New Jersey Devils: Biggest questions entering the 2018-2019 season

Will Nico fall victim to the sophomore slump?

The most obvious concern for the Devils is this. Will Nico endure the sophomore slump?

In the last slide, we talked about how another Devils player, like Nico Hischier, will need to close the gap on Taylor Hall’s production.

However, the question is not as much as does he need to as it is can he be more productive?

The answer is a tough one because what defines a slump season or bad season is very loose. If Nico has three fewer points than his 52 from last year, it is technically a worse season.

But, if he scores more points, but the Devils themselves are worse, it is not as successful of a season.

So, with Nico we just have to look at how he plays.

If Nico is on the ice and makes players visibly better without blowing up the stat sheet, then that is encouraging.

If Nico is a chess piece used to throw off other teams so others can be more productive, that is valuable.

So, we shouldn’t look solely at point totals for Nico this season. That can vary based on other things and the Devils’ approach.

If Nico goes this whole season and does not show he is smarter, faster, and learning the NHL game, them that would be a bad season.

So, the only way Nico hits the sophomore slump is if he shows that he is not constantly learning.

He can’t make the same mistakes as last season and needs to stat fulfilling his potential even more so.

But to answer the question, no.

Nico will not have a sophomore slump. Keep an eye on him, but he is way too talented and smart to fall off the radar this season he will help the Devils again.