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The Winnipeg Jets are coming off winning the President's Trophy this past season, but would fall to the Dallas Stars in the second round of the playoffs. The Jets have made moves to strengthen their roster while losing some key players. The franchise has added Gustav Nyquist on a one-year deal, which could be a solid contract for the team.
The Jets' offseason began with taking care of some of their own players. They re-signed Neal Pionk and Alex Iafallo. They have brought in Jonathan Toews on a one-year deal. That was after adding Tanner Pearson and Cole Koepke. Winnipeg still needs to take care of Gabriel Vilardi, who is a restricted free agent. They still have over $17 million in cap space, so that is something that should be doable for the team. Bringing back Vilardi has become more important since they lost Nikolaj Ehlers to the Carolina Hurricanes in NHL Free Agency.
One of the pieces brought in to help replace Ehlers was Nyquist. He was the 121st overall pick of the 2008 NHL Draft by the Detroit Red Wings. After finishing his time at the University of Maine, Nyquist would break into the NHL for the first time in the 2011-12 season. He would spend time with the Wings and their AHL affiliate, Grand Rapids Griffins, over the next few years, becoming a full-time player in the 2014-15 campaign. He would be traded to the San Jose Sharks in 2019, but leave for the Columbus Blue Jackets in free agency that summer. The Swede would play two and a half seasons with the Jackets before being traded to the Minnesota Wild. In the summer of 2023, he would sign with the Nashville Predators, but would be traded back to the Wild during this past campaign.
The Jets get a low-risk, versatile player
The former Wild winger is getting older. He will turn 36 years old before the start of the season. This makes him the second-oldest player currently on the Jets, just behind Toews. Still, this was a low-risk contract for the defending Central Division champions. The contract is for just $3.25 million, which is just 3.4% of the salary cap, making this a potentially valuable signing. Further, while Nyquist is coming off a down year, he has generally been productive. He had just 11 goals and 17 assists this past season, good for just 28 points. Still, he has scored 40 or more points in nine of his last 11 seasons.
The Swede is also just one season removed from scoring 75 points for the Predators in the 2023-24 campaign. That year, he played in 81 games, scoring 23 goals and adding 52 assists. Further, Nyquist has been a contributor to both the powerplay and the penalty kill in his career. He was solid on the PK for the Wild this past season, and with Nashville, in the previous campaign, had 24 powerplay points.
There is also versatility from the forward. Last season, he spent most of the year on the right wing, but he can also play the left side, which gives the Jets flexibility when it comes to line combinations. He is currently projected to play on the second line with Cole Perfetti and Toews, giving the Jets a strong second line. Further, when Adam Lowry returns from injury, the Jets will have the flexibility to move players around and give them three solid lines of scoring options.
Final thoughts and grade on the Gustav Nyquist contract
From a financial perspective, the Jets may have gotten a great deal in this situation. A similar deal last season was graded by the Athletic as being a “B-” deal based on contract efficiency and projected outcomes. Nyquist did not fully live up to his deal last year. If he rebounds to his 2023-24 form, this will be a major steal for the Jets.
There is the notion that a forward, to have an efficient contract, it will cost $100,000 per point. This means the Swede would need to score just 33 points for this contract to be seen as efficient. He has hit the mark in all but one year in his career when playing more than 60 games in a season. Even if he is slightly off 33 points, as he was last year with 28, his veteran leadership and ability to play on the powerplay, penalty kill, and be a two-way forward make up for that value.
For Nyquist, he ended up getting a slight raise, even though he is coming off a down season. While his salary is higher overall, it is slightly lowered compared to the percentage of the salary cap. Still, this is a one-year deal that gives the forward two things. First, he gets a chance to rebound in a good situation that will bring him value next summer. Second, signing with the Jets gives him a chance to chase a Stanley Cup. This is something he has not yet won in his career.
Winnipeg Jets Grade: A
Gustav Nyquist Grade: B
