2 Potential Landing Spots For Nikita Gusev

 

One of the most interesting free agents still available is forward Nikita Gusev. After a fantastic KHL career, there was a lot of hype following him. He did not disappoint in his first NHL season with the New Jersey Devils in 2019-20, as he had 13 goals and 44 points in 66 games. However, this season was entirely different, as he only had two goals and five points in 20 games with them. This led to the team terminating his contract and him signing with the Florida Panthers before the end of the year. 

In Florida, he saw his production go back up a bit, as he had identical stats, but in just 11 games. This may be a sign that the 29-year-old is capable of bouncing back. On a cheap deal, he could be a very solid low-risk, high-reward kind of signing. Teams looking for a bit of a charge offensively should consider signing him. Here are two teams who come to mind. 

Calgary Flames: With over $11 million of cap space, the Flames could bring Gusev in without any trouble. He could be a nice addition to their middle-six, as the Flames certainly would benefit from adding one more offensively-driven player. They are also hoping to claw themselves back into the postseason, so why not take a chance on a player who had success just two seasons ago? If they can sign him for a $1 million or so, it could turn into a complete steal if he rebounds. 

Nashville Predators: The Nashville Predators have had some notable departures this off-season, but have not brought in many replacements. Keep in mind, they lost both Viktor Arvidsson and Calle Jarnkrok this off-season, so Gusev would have two spots to fight for. If the Predators are hoping to remain competitive, taking a chance on him could be a smart idea. He could be the type of player that could help forwards Matt Duchene and Ryan Johansen rebound because of his passing ability.