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The Minnesota Wild have been hit hard by injuries this season, but they've swung a trade to help.
The Wild have acquired Gustav Nyquist from the Nashville Predators in exchange for a second-round pick. The Preds will also pay half of Nyquist's salary.
Nashville announced earlier on Saturday that Nyquist would be a healthy scratch moving forward with a trade expected to happen any day here. It didn't take long for it to actually become a reality. He was generating interest from several teams ahead of the deadline.
“Struggling to score or kill a penalty, the Wild are trying to tap into an old well by reacquiring Gustav Nyquist from the Nashville Predators, multiple sources tell The Athletic,” posted team reporters Michael Russo and Joe Smith on Saturday. “To protect the health of the pending free agent, the Predators will scratch Nyquist, 35, Saturday when they play the New York Islanders.”
Minny is currently without a plethora of key players. Joel Eriksson Ek just suffered a lower-body injury and was placed on the Injured Reserve. Kirill Kaprizov, who leads the Wild in points, is also sidelined and likely won't return for a while. On a more positive note, Ryan Hartman is set to return shortly from his 10-game suspension that was shortened to eight games by the league.
Nyquist isn't exactly a game-changer, but he gives the Wild more depth. The 35-year-old Swede has scored nine goals and tallied 12 assists in 57 games this season for the Predators. Nyquist had a very brief three-game spell with Minnesota in 2022-23. It's not the first time he's been a member of the organization.
Despite the injuries, the Wild remain in playoff contention. They're in third in the Central Division with a 34-22-4 record but have been struggling as of late, losing three in a row. Hopefully, Nyquist can add a spark.
