New York Islanders send Nino Niederreiter back to WHL
As expected the New York Islanders have decided to send youngster Nino Niederreiter back to his junior team the Portland Winterhawks.
Niederreiter was sent back to the Western Hockey League’s Winterhawks before his tenth game and therefore his three-year entry level deal does not come into effect for another season.
Niederreiter is only 18 years old and had yet to play his over year in the WHL. Although the youngster made the Islanders out of training camp it was always assumed that the club would make the decision to send the youngster back to junior for another year
of development. In addition, the club also delays a year on his three-year entry level contract, which means the native of Switzerland will not become a restricted free agent until the 2014-15 season instead of a year earlier.
Niederreiter was taken fifth overall by the Islanders in the 2010 National Hockey League entry draft. The right-winger was selected after a productive year in the WHL, where he notched 36 goals and 24 points in only 65 games. In addition, he was also selected
for the Swiss Under-18 World Junior side and scored six goals in six contests with the club.
Although Niederreiter did not play poorly in his NHL debut, he was unable to make a strong impression on the Islander brass. The youngster's average play, along with with the logjam New York is currently experiencing up front, and the contract implications,
ultimately led to the demotion.
Nevertheless, Niederreiter will be given another year in junior where he should flourish and garner plenty of ice time, whereas in the NHL he would have had trouble earning over 10 minutes a night.
Niederreiter managed to notch one goal and one assist along with a minus-one rating and eight penalty minutes in his short stint with the Islanders.
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