NHL Free Agency 2019: 5 underrated early signings

4. Gustav Nyquist, Columbus Blue Jackets

Terms: Four years, $22 million ($5.5 million AAV)

The Columbus Blue Jackets were dealt a very rough hand on July 1. They knew they were going to lose three of the top five free agents – Panarin, Matt Duchene, and Bobrovsky. The last time anyone has experienced that kind of loss was when Thanos snapped his finger towards the end of Infinity War.

General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen wasted no time finding guys to replace them. Gustav Nyquist, formerly of the San Jose Sharks and Detroit Red Wings, signed a four-year deal worth $5.5 million annually. There weren’t any clauses or signing bonuses attached to this deal, which is a bit surprising. I had him worth a shade over $6 million a year on a four-year deal.

At 29 years old, Nyquist shouldn’t have gotten more than four years. Credit to the Blue Jackets for keeping the term reasonable, even if they did have to slightly overpay him. Nyquist should slot into Panarin’s role on the top line, alongside Cam Atkinson and Pierre-Luc Dubois.

There’s no fathomable way he’s replacing what Panarin brings to the table, but he should be a nice addition to the team. Nyquist is a great playmaker who has consistently elevated his linemates. Atkinson needs someone to set him up and he’s the perfect guy to do it. He isn’t much of a goal scorer, but he’s good enough to keep teams honest.

Much like Panarin, Nyquist also excels in transition and his teams have consistently generated better scoring chances at more impressive rates than they did without him on the ice. Just like Tony Stark, nobody can replace Panarin. But Nyquist was their most viable option and the Blue Jackets got him at a very reasonable price.