Jets land Niederreiter from Predators for 2nd-round pick

The Winnipeg Jets acquired veteran forward Nino Niederreiter from the Nashville Predators for a 2024 second-round pick, the team announced Saturday.

Niederreiter, 30, has 18 goals and 10 assists in 56 games this campaign. He's under contract through next season at a $4-million cap hit.

The Swiss winger signed a two-year deal with the Predators last summer after four seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes. The New York Islanders drafted Niederreiter fifth overall in 2010, but he played only 64 games with the franchise before being moved to the Minnesota Wild.

He's a six-time 20-goal scorer and has posted strong underlying numbers for much of his career.

The Jets are locked in a tight battle for the Central Division crown, sitting one point back of the Dallas Stars for first place with an extra game played. However, Winnipeg is only one point clear of the Wild and two clear of the Colorado Avalanche.

Nashville, on the other hand, is a severe longshot to make the playoffs with 62 points.

Winnipeg has $4.6 million remaining in deadline cap space, according to Cap Friendly.