SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Minnesota Wild General Manager Chuck Fletcher today announced the National Hockey League (NHL) club has agreed to terms with restricted free-agent forward Nino Niederreiter (pronounced NEE-noh NEE-duhr-righ-tuhr) on a five-year contract with a $5.25 million average annual value ($4.6 million in 2017-18, $6.075 million in 2018-19, $5.85 million in 2019-20, $4.25 million in 2020-21 and $5.475 million in 2021-22).
"Nino has had a big impact on our club during the last four seasons and we're very happy to know that will continue in the future," said Fletcher. "He's grown into his role as one of the offensive leaders of this group and his shot and net-front presence will continue to play a major role in our team's success. Nino has a great attitude and personality, and we know our fans will be as happy as we are about this news."
Niederreiter, 24 (9/8/92), totaled 57 points (25-32=57) and 53 penalty minutes (PIM) in 82 games with Minnesota in 2016-17, setting career highs in points, goals, assists, plus/minus rating (+17), PIM, power-play goals (8), power-play assists (6), power-play points (14), shots on goal (186) and multi-point games (14). The 6-foot-2, 211-pound native of Chur, Switzerland, was one of four Wild players to appear in every game in 2016-17, and led the team in power-play goals, ranked second in multi-point games, third in goals, shots on goal and hits (120), fourth in points and T-4th in PIM.
Niederreiter has totaled 173 points (83-90=173) and 161 PIM in 325 games during four seasons with Minnesota (2013-17). Since joining the Wild at the start of the 2013-14 season, he ranks first in games played - having appeared in at least 80 games in each of the four seasons - and PIM, second in goals, T-2nd in power-play goals (18), third in plus/minus rating (+40), fourth in shots (637), fifth in points, sixth in game-winning goals (10) and seventh in assists. He has also added 18 points (8-10=18) and 24 PIM in 34 playoff games, and ranks first in franchise playoff history in game-winning goals, second in hits, fifth in goals and T-5th in scoring.
Niederreiter is the only Swiss-born player to ever record at least 20 goals in a single NHL season - a feat he has accomplished each of the last three seasons. He was originally selected by the New York Islanders in the first round (fifth overall) of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft and totaled three points (2-1=3) and 20 PIM in 64 games during parts of two seasons with the Islanders (2010-12). He was acquired by Minnesota from the Islanders in exchange for Cal Clutterbuck and a third-round selection in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft (Eamon McAdam) on June 30, 2013 and signed a three-year contract with the Wild on Sept. 11, 2014.