Gustav Nyquist is a middle-six winger who’s also typically good for 40-55 points in a season. The Swedish veteran is set to become a free agent after the Minnesota Wild don’t appear to be signing him to an extension. He started this season with the Columbus Blue Jackets and was traded while injured to the Wild in a deadline deal.
Nyquist played in the final three regular season games and all six playoff games for the Wild, raising his stock for when he becomes a free agent on July 1. His season, similar to most of the players on the Blue Jackets, was a bit underwhelming as injuries piled up. He was actually very impressive offensively for the Wild in the nine games he played, scoring one goal and nine assists. While his career points-per-game is 0.63, his time with the Blue Jackets this season was well under that as he only had 10 goals and 22 points in 48 games.
Even at age 33, I don’t believe his offense will remain that low, but I also don’t think it’s realistic to think it will be at or near a point-per-game. On top of being a solid middle-six option on the wing for a team, he has two-way capabilities and has been trusted starting plays in his own end more as he’s aged. It won’t break the bank to sign him to a short-term contract and a team can get a deal after the sub-par start he had with the Blue Jackets last season. Let’s take a look at three teams that should consider bringing him in.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Things didn’t go great for the Blue Jackets last season, Nyquist included, but that doesn’t mean they won’t have him on their radar to bring back. He had two successful seasons in Columbus in 2019-20 and 2021-22, totaling 33 goals and 95 points in 152 games. He contributed on the power play and shorthanded and played nearly 18 minutes a game over that time.
With the young group growing and gaining more experience, I don’t expect Nyquist to play 18 minutes if he’s brought back, but he is a safer option than some of the players the Blue Jackets have potentially slotted in right now. After the moves made to acquire Ivan Provorov and Damon Severson, the next big focus is on bringing in a top-six centerman. That should distract them from the fact that someone with experience and a proven scoring ability would help stabilize the middle-six, take some pressure off of the young players, and be a safety net. The Blue Jackets are showing they want to win, so adding someone who has been a part of a lot of stretch runs and important games is important to add.
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks will be scouring every corner this offseason looking for the right pieces to bring in. I don’t believe they think they are going to compete quite yet, but would like to surround their future number-one overall pick Connor Bedard with some players who can help acclimate him to the NHL and contribute to the offense. The team has already locked in Andreas Athanasiou for well over market price, showing that they are trying to get to the cap floor as well (from “What I’m hearing about the Blackhawks heading into the draft, free agency”, The Athletic, June 12, 2023).
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This bodes well for some players who might be looking for more money or an opportunity to play higher up in the lineup. I would put Nyquist in that category since the Blackhawks are dishing out higher average annual values (AAVs) on short-term deals. There is room in the middle-six for the veteran to slot in and an opportunity for him to once again play 18 minutes or so. His presence could also be helpful in guiding not only Bedard, but other young forwards like Lukas Reichel, Mackenzie Entwhistle, Philip Kurashev, and more. I see a few more moves to add players up front for the Blackhawks and would not count Nyquist out as an option for the team.
Ottawa Senators
Between injuries and some players not reaching expectations, the bottom-six held the Ottawa Senators back a little in 2022-23. This offseason I’m betting that they would like to add a bit of scoring and security as Alex Formenton’s inability to sign and Shane Pinto moving up to the second line really threw the third line off. Mathieu Joseph also didn’t perform up to par, but understandably since he lost some productive young linemates.
It appears as though Alex DeBrincat is going to be headed out of town and there’s a very slim chance Formenton returns to the lineup, so the Senators will have to pivot fairly quickly this offseason. For a team looking to compete for a playoff spot, I don’t think Nyquist is the best second-line option, although he would be a cheap one. He could provide a good amount from the third line to shore up some of the production and, if needed, move up the lineup at points in the season.
My feeling is that Nyquist is going to be a steal for whichever team decides to take a chance on him. He’s riding a high after returning from injury this season, won’t cost a ton, and is versatile. I could even see him signing on the second or third day of free agency after some of the top options have been taken off of the board for certain teams.
