Predators sign Nino Niederreiter

The Nashville Predators have signed Nino Niederreiter of Chur, Switzerland to a two year contract worth $8 million according to Rogers Sportsnet. He will be joining his fourth National Hockey League franchise as he previously played with the New York Islanders, Minnesota Wild and Carolina Hurricanes.

2021-22 Season

In the 2021-22 National Hockey League regular season, Niederreiter played in 75 games, and had 24 goals and 20 assists for 44 points with the Hurricanes. He was also a +29 with 34 penalty minutes, five power-play points, five game-winning goals, 144 shots on goal, 19 faceoff wins, 17 blocked shots, 119 hits, 21 takeaways and 51 giveaways. Niederreiter had career highs in plus/minus, game-winning goals, and giveaways.

Niederreiter’s statistical line has great irony. Even though he is a +29, he had 30 more giveaways than takeaways.

Game-Winning Goals in 2021-22

A right winger, Niederreiter notched a game-winning goal in his first game of the season. It was an unassisted marker at 11:28 of the second period in a 6-3 win over the New York Islanders. Niederreiter’s other game-winning goals came in a 3-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers on December 11, 2021, in a 5-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings on December 16, 2021, in a 4-0 shutout win over the Montreal Canadiens on December 30, 2021, and in a 5-3 win over the Arizona Coyotes on April 18, 2022,

2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs

In 14 playoff games, Niederreiter had four goals and one assist for five points. He is a -5 with 10 penalty minutes, one power-play goal, one game-winning goal, 27 shots on goal, four faceoff wins, four blocked shots, 37 hits, three takeaways, and 12 giveaways.

In the playoffs, the Hurricanes played seven games each against the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers. The Hurricanes won their first round series, but lost their second round series.

Career Statistics

In Niederreiter’s career he has 181 goals and 187 assists for 368 points in 732 games. He was a +66 with 352 penalty minutes, 77 power-play points, one shorthanded goal, 28 game-winning goals, 1425 shots on goal, 93 faceoff wins, 202 blocked shots, 1115 hits, 307 takeaways, and 287 giveaways. Niederreiter’s shorthanded goal came in a 4-1 Minnesota Wild loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on November 4, 2014.

Junior Career/Drafted

Niederreiter played his junior career with the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League. He was then selected in the first round, fifth overall, by the New York Islanders in the 2010 National Hockey League Entry Draft. The only four players taken in front of Niederreiter 12 years ago were left winger Taylor Hall of Calgary, Alberta (first overall), center Tyler Seguin of Brampton, Ontario (second overall), Erik Gudbranson of Ottawa, Ontario (third overall), and Ryan Johansen of Vancouver, British Columbia (fourth overall).

Switzerland Hockey

Niederreiter’s 368 career points are second among active Swiss players in the NHL. The only player with more points is Roman Josi of the Predators, who has 542 points. Now the Predators have the two active Swiss players in the NHL when it comes to points.

2022-23 Predators

This is the second key acquisition for the Predators in the offseason. The other was defenseman Ryan McDonogh of Saint Paul, Minnesota, who they acquired via a trade with the Stanley Cup finalists Tampa Bay Lightning on July 3 for defenseman Philippe Myers of Moncton, New Brunswick and prospect Grant Mishmash.