Player Discussion: Sami Niku

[Whileee]

So much confidence in his game right now. From the start of the season to now his game has elevated. He is adjusting nicely to the NA game and ice. That play will get you excited but what really should get you excited is his overall game. I think they are giving him the Josh Morrissey experience where they probably won't call him up unless they have to this year.

With Poolman, it looks like the Jets are going to be able to fill in their defense with young players they've drafted, which is a good thing. If Samberg becomes and NHLer, as seems quite possible, the D pipeline will start looking decent. Of course, the forward pipeline is flat-out ridiculous. We hardly ever even mention Foley, and he's one of the better prospects in the NCAA. I think he'll sneak up on a lot of people the way Appleton has this year. He might even have more NHL potential than Appleton, when all is said and done.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

With Poolman, it looks like the Jets are going to be able to fill in their defense with young players they've drafted, which is a good thing. If Samberg becomes and NHLer, as seems quite possible, the D pipeline will start looking decent. Of course, the forward pipeline is flat-out ridiculous. We hardly ever even mention Foley, and he's one of the better prospects in the NCAA. I think he'll sneak up on a lot of people the way Appleton has this year. He might even have more NHL potential than Appleton, when all is said and done.

Foley is kind of the forgotten man. I remember him from the WJC last year. He didn't score much but still played a big role in the US win.

Good all around player with some grit. Ideal 3rd line winger or 4th line on a deep enough team. He has a level of experience to possibly be ready to step right in to the NHL next year.

 

[JetsUK]

Foley is kind of the forgotten man. I remember him from the WJC last year. He didn't score much but still played a big role in the US win.

Good all around player with some grit. Ideal 3rd line winger or 4th line on a deep enough team. He has a level of experience to possibly be ready to step right in to the NHL next year.

I agree, but he may have to step over whatever's left of Hendricks.

 

[Aggie204]

Best 7th round pick since Sliced Bread?

If I remember correctly Enstrom and Buff were 7th rounders?

 

[CaptainChef]

If I remember correctly Enstrom and Buff were 7th rounders?

Buff was actually an 8th rounder

 

[csk]

If I remember correctly Enstrom and Buff were 7th rounders?

Buff was actually an 8th rounder

So was Enstrom

 

[csk]

Foley is kind of the forgotten man. I remember him from the WJC last year. He didn't score much but still played a big role in the US win.

Good all around player with some grit. Ideal 3rd line winger or 4th line on a deep enough team. He has a level of experience to possibly be ready to step right in to the NHL next year.

That I don't agree with. Foley might have the physical maturity to play in the show, but it's the mental aspects of the game (with which experience is included) that I think will hold him back. 2 years away at least IMO.

 

[csk]

Niku is a special player. They way he sees the ice is so impressve, I don't even see some of the passing options from a birds eye view, and yet he goes ahead and makes the pass.

 

[truck]

I'll be honest I didn't know too much about Niku, but I didn't really expect him to be this good, this year. He looks like he could be a gem.

I saw top 4 upside, but I don't think anyone expected him to completely dominate as a rookie. Now, I wouldn't be shocked to see him play at a top pair level in the bigs. Top 4 almost seems like a given.

Of course nothing is a given.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

That I don't agree with. Foley might have the physical maturity to play in the show, but it's the mental aspects of the game (with which experience is included) that I think will hold him back. 2 years away at least IMO.

I said might. 3 years of NCAA post draft is often enough.

 

[KingBogo]

I saw top 4 upside, but I don't think anyone expected him to completely dominate as a rookie. Now, I wouldn't be shocked to see him play at a top pair level in the bigs. Top 4 almost seems like a given.

Of course nothing is a given.

Niku developing as well as he has and coming along when he is will be such a benefit to our cap pressures at least for a couple years.

 

[Joe Hallenback]

Appleton and Niku with assists on Robinson goal

 

[truck]

Appleton and Niku with assists on Robinson goal

Appleton is tied for 1st in AHL sciring Niku is in sole possession of 2nd among D. Both are top 5 in rookie scoring.

