Hughes and Hischier Land in the NHL's Top 20 at Center — Now Comes the Hard Part

The NHL named Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier top-20 centers on Sunday night, a recognition that confirms what New Jersey's offense has been built around. Hughes posted 11 goals and 21 assists in just 31 games last season before his year was cut short; Hischier put up 15 goals and 21 assists across 48 games while carrying the captain's burden through a volatile stretch that saw the Devils finish 42–40 and out of the playoffs.

The timing is notable. Both players enter 2026–27 as certified franchise cornerstones at the same moment the roster around them has been significantly reshaped. The Devils dealt Jacob Markstrom to Florida and Simon Nemec to Calgary this offseason, subtracting a proven starting goaltender and a young defenseman who was one of their more reliable plus-minus contributors. The additions — Anthony Mantha on a two-year deal and Arseny Gritsyuk locked up for three more years — address the wings, not the net.

That gap matters because the center depth is only as valuable as the structure supporting it. New Jersey's 42 wins last season came with a goal differential of -24 and a Pythagorean expectation that suggested a worse record. The close-game execution that kept them afloat is not a reliable foundation. Having two top-20 centers is a genuine asset. Whether it's enough depends on questions the offseason hasn't yet answered.