Nino Niederreiter is a playmaker. Plain and simple. He has an uncanny ability to spark an offensive play even on the fly and in the most unexpected circumstances. His impact on the Carolina Hurricanes’ season was virtually instant. In his first 11 games with the Hurricanes, Nino turned in 6 goals and 4 assists. Victor Rask, however, was nowhere near this productive.
Don Waddell and Co. were able to set up a one-for-one deal with the Minnesota Wild to offload a struggling 4th line center in exchange for a 1st line winger with tremendous upside.