Jets' $3.25 million winger trade cost revealed after recent signing

Jets' $3.25 million winger trade cost revealed after recent signing originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Winnipeg Jets still have a sliver of a hope to make the playoffs.

Their chances aren't good enough to avoid selling any obvious players on expiring contracts, even if they were recent signings.

Gustav Nyquist fits that bill. Nyquist was signed in the summer for $3.25 million, but it hasn't worked out.

The 36-year old winger is used to being traded this time of year, having had it happen just last season.

A year ago, he cost a second-round pick. The Athletic's Chris Johnston writes that it will be cheaper for an acquiring team this time around, but he still believes the Jets will end up trading Nyquist.

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On an expiring contract, Nyquist simply doesn't have enough value remaining for Winnipeg.

"Even though he’s more associated with being a playmaker than a goal scorer, it’s hard to ignore the fact Nyquist still hasn’t scored a goal this season," Johnston wrote on Monday. "He signed in Winnipeg last summer, and it hasn’t worked out well for either side. Nyquist was traded for a second-round pick at last year’s deadline, going from Nashville to Minnesota, but the price won’t be nearly so steep this time around. He remains a strong skater with offensive flair and may be worth taking a flier on."

Nyquist also won't be as valuable as last time around because he simply hasn't been that effective this season.

Potentially, a change of scenery to a better team will unlock his chances of actually getting on the score sheet here and there.

Either way, Winnipeg ought to take what it can get before Nyquist's contract runs out.

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