Observations:

July 2014- This is the first offseason in Gustav’s career that he heads into training camp with the Red Wings with an everyday role locked down. Barring any unforeseen circumstances that is but he appears hear to stay for good this time. Sitting on a one-year deal that will see him become a restricted free agent next offseason looking to cash in big if he’s able to replicate or better yet improve on last years point totals. Nyquist was arguably Detroit’s most important player last season almost single-handedly carrying the team on his back for a two month stretch from mid January to mid March on route to a 23rd consecutive playoff appearance. Even though he sizzled out when it matter most not recording a single point in five playoff games and zero goals in his last 11 games, 2014, was a huge success for the young Swede which also saw him represent Team Sweden in both the Olympics and World Championships. He’s a player that has developed great chemistry with fellow compatriot Henrik Zetterberg and appears set for an encore season which he could easily push the 60 point mark with the chance of hitting 75+ if everyone in Detroit can stay healthy. This is a player you shouldn’t hesitate to draft or target in trade as he has produced at or near a point-per-game average at every level he has played. Detroit’s stars arn’t getting any younger so it’s about that time to have a new wave of youngsters sweep through and help lead the team to another championship opportunity. Travis Watson 

May 2014- Gustav Nyquist was named to Sweden’s 2014 IIHF World Championship roster and is one of only two Olympians named to the team. The defending champion Swedes don’t look to have the fire power of past years rosters but they have many talented players in the mix with the young Nyquist leading the way.

Coming off a fantastic year which saw him only be denied a point in 7 games for nearly a three month stretch from January 18th-April 5th. During that stretch Nyquist carried the Wings on his back going on a scoring terror with 23 goals in 28 games leading all NHL scorers notching a couple of first star honors along the way. Had the Red Wings had Gustav up from the get go they may not have had to fight for their lives to make the post season. Nyquist looks to be a star in the making based on what we saw this season and it will be interesting to see what he has for an encore next season. Travis Watson

April 2014- Nyquist took home first star for last weeks effort and now he can add second star to his list of accomplishments this season after being named the NHL’s Second Star for the month of March. He kept up his sizzling scoring pace potting home 12 goals during the month of March which was only bested by the NHL’s First Star of the month, Jarome Iginla. In the absense of stars Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, Nyquist is helping keep the team afloat and is currently riding a nine game scoring streak where he has amassed 11 goals and two assists.  I think everyone by now should know who this guy is and should be a player that you try to acquire while you still can! Travis Watson

March 2014- Gustav Nyquist was named the NHL’s First Star of the week for March 17th-23rd after scoring a league high six goals and seven points. Not only were Nyquist’s point totals impressive but he also helped Detroit take seven of a possible eight points this week and in doing so moved the Red Wings into a wildcard spot for the playoffs. Nyquist is scorching hot right now and it doesn’t seem like anyone can slow him down and that’s good news for Wings fans. Travis Watson

March 2014- Nyquist has been the NHL’s hottest scorer over the past two months putting home a league leading 16 goals since January 20th and five in his past four games. Looking back Detroit probably wishes they would’ve carried the talented Nyquist with the team out of camp but due to numbers and contract situations it wasn’t possible without losing a player they wanted to keep. Regardless the Red Wings must be ecstatic with the former fourth round selection and the production he is bringing even without the likes of Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg. Detroit is going to need Nyquist to keep up his scoring ways in order to keep the playoff push alive and if for some strange reason number 14 in red and white is still on your waiver wire don’t wait another second. Get him now and get him in your lineups. Travis Watson

February 2014 – Nyquist came into the Olympic break on bit of a roll enjoying his most successful stretch of his young career with 14 points in 11 games played. He wasn’t able to keep that momentum up personally for Sweden mainly because he was put into a reduced role logging fourth line minutes due to an abundance of talent on the Swedish National team. Nyquist actually had the best chance for Sweden in the gold medal game against Canada that almost put the Swedes in front when his driving effort from the corner caromed off the post and trickled behind Carey Price before he gathered in the rebound. With a little luck there it could of changed the entire outcome of the game with Sweden getting the momentum but it wasn’t meant to be. Still for his accomplishments this season where he sits fifth in team scoring for Detroit he was rewarded the opportunity to play for his country and he came away as an Olympic silver medalist and shouldn’t be disappointed with that. Detroit hopes that Nyquist will be able to keep his pre Olympic momentum going when play resumes after the break but he will have to do so without the services of his regular linemate Henrik Zetterberg who is likely out for the rest of the regular season due to back surgery. Travis Watson

{source}
<div id=”imageright”><script type=”text/javascript” src=”http://ap.lijit.com/www/delivery/fpi.js?z=199099&u=dobbersports&width=300&height=250″></script></div>
{/source}

February 2014 – Fresh off being named the NHL’s second star of the week after having his most productive week as an NHLer putting home four goals and settingup two others to come away with six points in four games. For his efforts, Nyquist was rewarded by being named as an injury replacement for Team Sweden due to the fact his ailing teammate Johan Franzen is unable to make the trip across the pond and has been ruled out for the Olympic games. This will be Nyquist’s first Olympics and he will be looking to help lead Sweden to a gold medal finish. Travis Watson

