It seems like just yesterday that Gustav Nyquist signed a four year contract with the Blue Jackets, who plucked the winger from free agency in hopes of replacing some of the scoring lost after the exodus of talent in 2019. He was a consolation prize for a team that lost Artemi Panarin and Matt Duchene from its top-six; but he helped lessen the sting of a team transitioning to a new era.
Right off the bat, it was obvious that Nyquist was not a straight across replacement for Panarin. But, that doesn’t mean this wasn’t the best signing the team could make, given the circumstances.