Nashville Predators Acquire 2nd Rd Pick for Niederreiter
The Nashville Predators joined the 2022-23 NHL Trade Deadline by moving Swiss forward Nino Niederreiter to the Winnipeg Jets for a 2024 2nd-round pick.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman broke the news at 3:22 P.M. on Saturday and 20 minutes later announced the draft pick was in return to the Predators.
Nashville signed Niederreiter to a two-year contract worth $8 million over the offseason in hopes of the franchise being more competitive for a potential postseason berth for the ninth consecutive season.
Jets Game Night Host & Reporter Kelly Moore says with Cole Perfetti out Niederriter could slide in on a line with Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor. The playmaking duo has a combined 118 points and adding Nino to the mix makes that 146.
Perfetti has 30 points in 51 games during his rookie campaign.
Paul Friesen from the Winnipeg Sun reported the 21-year-old was injured in Winnipeg’s loss in New Jersey last Sunday.
This past offseason defenseman Ryan McDonagh was also added to Nashville via trade from the Tampa Bay Lighting to bolster the blue line, and now General Manager David Poile has shifted his direction after 56 games as he approaches the deadline.
According to Money Puck as of Saturday, the Predators have an 18% chance of making the playoffs & a 6.5% chance of being the second Wild Card team.
Nashville now has eight picks in the 2024 NHL Entry Level Draft after dealing Niederreiter to the Jets.
Winnipeg is second in the Central Division and 4-6-0 in their last 10 games. The Jets will host the New York Islanders on Sunday for Niederreiter’s debut in his new threads.
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During his time as a Predator, Niederreiter scored 28 points in all of Nashville’s 56 games and is coming off a two-goal performance on Feb. 23 in San Jose.
Nashville played SC Bern back on Oct. 3 and after the game Nino was able to share a moment with his grandmother who had never seen him play in person.
NOTES:
-The Predators wrap up their two-game road trip on Sunday in Arizona (1st trip to Mullet Arena) with puck drop at 6 p.m.
-Forward Juuso Parssinen exited Thursday’s game and did not return.
–Filip Forsberg and Alexander Carrier are on the current road trip and making progress to return.
-Nashville has an estimated $10.4 million in cap space following Saturday’s trade
-NHL Trade Deadline is March 3 at 2 p.m.