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Blue Jackets getting consistency from Gustav Nyquist, which isn't a surprise
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- Blue Jackets getting consistency from Gustav Nyquist, which isn't a surprise
His nickname is "Gus," but "Mr. Consistency" might be a better moniker for Gustav Nyquist .
The Blue Jackets forward, who missed last year recovering from shoulder surgery, is putting the finishing touches on another solid statistical season that resembles what he's done throughout the course of a solid 10-year NHL career.
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Despite starting out with questions about his absence and dealing with a re-adjustment period that lasted six weeks, the 32-year-old Nyquist has thrived with an alternate captain's 'A' on his jersey. He's a sturdy veteran, helping to lead one of the league's youngest teams, and Nyquist plans to continue in that role during the final year of his contract next season.
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"I'm super happy to be here and finish out the year here," said Nyquist, who stated his desire to remain with the Blue Jackets at the trade deadline in March. "Like I said then, I love this place, and it's been a great experience for me. We have a great group, we're building something I'd like to be a big part of, and my family loves it in Columbus. It's been a great fit."
That became apparent during his first season with the Blue Jackets in 2019-20, when general manager Jarmo Kekalainen signed him as an unrestricted free agent on the same day a group of impact players bolted.
Gustav Nyquist's first season with the Blue Jackets
Nyquist contributed 15 goals, 27 assists and 42 points in 70 games before the COVID-19 pandemic forced a four-month pause and then added two assists in 10 playoff games — while dealing with chronic shoulder pain.
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He had surgery to repair a labrum on Nov. 3, 2020, and wound up missing the entirety of the abbreviated 56-game slate last season. The Jackets' precipitous drop from playoff contention made it easier to let his shoulder heal until training camp, but the time off presented mental and physical challenges.
Eventually shaking off the rust, Nyquist proceeded to do what he usually does in a full NHL season. Going into a game Friday against the Ottawa Senators , he had a scoring line of 17-31-48 through 77 games that closely aligns with the rest of his NHL career. Nyquist is usually good for about 20 goals and 50 points on average, and he's nearing both of those numbers with four games left.
Gustav Nyquist influencing younger Blue Jackets
Mr. Consistency is doing it again, continuing an effort that began in 2011-12 with the Red Wings . Looking around his locker room at the time, Nyquist had no shortage of role models to emulate when it came to bringing a consistent effort.
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Nicklas Lidstrom, nicknamed by teammates as "The Perfect Human," was the captain. When he retired, the Red Wings' 'C' went to Henrik Zetterberg, who had a leadership group that included such stalwarts as Niklas Kronwall, Pavel Datsyuk and others who played key roles in winning the Stanley Cup and stretching Detroit's run of consecutive playoff appearances to 25 years.
"That was impressive, how they brought it every night," said Nyquist, who didn't become a regular for the Red Wings until his third NHL season. "When you look at their careers, they're winners. They played the right way every night, brought it every night, and that was something that I really looked up to as a young kid coming into the league. That's the way I was taught, to play at a consistent level, and it's something I take a lot of pride in."
It's something he's trying to impart on his younger Blue Jackets teammates too.
"I put a letter on him for a reason," coach Brad Larsen said. "And that's after missing a year of hockey, if that gives you any indication of what I think of him and what he can bring to this team. He's consistent in all areas, in how he prepares and how he handles the games and the pressures of the games, and that's the sign of a pro. That's hard to do."
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Coverage of Friday's Blue Jackets-Senators game, on Dispatch.com
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets' Gustav Nyquist a model of consistency
