NHL trade deadline acquisition Nino Niederreiter has fit in just fine with the Winnipeg Jets. And as a matter of fact, it actually appears as though he likes playing in Manitoba.
Joining Winnipeg via a February 25 deal with Nashville that saw a 2024 second round pick head to the Predators, Niederreiter has already proven his worth to a fan base uncertain of its franchise's next move.
The 30-year-old Swiss product scored six times and added another seven assists for 13 points in his 22 regular season games with the Jets. He kept that offence going in the postseason, where he piled on another goal and four points in five Stanley Cup Playoff games in Winnipeg's first round matchup with the Vegas Golden Knights.
Already down Cole Perfetti to injury, Niederreiter and fellow trade deadline acquisition Vladislav Namestnikov took turns rotating into spots on the Jets' top two lines as Nikolaj Ehlers and Mark Schiefele also found their respective ways onto the injured reserve.
Not only was Niederreiter helpful in the Jets' final stretch run, but he is also under contract through the 2023-24 season, meaning he wasn't just a short-term rental.
With five restricted free agents and six UFAs who may potentially test the open market this summer, retaining members of the team will be an important - yet difficult - task for general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff.
"You have an elite goaltender," Niederreiter said of his team's current makeup in an interview with Aaron Vickers of NHL.com. "You have goal-scorers on the team. You've got a lot of great pieces, but it's up to management what they're going to do."
Sure, signing a big-name player or two come free agency wouldn't hurt Winnipeg, but that quite likely will not happen. The largest free agent signing in team history was that of Mathieu Perreault in 2014, as attracting players to sign long-term in the chilly city of Winnipeg has been nothing short of difficult.
Niederreiter, however, who has really only spent two months in Manitoba's capital, wants fellow NHL stars to consider giving Winnipeg a chance.
"A lot of free agents don't really want to go there because they don't really know what it's all about," he added. "When you go there, you see the hotel and you see the arena. That's all you see. Sometimes as the visiting team it's unfair to judge the city. The fan base is fantastic. They take care of the players very well. It's a lot better than a lot of people think."
With a number of current Jets players, including Connor Hellebuyck, Mark Scheifele, Pierre-Luc Dubois and Blake Wheeler all able to hit unrestricted free agency next summer, the idea of running it back with the same group has been a hot topic of concern since Winnipeg's disastrous slide from first place in the Western Conference to the eighth seed come playoff time.
"You have a great fan base, but I also do know it's a tough market over there," Niederreiter said of Winnipeg and its fans.
Although not asked directly about his willingness to extend his contract or re-sign with Winnipeg, the 12-year NHL veteran appears to have shifted the Jets into his 'good book', at least for now.
Fellow European teammate Nikolaj Ehlers also hopes that his long-lost friend considers sticking around the organization.
"That's a guy that we're going to want to keep, I think," Ehlers laughed, when asked by Vickers at the World Championship earlier this past week.
"I've lived in Switzerland for six years," Ehlers added. "I speak Swiss-German, so we have that connection. We've got the same agent as well. He's a great guy, and the way he works his ass off on the ice is something you appreciate. He came in and fit in right away."
Sadly, both players saw their World Championships come to early endings this spring, as Denmark and Switzerland were eliminated prior to the semifinal matchups.
The two will now have an extended summer of relaxation and training in order to best prepare for uncertainties heading into the 2023-24 Jets season.