The New Jersey Devils have agreed to a contract extension with captain Nico Hischier, league sources told The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun.The center is expected to sign a new five-year deal annually worth $11.7 million, according to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity to address negotiations that aren’t public.Hischier’s current seven-year contract, which carries an average annual value of $7.25 million, was set to expire after the 2026-27 season. He officially becomes eligible to sign an extension when the new league calendar begins Wednesday afternoon. His new contract will kick in next summer.The 27-year-old Hischier, drafted No. 1 in 2017, is an elite defensive center also capable of putting up significant offense, with career highs of 35 goals in 2024-25 and 80 points in 2022-23. The Devils named him captain in February 2021.Hischier, Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt made up the team’s young forward core when it reached the second round of the playoffs in 2023. The Devils seemed on the rise at the time, but they failed to make the playoffs the next year and — after an injury-riddled 2024-25 season — were eliminated in five games against Carolina. They missed the postseason again this season, prompting a change in management. The team moved on from Tom Fitzgerald and hired Sunny Mehta as its general manager.