Blue Jackets trade Gustav Nyquist to Wild: Why Minnesota acquired the forward

By Michael Russo, Aaron Portzline and Eric Duhatschek

The Minnesota Wild have acquired forward Gustav Nyquist from the Columbus Blue Jackets in return for a 2023 fifth-round pick, the teams announced on Tuesday. Here’s what you need to know:

Nyquist has been sidelined since Jan. 25 with a shoulder injury. Columbus announced earlier this month that he is expected to miss the remainder of the season, but Nyquist said he’ll work to return sooner.
He recorded 22 points in 48 games this season prior to the injury.
Nyquist appeared in all 82 games last season, totaling 53 points, after missing the entire 2020-21 campaign with a shoulder injury.
The Blue Jackets retained 50 percent of Nyquist’s contract. This leaves the Wild with a little under $1.7 million in cap space or the ability to add up to $7.4 million worth of players, a team source confirmed to The Athletic.

Scouting report

In the wake of the team’s announcement that he’d miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury, Nyquist told The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline on Feb. 1 that the injury would cost him “weeks, not months, and it doesn’t require surgery.” That left open the door for a trade.

If he can return, Nyquist will have value as a rental. He’s 33 and a respected veteran player who would be a low-maintenance addition to a team seeking depth up front for a Stanley Cup run. — Duhatschek

Why did the Wild go after Nyquist?

This is the second trade the Wild made on Tuesday after sending a third-round pick to Washington to reacquire Nyquist’s Swedish countryman, Marcus Johansson. Nyquist is a fast, skilled, hard-working winger who can play up and down the Wild’s lineup. He has scored 174 goals and 423 points in 700 NHL games. — Russo

Nyquist is a classic “secondary” scorer, a player who can compliment the right players on a first line, but is a perfect fit on a second line or a skilled third line. Last season, he had 18-35-53 and played in all 82 games for Columbus, the second-best season of his career. He had 10-12-22 in 48 games at the time of the injury. He is a defensive reliable player, one who takes very little risk offensively and quickly gains the trust of coaches. He’s also an excellent penalty-killer due to his quick hands and excellent anticipation. — Portzline

GO DEEPER

NHL trade grades: Wild acquire Nyquist, Johansson to address forward depth

Nyquist’s injury history

Nyquist suffered a shoulder injury on Jan. 25 in Edmonton. It was the same shoulder that he had surgically repaired in 2020, causing him to miss the entire 2020-21 season. But this injury didn’t require surgery, and he expects to be back before the end of the regular season and certainly by the playoffs. — Portzline

What they’re saying

Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen on Nyquist:

“Nyquist is a first-class person, who brought great professionalism, leadership and commitment to our organization both on and off the ice over the last five years,” said Kekalainen. “We wish he and his wife, Danielle, and their family all the best in the future.”