How Blue Jackets winger Gustav Nyquist can boost a third line without breaking the bank

Credit: © Russell LaBounty-USA TODAY Sports

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With less than six weeks to go until the NHL’s trade deadline on March 3, we’ve got you covered at Daily Faceoff with one trade-focused story each day leading up to Deadline Day.

Today we’re going to focus on Columbus Blue Jackets forward Gustav Nyquist, who was No. 22 on Friday’s latest Trade Targets board.

2023 Trade Deadline Countdown: 41 days

GUSTAV NYQUIST
Left Winger, Columbus Blue Jackets
Shoots: Left
Age: 33
Height: 5’11” | Weight: 180 lbs.
Cap Hit: $5.5 million AAV
Term: Pending UFA
Trade Clauses: No restrictions
Stats: 45 GP, 9 goals, 11 assists, 20 points, 18:06 avg TOI
Career: 11th season (Detroit, San Jose, Columbus), 697 GP, 173 goals, 421 points, 16:55 avg TOI

Archetype and Ideal Role

Distributor, Third Line

Nyquist is a complimentary facilitator best utilized in transition. At this stage of his career, he isn’t going to drive play, but he can make plays in all areas of the ice with space. He can also reliably finish when presented with the opportunity. Ideally, Nyquist would slide into a third line role on a Cup contending team to provide a more balanced threat.

Scouting Report

Nyquist is a consistent producer, particularly when used in the right situations with the right linemates. He is smart and uses his hockey intelligence to play positionally sound in the offensive zone with and without the puck. Nyquist has good hands, good visions, and frequently makes quick-strike plays in the offensive zone. He is best off the rush or in quick transition situations, as he can get pushed off the puck or pushed to the perimeter with contact.

Maybe the most attractive thing about Nyqyuist is that he won’t cost an arm and a leg. He was traded at the 2019 deadline and assimilated well with the San Jose Sharks, scoring 11 points in 19 regular season games and chipped in an additional 11 points in 20 playoff contests on their run to the Western Conference Final. That means he’s been through this drill once before and is a proven playoff performer.

Buyer Beware

It’s no surprise that Nyquist used to have more pop in his stride. He could maintain an edge on the rush or use his pace to push defenders wide and then distribute to teammates in scoring areas. But his pace has fall off a bit. He isn’t a poor skater, but because he can’t maintain a lead or create separation now, he cheats a little more for an edge than he used to earlier in his career.

Coupled with the fact that Nyquist has never been a great defender, his cheating means that he needs to be sheltered and deployed in more offensive situations now. That means who he plays with and how they play matter greatly. So far this season, he’s struggled with Boone Jenner and Jack Roslovic. It’s Roslovic who sometimes fades out of games, and Jenner lacks the pace to properly compliment Nyquist’s skillset.

While Nyquist competes adequately enough, under duress he can and does get pushed to the perimeter. Rarely does he accept contact, maintain possession, and drive through it or create space to make plays.

Potential Fits

Winnipeg Jets: Health has been a major factor in Winnipeg’s production, but when fully healthy, Nyquist would give a boost to their third line. Their first two lines are well set, but a contending playoff team and potential division winner could use that extra push – also as insurance in case of another injury. GM Kevin Cheveldayoff is known to be a patient poker player and perhaps the lower price of Nyquist, coupled with the limited risk of his expiring contract, is an add that could make Adam Lowry and Cole Perfetti more dangerous.
Dallas Stars: Given that they’ve already traded their 2023 first-round pick to the Rangers for Nils Lundkvist, Nyquist could be the low-cost solution for Dallas to better balance their attack in the playoffs.
Pittsburgh Penguins: The Penguins might not be able to do anything at this deadline given their lack of cap space and dearth of prospects. But if they decide to do something, they need to consider adding more to their blue line than forward group. However, if they do pivot to adding up front, Nyquist could be an inexpensive rental to help Jeff Carter on the third line as an affordable layer of offensive depth.
New York Rangers: We think the Rangers will be big-game hunting. But if they find Patrick Kane and Timo Meier too expensive, and James van Riemsdyk’s cap hit is too much to overcome, Nyquist is a decent checkdown options to play with Vincent Trocheck.
New Jersey Devils: Nyquist is a play that would seem to fit with where we pegged the Devils. They’re an exciting team which has exceeded expectations this year, heading for the playoffs, but probably not ready for the big swing just yet with the teams on the other side of the bracket in the Atlantic. So Nyquist might be a way to reward Tom Fitzgerald’s group and improve it without going overboard.

Comparable Trade Returns

Feb. 25, 2019
To San Jose: Gustav Nyquist
To Detroit: 2019 2nd Round Pick (Albert Johansson), 2020 3rd Round Pick (Daemon Hunt), 30% Retained

You don’t have to look too far into the past to see what Nyquist previously brought back. That was four years ago and while his speed has slipped a bit, his point production has remained remarkably consistent over that stretch – with all four seasons spent in Columbus after his playoff run with San Jose.

The Ask: MJ90 to Washington

March 21, 2022
To Washington: Marcus Johansson
To Seattle: Daniel Sprong, 2022 4th Round Pick (Cole Spicer), 2023 6th Round Pick, 50% retained

At the time of the trade, Johansson had netted 23 points in 51 games, which is an almost identical pace that Nyquist has been on this season. That brought back 4th and 6th round picks. They also included distressed asset Daniel Sprong in the deal. Sprong has unexpectedly caught fire in Seattle, which few saw coming. And so this makes sense as a starting asking point for anyone calling on Nyquist.

The Other Angle: Domi to Canes

March 21, 2022
To Carolina: Max Domi, Tyler Inamoto
To Florida: Yegor Korshkov, 2022 6th Round Pick (Joshua Davies), 50% retained
To Columbus: Aiden Hreschuk, 50% retained

Hreschuk was a 2021 third-round pick of the Hurricanes, a defenseman in the midst of his freshman season at Boston College at the time of the trade. That makes him a third-round pick equivalent in return for Domi. The Blue Jackets probably have a similar value asset now in Nyquist as they did with Domi last year and Nyquist has a slightly higher salary cap hit, so perhaps some of the same gymnastics will be in play to move him.

Summary

Nyquist is a solid middle six winger who can help a playoff-bound team when paired with a strong finisher and a defensively responsible player who retrieves pucks well. He can boost a third line, provide decent upward lineup mobility as insurance in case of injury, and won’t destroy a team’s future asset outlook to do it.