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Nino Niederreiter

Looking At Nino Niederreiter’s Impending Free Agency

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With a strong group of free agent forwards including the likes of Johnny Gaudreau, Evgeni Malkin, Filip Forsberg, Claude Giroux, Phil Kessel, Ondrej Palat, Valeri Nichushkin, Andre Burakovsky amongst others, teams that are looking to add some production up front don’t have to look too far for a worthy candidate. One name that seemingly hasn’t been at the forefront thus far is Nino Niederreiter of the Carolina Hurricanes. Once a blue-chip prospect and fifth overall pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Islanders, Niederreiter’s career fell on hard-times rather quickly. The forward was fine in his NHL debut in 2010-11, recording two points in nine games, but struggled to an abysmal one goal and zero assists in 55 games as a rookie in 2011-12. He would spend all of 2012-13 in the AHL before being traded to the Minnesota Wild ahead of the 2013-14 season.

After being traded to the Wild, Niederreiter began to show why the Islanders made him the fifth-overall selection, establishing himself as a power-forward and a reliable goal scorer at that. Since then, Niederreiter has played parts of nine seasons split between the Wild and the Hurricanes, hitting the 20-goal mark six times in that span. In 2021-22, his age-29 season, Niederreiter had one of his best seasons for the Metropolitan Division winning Hurricanes, putting up 24 goals and 20 assists in 75 games. Now almost 30-years-old, Niederreiter finds himself set to be an UFA for the first time in his career at the conclusion of a five-year, $26.25MM contract.

For his next contract, Niederreiter probably won’t hit the max term of seven years (eight if he remains with Carolina or whomever acquires his rights, if applicable), and his AAV would more likely than not sit somewhere between $4MM and $6MM, just as it was the previous five seasons. In terms of comparable players for his next contract, Niederreiter has a few intriguing options, the first of which is St. Louis Blues forward Brandon Saad, who signed a five-year, $22.5MM contract last offseason as an UFA, which carries a $4.5MM cap hit. Looking at points-per-game (to account for COVID-19 schedule differences), in Saad’s three years prior to his free agency, he recorded 0.59, 0.57, and most recently, 0.55 points-per-game. Coming off a six-year, $36MM contract, Saad found his AAV regress, but still secured a long-term contract.

Jordan Eberle, another former Islander, signed a five-year, $27.5MM contract after the 2018-19 season, carrying a $5.5MM AAV. That contract, like Saad’s, came on the heels of a six-year, $36MM deal. Eberle began his career with the Edmonton Oilers as a star forward, recording as many as 76 points in a season, but eventually had that production drop off. Leading up to his current contract, Eberle averaged 0.62, 0.73, and finally 0.47 points-per-game, a sharp drop in production in the final year. One last comparison is Patric Hornqvist, who carries a $5.3MM cap hit on the five-year, $26.5MM contract he signed before the 2018-19 season. Leading up to Hornqvist’s free agency, he recorded 0.62, 0.63, and 0.70 points-per-game, featuring a 29-goal platform season.

Comparing Saad, Eberle, and Hornqvist to Niederreiter’s previous three seasons of 0.43, 0.61, and 0.59 points-per-game leading up to his free agency shows the free-agent-to-be in the middle of these three. One thing that is particularly clear is that Niederreiter will be able to find term if he wants it, all three of these similar players signing five-year contracts. A key difference between the four players is their year-to-year consistency. Eberle had a fantastic 2017-18 season before a tough 2018-19 heading into free agency, while Hornqvist gradually improved. Saad was fairly consistent year to year, with Niederreiter improving and settling in in the two years prior to free agency.

In the flat salary cap era presently affecting all 32 NHL teams, cap usage is a primary concern for clubs, which could serve to limit the cap hits of free agents. In addition to that, there is a relatively deep market of offensive-minded wingers like Niederreiter. The veteran could use these concerns however, to his advantage, perhaps allowing teams to sign their first option, and being available at a cost to those who miss out. Salary aside, Niederreiter has shown through his play, and his comparable players, that he is deserving of a long-term deal, even if it isn’t at the maximum term.

As far as retaining Niederreiter, the Hurricanes have just under $20MM in cap space, but do have several other UFAs including Vincent Trocheck and Max Domi, and have to give new deals to pending RFAs Martin Necas, Ethan Bear, and Anthony DeAngelo. If the destination is not Carolina, the forward could, as mentioned, posit himself as the backup for a team that missed out on their first or even second target in the free agent or trade market. He can also market himself towards teams who seek to add some grit and bite while also adding a point-producing middle-six forward, something the market isn’t necessarily deep in.

