Nico Hischier is headed to his first NHL All-Star Game.
The 21-year-old Devils center was named Tuesday as a replacement for injured teammate Kyle Palmieri. The All-Star Game will be played Jan. 25 in St. Louis.
The first overall pick in the 2017 draft, Hischier ranks second on the Devils, behind Palmieri, with 28 points (12 goals, 16 assists). He has registered seven goals and 12 points in his last 13 games.
"That's well deserved," Devils interim coach Alain Nasreddine said Tuesday. "We've been talking about Nico a lot lately. He's taken that next step both on and off the ice. It's nice to see him get rewarded."
Palmieri suffered a lower-body injury in Saturday's win over the Washington Capitals, missed Sunday's contest against Tampa Bay and did not travel with the Devils to Toronto for Tuesday night's game.
