If you told me a year ago that I’d be doing an About Last Season for Nino Niederreiter today, I would ask you which core defenseman was given up to acquire him. Instead, the Canes parted with a growing concern in Victor Rask. The fact that the Hurricanes didn’t sacrifice more in the Niederreiter acquisition in January is laughable, and has contributed to a tenure-defining move for Don Waddell — one that played a big part in his General Manager of the Year nomination.
Niederreiter’s impact on the team cannot be understated.