The New Jersey Devils see centers Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier make the list on the annual NHL Network rankings of top centers in the League. Hughes is ranked 10th, while Hischier is ranked 15th heading into the 2025-26 season. It is the third straight year both Devils centers have made the NHL Network’s Top 20 Centers list.
New Jersey Devils Need Jack Hughes to Stay Healthy
Golden Boy Jack Hughes rose from 14 to 10 despite missing some games in the first half of the season due to hand surgery, while Hischier dropped one spot from 14 to 15. However, one thing keeps coming up: Jack Hughes’s health moving forward for the Devils.
Introducing NHL Network’s Top 20 Centers Right Now!
What do you think of the list? #NHLTopPlayers pic.twitter.com/MAnVxVBLrM
— NHL Media (@NHLMedia) August 24, 2026
As TheDevilsNation.com has documented, the Devils season always rides on the health of Jack Hughes and whether he can stay healthy a full season.
‘Golden Goal’ scorer and @NJDevils star Jack Hughes comes in at #⃣🔟 on NHL Network’s Top 20 Centers Right Now list! 🏅
📺: #NHLTopPlayers on NHL Network pic.twitter.com/suoFSMDmeJ
— NHL Media (@NHLMedia) August 23, 2026
New Jersey Devils Watching Quinn Hughes Situation in Minnesota Closely
He played close to 82 games once in his career with the Devils and fell one point shy of getting 100 points. In 22-23, he played 78 games and recorded 99 points. Outside of that, he has played in an average of 60 games in his first seven years in the league, two of which were shortened because of COVID-19.
Yeah, I mean that’s been the nature of this list. Whenever we speak about Jack Hughes for a number of years now, and it’s going to continue to be that because he hasn’t played that 82-game season or 84. Hopefully, he’ll be able to play this year for New Jersey. But I’ll tell you what, when he plays, he’s impactful like not many guys in the world. So he got 77 points in 61 games played, and let’s remember, he had that hand injury where putting up those points with the magic makers, money makers, being damaged a little bit is pretty impressive, Mike Rupp said on NHL Network
When Jack Hughes is in the lineup, he is as good as any player in the NHL. He has the skills to take over a game and be in the Hart Trophy conversation as the NHL’s Most Valuable Player. Just what he did after coming back from the Olympics, when he recorded 41 points in 35 games. That was second only to Connor McDavid, who had 42 points in 24 games.
I thought he was awesome coming off the Olympics, coming back to New Jersey when the team wasn’t making the playoffs. It could have been, “Hey, let’s just make it to the summertime and get fully healthy.” He took over hockey games. I love what Jack Hughes has done in this past season. Can’t wait to see what the future holds, Rupp added.
The New Jersey Devils are two different teams: one with Jack Hughes in the lineup and another without him. Again, his hands are what make him so dangerous. He can make magic with the puck. It is why, for so long, many have compared him to Patrick Kane and he is that highly ranked by the NHL Network.
New Jersey Devils Can’t Be a Counter Attack Team Anymore
As far as Nico Hischier goes, the captain of the Devils slid to number 15 with other players moving up in the lineup. Hischier takes on the difficult matchups for the Devils, playing a more defensive role. It feels like every season Hischier is more undervalued and underrated by the NHL. He plays in all situations and does so much for the Devils. Hischier had 66 points in 82 games.
These are the engines that make the New Jersey Devils run. Once again, regardless of how you view them and rank the Devils, they have two of the top 20 centers heading into the 2026-27 season.