NHL Upholds Nino Niederreiter Suspension

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NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has upheld the one-game suspension assessed to Nino Niederreiter after the Carolina Hurricanes forward filed an appeal. The suspension was handed out more than a week ago and Niederreiter has already missed a game and then returned to the lineup, meaning this appeal was simply to try and clear his record and recoup the forfeited salary.

Niederreiter was suspended for slashing Axel Jonsson Fjallby while the Washington Capitals forward was still on the bench. At the time, the Department of Player safety called the incident a “controlled, and purposeful stick swing directed toward an opponent on the bench” and worthy of a suspension, even with a relative lack of force.

In the two-page decision, Bettman explains:

Mr. Niederreiter has no history of supplemental discipline in his ten (10) year NHL career, and his demeanor during the hearing was remorseful and respectful. However, I cannot discount the intentional, retaliatory, and potentially dangerous nature of his action. I accept that this was not a forceful act; however, the onus is on Mr. Niederreiter as a Player on the ice not to engage with Players on the bench, even if the Players on the bench engaged with him and especially when contact is with a Player who is unsuspecting and not involved. Moreover, even while I accept Mr. Niederreiter’s statement that his slash was not forceful, any intentional use of a stick to make contact with a Player’s neck or head is unacceptable, and certainly with a Player on the bench. While Mr. Jonsson-Fjallby was not injured in this instance, a matter of centimeters could have led to a dramatically different result.

Niederreiter forfeited just over $26K for the incident and will have it added to his supplementary discipline history. It will be considered in any future rulings. Tonight, meanwhile, he’ll be back on the ice against the Capitals.

Nino Niederreiter Receives One-Game Suspension

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The Department of Player Safety has made a quick decision regarding Carolina’s Nino Niederreiter.  They announced (video link) that the Hurricanes winger has been suspended for one game for his hit on Washington winger Axel Jonsson-Fjallby.

The incident occurred at 13:50 of the first period during Carolina’s 4-3 shootout loss on Friday.  He was assessed a minor penalty for slashing at the time.  Niederreiter was checked into Washington’s bench, losing his helmet along the way.  Once he had freed himself, he slashed the Capitals winger in the helmet.

In their video, it was noted that the minimal force that Niederreiter used to hit Jonsson-Fjallby is the sole reason why the suspension isn’t for longer than the one game.  Niederreiter will miss Sunday’s game against the Rangers and will be eligible to return to Carolina’s lineup on Tuesday against the Lightning.  He will forfeit $26.25K as a result of the suspension with the money going to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

Nino Niederreiter To Have Hearing With Department Of Player Safety

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The NHL Department of Player Safety announced this morning that Carolina Hurricanes forward Nino Niederreiter will have a hearing today for slashing Washington Capitals forward Axel Jonsson-Fjallby during last night’s game.

The Hurricanes would go on to lose 4-3 in a shootout to Washington at home.

It’s important to note that this would be Niederreiter’s first career suspension. He’s really only come close to getting suspended once before in his lengthy career, but the league opted not to suspend him for this hit on Olli Maatta while he was a member of the Wild in 2015.

As Jordan Martinook sits out with an undisclosed injury, Carolina would need to recall a forward from the AHL’s Chicago Wolves if Niederreiter is suspended. They currently have no healthy extras at all on the active roster.

Carolina Hurricanes Recall Leivo, Place Niederreiter On IR

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The Carolina Hurricanes have moved Nino Niederreiter to injured reserve, recalling Josh Leivo to take his place on the roster.

Niederreiter is dealing with a lower-body injury and is expected to miss another little while as he recovers. The veteran forward last played on October 29, leaving that game against the Chicago Blackhawks early. He still isn’t practicing with the team, though it’s not clear exactly how long he’ll be out. His placement on injured reserve can be retroactive to his last game, so he will be eligible to return whenever he’s healthy enough to do so.

Leivo meanwhile had been playing at the AHL level for the first time since 2016-17 this season, suiting up for three contests with the Chicago Wolves. Though never a full-time NHL option, he has played more than 200 games to this point including 38 last season with the Calgary Flames. Armed with an impressive shot and some offensive upside, the 6’2″ forward could be used in a variety of ways by the Hurricanes if inserted into the lineup.

