Nino Niederreiter: “If There’s a Piece Missing Here, Hopefully It’s Me”

Credit: James Carey Lauder

Sometimes a trade can catch you completely by surprise. Other times, you see it coming.

For the newest member of the Winnipeg Jets, Nino Niederreiter, it was the former.

“You never can be prepared for a trade,” Niederreiter told local media in Winnipeg, just hours after his arrival. “I was just on the bus going back to the team hotel and then got called up to the front of the bus and got the news. Telling all the boys on the bus that you get traded was definitely an emotional part, but I’m definitely very excited to be here now.”

Yes, he legitimately found out about the trade while riding the team bus in Arizona.

#NHLJets Nino Niederreiter on being informed he was traded while on the team bus:

“I got called to the front of the bus to be let known I got traded.”

Mentions it was interesting going back to his seat to tell the boys he had been dealt. pic.twitter.com/Imom1scW0G

— Carter Brooks (@CBrooksie84) February 27, 2023

The 30-year-old didn’t have his passport with him, as the Predators’ two-game road trip involved only two stops, and both were in the United States. So as opposed to jumping on the next flight from Arizona to Winnipeg, was forced to head back to Nashville, where he grabbed his proper documentation, packed a small bag and headed to the airport where he got in the Jets’ private charter. Having never served on a Canadian team over the course of his 12-year NHL career, the Swiss forward also needed to hit up the local work Visa office and set himself up to legally be employed in Canada.

“It was definitely a long travel day yesterday, but I’m happy to be here now and looking forward to it,” he laughed after a long and tiring practice, one in which his teammates have earned following a stretch of hockey that has seen Winnipeg lose five of its past six games.

“If there’s a piece missing here hopefully it can be me.”

Sure, a simple trade involving a 2024 second-round pick and a veteran winger can certainly spice things up for a struggling team, but according to head coach Rick Bowness, the onus is on the players to turn things around before it spirals completely out of control.

“We got to hold them more accountable like we did this morning,” a hoarse Bowness said following the tiring skate. “Just as important is that they have to hold each other accountable. You can’t say you want to be held accountable but not me, make them accountable, right? It doesn’t work that way. So everyone has to be held accountable. When we’re holding them all accountable there’s no, we’re not picking and choosing guys. If you need to get a blast, you’re going to get a blast.” 

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Blasting was surely the right descriptor for the display that Bowness put on. At one point, the veteran shot-caller actually needed to sit on the bench with his head between his legs as he gathered his thoughts (and maybe some wind) between drills.

“There’s days where you let your assistants run the drills and there’s days when the only voice they should hear is the head coach’s voice,” he said. “Today is one of those days.” 

The 68-year-old bench boss did not shy away from barking orders during any drill at the high-tempo skate – something the newcomer had no issue with.

“It was definitely a hard practice, but it was good,” Niederreiter said. “I mean getting to know the guys right away. It’s a highly-competitive team. Everybody seems like they want to take the next step. It was definitely an intense practice, but I had a long flight yesterday so I’m glad to get an intense practice.”

An area to which Niederreiter has contributed greatly over the course of his career is net traffic and shots on net. Owning some of the league’s best numbers as a middle-six forward in that area, the 6-foot-2, 218-pound shooter will look to help get the Jets out of a funk that has seen the team score just nine goals over its past six games, and just five in its last five losses.

“I feel like my tenaciousness on the forecheck and in front of the net, getting those, hopefully, greasy goals and getting in the guys’ face in front of the net and all those crumbs. I think that’s my bread and butter and that’s where I try to be there most,” he laughed. “I mean, I definitely like to shoot the puck when i get the chance. I think my game overall is right around the crease and try to get those rebounds in front of the net.”

Your first look at the newest #NHLJets forward Nino Niederreiter (No. 62) who is lining up with Pierre-Luc Dubois and Nikolaj Ehlers.

He also served in the slot on power play No. 1 alongside Scheifele, Connor, Dubois and Morrissey.

He has quite the nose for the net. pic.twitter.com/EHXDdDPloC

— Carter Brooks (@CBrooksie84) February 27, 2023

Niederreiter slotted right into the Jets’ top power play, as he skated with Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele, Pierre-Luc Dubois and Josh Morrissey on Monday, while suiting up on a line with Nikolaj Ehlers and Dubois as the team completed its line rushes. But with Dubois nursing an upper-body injury and sitting out Tuesday’s morning skate, Adam Lowry slid into his role between Niederreiter and Ehlers. Blake Wheeler then took Dubois’ place on the power play. Bowness called Dubois’ injury as something that will make him a game-time decision on Tuesday in Winnipeg’s home game against the Los Angeles Kings.

According to the Swiss product, flexibility is another big part of his game.

“You’ve just got to be open-eyed and take it all in,” he said of his place in the lineup. “Things can change in a heartbeat and you can be playing with this guy, with that guy. I think it’s always easier when you get to know the players off the ice and get to know their tendencies and kind of work from there.”

“Whatever coach wants me to play, I’m playing. It doesn’t matter to me if it’s the left side or the right side.”