November 2013 – Well that certainly didn’t take long, 17 seconds into his season debut Nyquist buried a rebound to get the Wings ahead early. He would later put away his second of the game coming on a slick backhand deke on the breakaway and it would hold up as the game winner as Detroit was finally able to end their losing skid at 7 games. I may have to take back what I said before about tempering expectations as Babcock threw Nyquist right into the fire skating him with Zetterberg and Franzen for the majority of his shifts and even allotting him some powerplay time. Keep him on the watch list as anyone who is playing with the likes of Zetterberg deserves your attention. Travis Watson

October 2013 – When Gustav re-upped his contract with Detroit this summer he did them a favour by signing to a two-way contract. Unfortunately for Nyquist this meant that when the Wings brought back Dan Cleary in training camp that there were now 17 forwards battling it out for 14 spots and because of his contract it left the Wings with no other choice but to send him back to Grand Rapids. Lucky for the Wings it looks like he isn’t holding any grudges as he started the AHL season off with a bang scoring a goal and putting up two assists in a 8-1 romp of the Rochester Americans. Look for Nyquist to be back up with the Wings proving he belongs when injury starts to hit the parent team. Travis Watson

August 2013 – The Red Wings were able to lock up their last remaining restricted free agent by inking Nyquist to a two-year $1.9 million contract. Look for Nyquist to slot in on the third line wing where he helped solidify the Wings roster last season and make the push to their 22nd consecutive playoff appearance. He will be looking to push that streak to 23 this season but will have to do so in the unfamiliar confines of the Eastern Conference after the realignment pushed the Wings to the new Atlantic division.Travis Watson

July 2013 – Nyquist was one of 35 names named to Team Sweden’s preliminary roster for the nations orientation camp for the upcoming Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Nyquist will be joined by many teammates from his Red Wings club(otherwise known as North America’s version of Team Sweden) including: Henrik Zetterberg, Niklas Kronwall, Jonathan Ericsson and Johan Franzen. Travis Watson

May 2013 – Nyquist couldn’t have picked a better time to pot home his first career playoff goal, scoring in overtime to help even things up between the Red Wings and Ducks. Despite seeing less then 9 minutes of ice the dynamic Nyquist was still able to make a difference scoring just over a minute into the extra frame and with seconds left on the man-advantage. Goals like this is exactly what Red Wings management was expecting of Nyquist and they hope to see more of it as the playoffs progress. Travis Watson

April 2013 – On March 20th with the Red Wings sitting in 7th place in the Western Conference standings and in doubt of potentially missing the playoffs for the first time in 21 years they recalled their top prospect Gustav Nyquist to help fend off perennial foes Columbus, San Jose, Phoenix and Dallas. At the time Nyquist was leading the entire AHL in scoring with 60 points in 58 games played. With the aforementioned teams above breathing down their necks they looked to Nyquist to help shoulder some of the offensive burden that Datsyuk, Zetterberg and Franzen hold nightly. Although he hasn’t put up staggering numbers his 3G-3A-6P and even rating in 22 games played was able to help Detroit secure the 7th seed on the final day of the regular season and set up an opening Round 1 date with the Anaheim Ducks. The Red Wings will continue to look to their youth with Nyquist included to inject some offence and help upset and knock off one of the surprises of the 2012/13 season Anaheim Ducks. Travis Watson

January 2013 – Surprisingly Detroit chose to allow Nyqvist to continue growth in the AHL rather than thrusting him into a lower line assignment. He has already received one recall for a game and that will likely to continue on an as needed basis. He is currently representing Grand Rapids in the AHL All-Star game. Jason Banks

December 2012 – Continues to lead the Griffins offence after another strong month, Grand Rapids seems only as strong as Nyqvist allows them to be. He is likely going to start in a third line role for the Wings and move forward from there. Jason Banks

November 2012 – Nyquist is making the most of it as he bides his time in the AHL. The Swede is leading Grand Rapids in scoring and is currently fifth in the league with 15 points in 13 games and has contributed in all facets of the game. He has nothing left to prove in the AHL. Rich Dillon

February 2012 – The speedy Swede is proving to be quite a steal from the Red Wings, who drafted Nyquist in the 4^th-round in 2008. Detroit’s patience is about to pay off, as Nyquist is knocking on the NHL door. Biding his time in the AHL, Nyquist is showing the same offensive ability as he did in the college ranks. He had a strong training camp and may have made the team if the Wings weren’t so deep. As it is he is top of the list in terms of call-ups. Rich Dillon

Fantasy Outlook: A-

Nyquist is NHL-ready, with the skills to be a star forward in Detroit. The only concerns are his size, and opportunity. But the wait may finally be over.

Footage:

Nyquist Highlights:

{youtube}cJUhoKinyIo{/youtube}

Gustav Nyquist 2012 pre-season goal:

{youtube}c6EjMNVf0u4 {/youtube}

Buy the latest Fantasy Prospects Report here.

{source}
<iframe src=”http://www.eliteprospects.com/iframe_player_stats_small.php?player=6223″ width=”100%” height=”385″ scrolling=”no” frameborder=”0″ ></iframe>
{/source}