team is done by any means. I think there still might be a couple things they're looking to do.
"But when you see Nico come along, Brian Boyle come in. The Johansson trade was huge for us, I think he's a great player, so that really gets you excited for camp and excited for the year. You want to play with those guys and see what they're all about, and hopefully we can build on last year."
