Can Carolina Hurricanes forward Nino Niederreiter bounce back?
The Carolina Hurricanes need a regain of form from Swiss forward Nino Niederreiter to push further into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
After the Canes swapped forward Victor Rask for Nino Niederreiter around trade deadline time in 2019, Nino proved to be a key contributor and helped lead Carolina to the Eastern Conference Final. He tallied 30 points in just 36 games with the Canes to finish the regular season and “El Nino” became an immediate fan favorite.
Following his electric end to the season, expectations increased for Nino. However, he did not meet them. His performance fell greatly, producing only 29 points in 67 games. Maybe even more importantly, he scored only 11 goals.
Give me fuel
— Sara Civ (@SaraCivian) April 28, 2019
Give me fire
Give me Nino Niederreiter.
2-1 Canes
The Canes missed the goal-scoring prowess that he showcased after arriving in Raleigh the year prior. His play diminished to the point where Rod Brind’Amour decided to use him as a healthy scratch multiple times. So how do the Canes get old Nino back to his game?
I think the first step needs to be playing him top-six minutes, likely alongside a player like Sebastian Aho, who helped Nino step in so well his first season. Playing with a player like Jordan Staal on the third line is not going to increase his scoring production.
Nino playing with Aho and Teuvo Teravainen also allows for more depth scoring, seeing Andrei Svechnikov drop off the top line, but allowing for scoring flexibility throughout the lineup. That seems to be the case in training camp thus far.
The #Canes will stage a scrimmage on Monday, but today it was back on the ice after a scheduled day off
— Michael Smith (@MichaelSmithNC) January 10, 2021
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You could see Niederreiter’s confidence dropping as last season went along. It seemed he felt less and less comfortable in front of the net, not being able to settle a puck to score, or gripping the stick too tight.
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Nino’s game is being able to grind on the forecheck and getting to the net to finish gritty goals. Playmakers like Aho and Teravainen can help with that. He also needs to re-establish himself on the power play, becoming a menace in front of goaltenders. Man-up goals will undoubtedly up his confidence.
This is a big season for Nino Niederreiter. With his cap hit at $5.25 million for the next two seasons, he could be a buyout consideration with another poor season. The Canes need him to bounce back and become a force again in their lineup. Top-six minutes and confidence could do wonders for himself and this team.