The Winnipeg Jets have added to their forward group, acquiring Nino Niederreiter from the Nashville Predators in exchange for a 2024 second-round draft pick. Winnipeg then sent Axel Jonsson-Fjallby to the AHL to open the roster spot.
The 30-year-old has been a reliable secondary scorer for the majority of his career and continued that trend in his first season with Nashville. This season, Niederreiter has 18 goals and 10 assists in 56 games, good for second on the Preds in goals (just one behind Filip Forsberg). He has reached the 20-goal mark in six of the last eight seasons and should certainly bolster Winnipeg’s scoring depth, especially with Cole Perfetti likely out for the remainder of the regular season and potentially into the first round.
Notably, Niederreiter isn’t a rental acquisition for Winnipeg as he still has one year remaining on his deal after this season with a $4MM cap hit. They already had more than $66.5MM in commitments for next season to just 13 players per CapFriendly, a total that will jump to over $70.5MM. Notably, that figure does not include an expected new deal for RFA center Pierre-Luc Dubois who is heading for a sizable raise on his current $6MM salary. With that in mind, it’s quite possible that from here on out, the Jets will be focusing on rental players.
As for Nashville, this year hasn’t gone as planned for the Preds. After being 12th in goals scored in 2021-22, they’ve struggled offensively this season, sitting 26th in that department even with the addition of Niederreiter who was supposed to help bolster their attack. The end result is that they find themselves fifth in the Central Division and seven points out of a Wild Card spot heading into today’s action. It appears that GM David Poile has settled on his course of action after previously suggesting he wasn’t entirely sure if he’d be a buyer or seller.
While the Preds don’t have a strong list of pending UFAs – it’s basically backup goaltender Kevin Lankinen and injured blueliner Mark Borowiecki – they do have some other players that are signed or under team control beyond this season that could be of interest. Pending RFA defenseman Dante Fabbro has been in recent speculation while veteran rearguard Mattias Ekholm has previously been suggested as someone that could move if they look to undergo a longer-term retooling process.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman broke the news (Twitter link) that Niederreiter was headed to Winnipeg.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Nice litte get for the jets
And for the Preds. A number 2 for a free agent signing is good asset management.
This is a very odd move for the preds
Preds have a very odd GM.
This makes me want to puke. We’re talking about a pick that will fall somewhere around #50 in the draft for a reliable 2nd line scorer? In contrast, Poile sent a 2nd rounder to obtain a 3rd pairing Dman in Lauzon last season. And you wonder why the Preds are stuck in perpetual mediocrity?
Until Poile is fired, I’m done with this team.
Good get. Good experienced, physical secondary scorer. I would have been interested in a Jeannot/Niederreiter package. Maybe the Devils can add to the Preds’ 2024 2nd round and get Jeannot?(Fwd Jesper Boqvist and 2024 2nd for Tanner? Include 2023 4th to get it done?)
Jeanotte doesn’t score anymore, so no, Poile will not trade him and will in instead sign him to a long term contract extension. :/
I’d like to see Jets snag rentals Barbarov & Schenn to bolster their stealth turbo run in the playoffs. They’d be my dark horse to emerge from the west…
Yuck,
With Nino having had a great time with the wild and becoming a fan favorite the thought of him now being in a jets jersey is just down right disgusting.
Whoof. Nice catch for Winnipeg. A solid 2nd line scorer at a very affordable salary with another year of term for just a 2nd rounder? You would’ve thought Nashville could get more for him.