[Signing] Predators Sign Nino Niederreiter to 2x$4M

[Neutral]

8 hours ago, DrJockitch said:

Really solid player. Would have been good add if hadn’t got Mik. 

I agree, didn't expect Mikheyev to get the kind of contract he did get but here's to hoping he becomings a Grabner-type penalty killer for us and can mesh well in our top 6. Nino seems to be a streaky player, but I would have also liked the Canucks to go this route with a shorter term contract but when in free agency if you really like a guy you have to pony up and then see how that player and contract holds up!

[kloubek]

6 hours ago, Alflives said:

This guy is an okay player, but he’s not a difference maker in any way.  Much rather have Mikheyev, who is a difference maker.  Nino and the Preds can go suck pucks.  

#Embracethehate! 

I beg to differ about him not being a difference maker. He just isn't... fancy, and doesn't light the lamp every game.

But he takes abuse in front of the net, plays physical, has solid hockey IQ, legit size, good speed, and is far above average defensively. He may not drive play much, but lack of top-end offensive ability aside, I'd say he has a collection of attributes that a GM would wish upon all his players. 

I will say, however, that I'd be more excited for us getting Mikheyev. His unsurpassed speed will be a hoot to watch every night. Similar, in some ways, to how I'm sometimes in awe of the lateral mobility of Hughes. Elite skill like that is so fun to bear witness to.

Edited July 22, 2022 by kloubek

[Ilya Mikheyev]

would have loved him if Garland or Miller were moved. Great contract for the Preds

[mll]

 

Midnight is 5pm in Nashville - Niederreiter is in Switzerland while Josi lives year long in Nashville.  Via google translate:

 

It is a transfer that will mark a milestone in the history of Swiss hockey. Nino Niederreiter joins his compatriot Roman Josi at the Nashville Predators in the NHL!  The Grison talks to Blick on what was perhaps the most restless night of his career. “When I went to bed Wednesday night, I was sure I was going to leave Carolina to join the Anaheim Ducks. And then, events rushed!

 

At 12:30 a.m., “El Nino” was pulled out of his sleep by his cell phone vibrating. On the phone, the Nashville Predators made a first offer for the winger, who scored 44 points last regular season. However, the club's offer from his Bernese friend Roman Josi failed to excite him. Niederreiter is increasingly convinced by the offer from Anaheim.

Josi's influence

It was then that the 30-year-old received a text from Roman Josi, the captain of Nashville. "Nino, if you tell me the minimum amount you want, I'll talk about it with my leaders!"
Nino Niederreiter types the desired salary on the screen of his phone. At the end of this eventful nocturnal exchange, the agent from the Grison, André Rufener, announces a happy ending: the deal with the "Preds" is under cover.

Over the next two seasons, the man who earned $5.3 million a year in Carolina will pocket $8 million in Nashville, where taxes are lower. "I am very happy to take up this challenge," said Nino Niederreiter. The coach ensured me regular playing time in the first two lines. The fact that I will soon be able to play with my friend Roman Josi just tops it all off.”
Swiss best friends
Niederreiter and Josi often shared the same room during official trips with the Nati. "During the 2013 World Cup in Sweden, Roman and I had a particular ritual in which we always sang the Cuban song 'Guantanamera' before going to sleep", recalls "El Nino".
In 2016, Blick was already present when Roman Josi first mentioned a possible reunion of the two men in Nashville. Nino Niederreiter was then playing for the Minnesota Wild: “We have a great team. But we're missing a guy like Nino, who fearlessly throws himself into the bands to scratch some pucks."

The wish of the captain of the Swiss team and the Predators was granted six years later.

 

Edited July 22, 2022 by mll

[canuck73_3]

5 hours ago, kloubek said:

I beg to differ about him not being a difference maker. He just isn't... fancy, and doesn't light the lamp every game.

But he takes abuse in front of the net, plays physical, has solid hockey IQ, legit size, good speed, and is far above average defensively. He may not drive play much, but lack of top-end offensive ability aside, I'd say he has a collection of attributes that a GM would wish upon all his players. 

I will say, however, that I'd be more excited for us getting Mikheyev. His unsurpassed speed will be a hoot to watch every night. Similar, in some ways, to how I'm sometimes in awe of the lateral mobility of Hughes. Elite skill like that is so fun to bear witness to.

Love Mikheyev and think he will surprise a few on here.