I'm excited and happy to stay a part of the WILD family 🙂 pic.twitter.com/PfJ4ybxWip
— nino niederreiter (@thelnino22) September 11, 2014
The Minnesota Wild agreed to a three-year contract with forward Nino Niederreiter.
Niederreiter, was one of only two restricted free agents the Wild hadn’t worked out a contract extension with. The other is goaltender Darcy Kuemper.
Niederreiter scored 14 goals and had 22 assists for 36 total points during 81 regular season games in his first season with the Wild. The 22-year-old finished tied for third on the team in goals.
According to the Star Tribune’s Michael Russo, the deal will pay the Switzerland native $8 million.
“I’m glad it’s over and I’m part of the Wild family again,” Niederreiter told the Star Tribune. “I think it’s all about now. The season’s coming up and I think I found a way to score goals in the league and felt better and better as last season went on, so now I’m very happy to focus and not worry about the contract situation.”
Niederreiter made a name for himself during the Wild’s playoff run.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Gcnuzzf-Gg
Here is a list of Niederreiter’s accomplishments during the playoffs:
- Scored two game-winning goals
- Became the second youngest player in playoff history to record an overtime goal in Game 7
- Became the third player in NHL history to register his first two playoff goals in a Game 7
Hockey Wilderness said the Wild are trying to get all of their pieces in place so general manager Chuck Fletcher knows what he has to work with as contract extensions loom for Mikael Granlund, Charlie Coyle, Erik Haula and Jonas Brodin – all of whom become restricted free agents after this season.
