The New Jersey Devils are close to signing 2017 first overall pick Nico Hischier to a seven-year contract extension with an average annual value of $7.25 million, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.

Hischier is in the final year of his entry-level contract. He would join a list of several prominent players, including Alex DeBrincat, Samuel Girard, Clayton Keller, and Thomas Chabot, to sign new deals before hitting restricted free agency next summer.

Keller, a fellow forward who also signed a long-term deal, offers the best comparison. The Arizona Coyotes winger inked a eight-year extension with a cap hit of $7.15 million.

Hischier finished seventh in Calder Trophy voting in 2017-18 after recording 52 points in 82 games. The 20-year-old center picked up 47 points in 69 games last season while the Devils regressed to the NHL's basement, and he's tallied two assists in six contests during the team's tough start this year.

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