After acquiring Marcus Johansson from the Washington Capitals earlier Tuesday, the Minnesota Wild struck again by trading for Columbus Blue Jackets forward Gustav Nyquist.
Minnesota gave up a 2024 third-round pick for Johansson. Nyquist cost them a 2023 fifth-round pick. But here’s the catch: Nyquist is supposedly out for the rest of the season with a shoulder injury.
But Russo says Nyquist is working to “return sooner,” and it’s only logical to assume Minnesota believes he can help them down the stretch and in the playoffs because he’s an unrestricted free agent after the season. Why else would the Wild give up anything for a player who wouldn’t give them anything before being open to sign anywhere he wants?
Nyquist has been confident he’ll be back by end of regular season from his shoulder injury. https://t.co/O78zFrdxKQ
— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) February 28, 2023
Nyquist had 22 points in 48 games before suffering the injury Jan. 25 and has been on injured reserve since. The 33-year-old missed the entire 2020-21 season with a shoulder injury but tallied 53 points in 82 games in 2021-22.
“These two players are what we were missing, what we needed. They’re both highly skilled guys, excellent skaters. Effortless skaters and high hockey sense guys that can make plays. I think we can really use that,” Wild GM Bill Guerin said of Johansson and Nyquist, according to Joe Smith of The Athletic.
Here’s what you are getting in Gustav Nyquist, a player with a ton of wheels, a sneaky good shot, he’ll help out desperately on the Power play with the 2nd unit that had no threats and he can play PK too #mnwild https://t.co/EUFNfuZ8jO
— Alex Micheletti (@AlexMicheletti) March 1, 2023