Metropolitan Notes: Niederreiter, Reaves, Dowd

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The Hurricanes had plenty to be happy about on Friday night as they ran their winning streak to seven straight to start the season but it wasn’t all good news as Nino Niederreiter suffered a lower-body injury in the third period.  Speaking with reporters including Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer postgame, head coach Rod Brind’Amour indicated that the winger could be “out for a while”.  Niederreiter, a five-time 20-goal scorer, was off to a decent start this season with three tallies in his first seven games and with this being a contract year, any extended absence certainly won’t help his cause when it’s time to work out a new agreement.  In the meantime, Niederreiter’s injury could open up a spot for Seth Jarvis to make his NHL debut.

More from the Metropolitan Division:

  • The Rangers are hoping that winger Ryan Reaves won’t miss more than the minimum seven days after being placed on IR Thursday, relays Larry Brooks of the New York Post. The 34-year-old will be with the team on their upcoming four-game road trip and the hope is that he’ll be able to return over that stretch.  Reaves has logged nearly nine minutes per game in his first seven contests in New York.
  • Capitals center Nic Dowd suffered a lower-body injury in Friday’s morning skate, notes Tarik El-Bashir of The Athletic (subscription link). Head coach Peter Laviolette expressed optimism that Dowd, who has won nearly 60% of his faceoffs this season, won’t be out for too long.  Brett Leason made his NHL debut in Dowd’s absence and Washington will need to make a roster move if they want to bring up another extra forward.  Dowd could be shifted to IR if he’s going to miss at least a week or defenseman Martin Fehervary – who’s waiver-exempt – may need to be sent down and replaced with a forward.

Poll: What’s The Biggest Protection List Surprise?

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The past 48 hours across the NHL have been nothing short of chaos. With protection lists for all 30 teams due at 3:00 PM ET yesterday, along with the ensuing transaction freeze, a flurry of movement at the deadline drastically changed how many teams were to approach the expansion draft. Projected Seattle picks such as Jason Dickinson and Adin Hill were dealt, along with bigger names like Ryan Ellis and Jared McCann.

That frenzy didn’t stop yesterday, however. With the protection lists not being made available to the public until this morning, nobody was quite sure what their team was going to do. All those questions were answered this morning, some of those answers having potentially seismic implications.

There were many surprise omissions from teams’ protection lists, but let’s start with the elephant in the room. After being first reported by TSN’s Pierre LeBrun last night, Montreal Canadiens netminder Carey Price waived his no-movement clause and was not protected by the team. It’s an incredible turn of events after the netminder guided the team to their first Stanley Cup Final since 1993 while being inarguably their most valuable player.

Another Canadian team made some waves this morning too. The Toronto Maple Leafs opted for a 4F-4D-1G protection scheme, leaving out the newly acquired McCann from their protected list. It doesn’t appear that there’s a side deal to protect him in place, as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman notes that McCann’s acquisition purely ensures that one of him or Alexander Kerfoot will remain on the roster in 2021-22. There were some other big surprises out of the East and Canada too, as Nino Niederreiter, Max Domi, Jordan Eberle, Evgenii Dadonov, and James van Riemsdyk were all somewhat unexpectedly left unprotected by their teams.

And then there’s the Vladimir Tarasenko saga in Missouri. The former St. Louis Blues superstar had requested a trade from the team earlier this offseason after a souring relationship, mostly caused by the team’s handling of his recent various shoulder injuries. He’s been left exposed by the team, meaning that they could use him for nothing rather than taking the best available trade offer. It breaks from practice, including the Columbus Blue Jackets’ protection of disgruntled defenseman Seth Jones.

So, we ask you, PHR readers, what shocked you the most about this weekend’s expansion news? Who was the biggest exposure surprise? Vote in our poll below.

[Mobile users, click here to vote!]

Hurricanes’ Nino Niederreiter Could Miss Entire Tampa Bay Series

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7:30 PM: Forget about just missing the series-opener.  Following the head, head coach Rod Brind’Amour told reporters including Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal that Niederreiter is “very doubtful” to return in this series.

3:46 PM: The Carolina Hurricanes had a surprise lineup change just before Game 1 against the Tampa Bay Lightning Sunday as Nino Niederreiter is expected to sit out.  According to Luke DeCock of the News & Observer, the forward was injured during practice Saturday and was considered questionable for the game. Former Lightning Cedric Paquette is expected to step into the lineup to replace Niederreiter.

