The New Jersey Devils and forward Nico Hischier have agreed to a seven-year contract extension worth $7.25 million per season.

The deal will pay Hischier $4 million in salary with a $3 million signing bonus in  Year 1, $7.25 million in salary for Year 2,  $4.5 million in salary in Year 3,  $7.75 million in salary in Year 4, $7.75 million in salary for Year 5, $8 million in salary in Year 6 and $8.5 million in salary in the final season.

Hischier, playing his third NHL season, is in the final year of his entry-level deal after being selected No. 1 overall in 2017. He carries a cap hit of $925,000 this season.

Through his first six games of 2019-20, the 20-year-old has two assists with a rating of minus-two. He tallied 17 goals and 30 assists in 69 games last season and had 20 goals with 32 helpers in his rookie campaign. 

TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun notes Hischier will join Alex DeBrincat, Samuel Girard, Clayton Keller and Thomas Chabot as July 2020 would-be restricted free agents signing early. Mathew Barzal and Pierre Luc-Dubois headline the remaining list of players coming out of their entry-level deals yet to receive new contracts. 

The Devils (1-4-2) have struggled to start the season and will take on the Vancouver Canucks (4-2-0) Saturday afternoon in New Jersey.