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The NHL free agency frenzy officially begins on Saturday, although this year may not be as crazy as in the past. That's because there aren't any true star players available, and the class is pretty weak overall. Nonetheless, there are still some quality players available, such as Minnesota Wild forward Gustav Nyquist.
A 33-year-old veteran with 12 years of NHL experience, Nyquist is a very solid middle-six forward. He can typically score around 40-50 points a year, with a career-high of 60 in 2018-19, and plays responsibly in his own end.
This past season wasn't his best, as he dealt with injury and scored just 10 goals and 22 points in 51 games. However, he was solid for the Wild after arriving at the trade deadline. In nine games with the Wild, including playoff games, he scored a goal and 10 points. He was also tied for their leading point-scorer in the playoffs with five, despite all of them being assists.
Nyquist likely won't cost much on the back nine of his career, and he can still play at a high level. In the right situation, he could even become a steal in this free agent class.
With that said, here are three of the best destinations for the veteran forward.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Nyquist is very familiar with Columbus as he spent two and a half seasons there. Hell, he was just there a few months ago, only leaving at the deadline as the Blue Jackets were well outside of the playoff picture. Nyquist played pretty well for the Blue Jackets, scoring 43 goals and 117 points in 200 games. Now that the team has regrouped after a disastrous, injury-plagued season, perhaps a return could be in order.
Columbus could use some help in the middle six, and Nyquist's familiarity with the team could make him a compelling option. The fact that he plays a strong two-way game and can play on both special teams units would only make a reunion more enticing. Additionally, his wealth of experience could be ideal for a team that is one of the NHL's youngest.
Cap space may be a slight concern in a potential reunion, though. Columbus had a decent amount of cap space entering the offseason, but after trading for Ivan Provorov and Damon Severson, it now has just under $5 million available. That should be enough to sign Nyquist, but would leave Columbus with almost nothing afterward. Nonetheless, a reunion could be beneficial for a young Blue Jackets team hoping to bounce back.
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Penguins are trying to squeeze the most they can out of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin's final years, but as this year showed, they need a lot of help. Pittsburgh's 16-year playoff streak came to an end after an up-and-down season marred by inconsistency. Combine that with the fact that the Penguins haven't won a playoff series since 2018, and a big shakeup may be in store.
New president of hockey operations Kyle Dumas may be the man to make that shakeup, and he has the means to do so. Pittsburgh has over $15 million in cap space, so it can be very active in free agency. The bottom six was a mess last year, so investing in a forward like Nyquist would be a good move.
Nyquist wouldn't even be just a typical bottom-six forward, as he could play on the second line too. For a team always looking for more depth, that's a valuable asset to have. Perhaps Nyquist isn't as necessary after the Penguins traded for Reilly Smith on Wednesday, but he would still be another valuable addition.
Ottawa Senators
The Senators entered the season with high expectations, but couldn't quite make it to the playoffs. They're attempting to make another push, but with Alex DeBrincat likely on his way out, that seems very difficult.
With over $17 million in cap space, though, they can make some moves in free agency. Perhaps Nyquist could be an intriguing option to round out the forward group. Much of Ottawa's depth underperformed this season, so they would like to improve that depth this offseason. Maybe not the sexiest option, but a very effective one nonetheless.
Wherever Nyquist ends up, he will look to continue doing what he always has, be a quality middle-six forward who can play at both ends.