 

[truck]

Niku developing as well as he has and coming along when he is will be such a benefit to our cap pressures at least for a couple years.

Aye.
Top 10 in Liiga D scoring.
Second in AHL D scoring.

He's super smart. His skating is high-end. Some fine tuning required, but all of the tools to move past any issues.

 

[Kaako Kappo]

Leads the AHL in defencemen scoring. 41 points in 58 games. Who'd have guessed?

 

[Weezeric]

Having Niku appear to be ready so quick is a big help to the jets defence situation going into next year. I think my preference now would be signing trouba and morrisey long term, signing enstrom at a discount, trading Myers and running a Niku-Kulikov 3rd pair. I liked kuli on his offside.

 

[nobody important]

I think the gif in this tweet says it all.

 

[mcpw]

So... on which side will Niku play for the Jets?

 

[DoingItCoolKiwi]

So... on which side will Niku play for the Jets?

LD obviously. The question is who'll he play with. I dont think Niku is ready to take a big role next season but Morrissey-Buff Niku-Trouba could be a nice top4 long-term

 

[Aavco Cup]

So... on which side will Niku play for the Jets?

The winning side of course

 

[Lempo]

Niku has a fun contract. He has $182.500 Games Played bonus for this and the next season, meaning that if he plays 10 or 10+ (can't be sure of the number they have agreed on) games up in NHL he'll get a nice extra on top of his regular AHL (and NHL) salary. Which also means he'll probably not get a-short-but-above-nine-game stint in the N (despite not being Slide eligible).

It drops down to $60k for his last ELC season, for which he also doesn't get a signing bonus assumably so that he doesn't get any bright ideas for ditching for Europe after cashing it in case there's no NHL roster spot for him in 2019-20 courtesy of the European Assignment clause.

Sami Niku - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

 

[Aavco Cup]

Niku has a fun contract. He has $182.500 Games Played bonus for this and the next season, meaning that if he plays 10 or 10+ (can't be sure of the number they have agreed on) games up in NHL he'll get a nice extra on top of his regular AHL (and NHL) salary. Which also means he'll probably not get a-short-but-above-nine-game stint in the N (despite not being Slide eligible).

It drops down to $60k for his last ELC season, for which he also doesn't get a signing bonus assumably so that he doesn't get any bright ideas for ditching for Europe after cashing it in case there's no NHL roster spot for him in 2019-20 courtesy of the European Assignment clause.

Sami Niku - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

Where are you getting the specifics obout the performance bonus in his contract?

 

[Kaako Kappo]

Where are you getting the specifics obout the performance bonus in his contract?

He's Chevy.

 

[Lempo]

Where are you getting the specifics obout the performance bonus in his contract?

Educated safe guess. GP bonuses count against the max salary of $925k unlike the Exhibit 5 Performance Bonuses, and his very specific Performance Bonus + Signing Bonus + Base Salary add up to exactly that. GP bonuses are only allowed for 5, 10 and "more than 10" games, and the 5 Games bonus isn't allowed to go above $25k. The bonus amounts reported also don't make sense as Exhibit 5 Bonuses but fit the GP ones to a tee.

CapFiend is stupid to not make difference between Exhibit 5 and Games Played bonuses. You gotta guess.

 

[Aavco Cup]

Educated safe guess. GP bonuses count against the max salary of $925k unlike the Exhibit 5 Performance Bonuses, and his very specific Performance Bonus + Signing Bonus + Base Salary add up to exactly that. GP bonuses are only allowed for 5, 10 and "more than 10" games, and the 5 Games bonus isn't allowed to go above $25k. The bonus amounts reported also don't make sense as Exhibit 5 Bonuses but fit the GP ones to a tee.

OK gotcha. I imagine that at least the $60k bonus in year 3 is of the regular variety.