The forward was benched for the remaining 9:49 of regulation and overtime Thursday in Game 6 against Nashville along with Jesper Fast and Steven Lorentz, but that was considered bench shortening. Of course, Niederreiter hasn’t made a major impact so far in the playoffs with just one goal and no assists in six games even though he tallied one of his best regular seasons in years with 20 goals and 34 points.

Paquette, who played with the Stanley Cup champion Lightning last season, was traded twice during the regular season before finding himself with Carolina where he has been nursing an injury, but was ready as an extra, if needed. Paquette, however, could have extra incentive to play hard against his former team.

The Lightning will also be without defenseman David Savard who is out with an upper-body injury. He will be replaced in the lineup with Luke Schenn.

Snapshots: Penguins, Waite, Fines

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The Pittsburgh Penguins are under new leadership, so no one has a clear idea of how they will operate at the upcoming trade deadline. Still, Josh Yohe of The Athletic did his best to create a “most-likely-to-leave” list, ranking the Penguins players and evaluating their future with the organization. While Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin remain in their own categories because of the legacy attachment to the franchise, some other rankings could raise some eyebrows.

Specifically, Yohe sees a potential trade coming for Marcus Pettersson, given the team’s left-handed depth and the young defenseman’s contract situation. Pettersson, 24, signed a five-year extension worth more than $20MM in the middle of last season, before the team brought in Mike Matheson (and his hefty contract). With John Marino’s new contract kicking in next season the Penguins have quite a bit of capital tied up on defense, which could lead to someone having to be moved out.

  • The Montreal Canadiens announced last night that Stephane Waite, the team’s goaltending coach, had been relieved of his duties and Sean Burke would take over as director of goaltending. Montreal GM Marc Bergevin confirmed to reporters including Arpon Basu of The Athletic that Waite was fired during the second period of last night’s game and the decision was not based on anything that happened recently, but a “pattern” that he had noticed. Burke was already under contract with the team through the end of the season and has not been given an extension at this time.
  • Nino Niederreiter has been fined $5,000 for his goaltender interference on Juuse Saros last night, the maximum allowable under the CBA. Niederreiter collided with Saros behind the net, making some contact with his head, and the goaltender left the game with an injury. The Carolina Hurricanes forward will avoid suspension, though this incident will be considered during any future supplementary discipline.

Metropolitan Notes: DeSmith, Ovechkin, Niederreiter, Kakko

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The Pittsburgh Penguins had to choose between two goaltenders for their backup goaltending opening during training camp, eventually opting to place last year’s backup goalie Casey DeSmith on waivers and then sending him to the AHL, despite solid numbers last year. That demotion hit DeSmith hard, who reportedly was frustrated and hurt that Pittsburgh would do that, leading to disappointing performances early on.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton head coach Mike Vellucci, however, said the two have talked about the move and DeSmith has bounced back recently, in a Q&A with Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

“Yes, of course he was hurt and disappointed and all those emotions, which is understandable. I talked to him when he first got down here and I pulled him aside maybe 10 days ago and just said that from standpoint, he can’t let this affect him … So I think from that point on he’s been preparing to be the best he can and not worrying about things he can’t control. I think he’s settled in nice.”

  • Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin looks to have avoided any supplementary discipline after Friday night’s hit against Montreal Canadiens’ forward Jonathan Drouin, in which Ovechkin crushed Drouin with a massive body check in the second period (video here). TVA’s Renaud Lavoie reports, however, that there will be no hearing for the hit. The Canadiens went on to win 5-2.
  • Chip Alexander of the News & Observer writes that Carolina Hurricanes winger Nino Niederreiter is quite frustrated with his offensive struggles so far this season. The winger, who scored 14 goals in 36 games last season after being traded from Minnesota to Carolina, has just two goals and seven points in their first 19 games. The winger has had plenty of scoring opportunities, but has really struggled putting the puck into the net. He currently has an exceptionally low 5.9 percent shooting percentage, which he admits has gotten to him. “I try not to be,” he said. “If you’re not scoring and you don’t get the points then it’s obviously in your head.”
  • New York Rangers rookie Kaapo Kakko is feeling better as he has been out with the flu, according to The Athletic’s Rick Carpiniello, but the team’s second-overall pick this season remains a game-time decision for tonight’s game against the Florida Panthers. Kakko has been hot recently with five goals in his last seven games.

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