The Winnipeg Jets have acquired Nino Niederreiter from the Nashville Predators.
Hearing WIN acquiring Nino Niederreiter from NASH
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) February 25, 2023
In exchange for Niederreiter, the Jets are sending a 2024 second-round pick to the Predators.
Return from WIN to NASH for Niederreiter is a 2024 second-rounder
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) February 25, 2023
In 56 games this season with the Predators, Niederreiter has registered 28 points (18 goals and 10 assists).
Through 788 career NHL regular season games with four teams (New York Islanders, Minnesota Wild, Carolina Hurricanes, and Predators, Niederreiter has recorded 396 points (199 goals and 197 assists). Niederreiter had his best season in 2016-17 with the Wild recording 57 points (25 goals and 32 assists).
In 82 career playoff games, Nino Niederreiter has recorded 30 points (15 goals and 15 assists).
Winnipeg had been looking to add some scoring as Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet has reported. This move gives the Jets depth in the middle-six forward group. Though Niederreiter has the ability to play in the top six.
The Jets are acquiring Nino Niederreiter from Nashville.
He's the type you want to have in your middle six and can help a lot with what the Jets need up front.
Still curious to see the return. pic.twitter.com/KyTdiyqQax
— Brian Finlayson (@YWGBrian) February 25, 2023
Nino Niederreiter is a savvy pickup for the Jets. An always useful play-driving winger with some scoring punch pic.twitter.com/dm9XYs2bzL
— dom 📈 (@domluszczyszyn) February 25, 2023
Winnipeg had been struggling with secondary scoring. With the Central Division so deep this season, general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff acted before the March 3rd NHL Trade Deadline.
Niederreiter's likes include shooting the puck, especially from close range.
His dislikes include passing the puck. pic.twitter.com/XmMNifXWp9
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) February 25, 2023
The Jets will have more cap space to play with at the deadline as they will be looking to add more pieces with the Western Conference so wide open.
Also important to note: The #NHLJets will still have plenty of cap room to make more adds by Friday’s deadline. Niederreiter is a nice move, for sure. But it shouldn’t be the only one. Central/West is wide open. Winnipeg should be all-in this year for many reasons.
— Mike McIntyre (@mikemcintyrewpg) February 25, 2023
The fifth overall selection from the 2010 NHL Draft has one more year left on his contract after this season with a salary cap hit of $4 million.
Even with cap space, the Jets move to acquire Niederreiter from the Predators appears to have taken them out of the Timo Meier sweepstakes. Winnipeg had been one of the teams linked to Meier in recent weeks.
This move by Cheveldayoff shows the fanbase in Winnipeg that he is a buyer at the deadline this season and not a seller. This is the year Winnipeg needs to go for it.