Hurricanes Tweak Roster By Trading Victor Rask For Nino Niederreiter

TheSportster

By Alex Hoegler

Published Jan 17, 2019

The Carolina Hurricanes have traded forward Victor Rask to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for Nino Niederreiter.

Jan 6, 2019; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Carolina Hurricanes center Victor Rask (49) skates with the puck in the second period against the Ottawa Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports

The Carolina Hurricanes have made yet another hockey trade, as the team announced sending out forward Victor Rask to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for Nino Niederreiter.

The Hurricanes' official Twitter account broke the news.

Rask is struggling this season, with one goal and five assists in 26 games this season. The 25-year-old Swede is signed through 2021-22 at a $4 million cap hit. Rask had 14 goals and 31 points last season.

In return, the Hurricanes receive Niederreiter - who's had the more successful career thus far. Even though 2018-19 has been a down year for him, the Swiss standout has nine goals and 23 points in 46 games.

Niederreiter is a three-time 20-goal scorer and is two years removed from a career-best 57-point season. He should add more much-needed offense to a Carolina team that ranks 27th in the league with just 125 goals scored.

The Wild gave Niederreiter a five-year extension worth $26.25 million in the 2017 offseason. He's signed through 2021-22 with a $5.25 million cap hit each year. As Michael Russo of The Athletic points out, the trade is quite even for both teams.

Both forwards are simply struggling and looking to rebound with new teams. Niederreiter should succeed on a Carolina team that lacks the scoring depth, while Rask's style of play might be better fitted for the defensive system of head coach Bruce Boudreau.

Entering play on Thursday, the Wild are eighth in the Western Conference with a 23-20-3 record, with the Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks and Anaheim Ducks breathing right down their necks. Carolina sits at 22-19-5, seven points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for the final wild card spot in the East.

What This Means

It's a pure hockey trade between the Wild and Hurricanes here. They're swapping out talented but struggling forwards that carry similar contracts. Neither side has anything to lose here, as the Wild and 'Canes look to make runs back into the postseason.

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