Isles prospect Niederreiter frustrated not getting a shot to make the team

PROVIDENCE, RI — Nino Niederreiter’s season in the AHL has been a great one. He’s top-three in the league in goals with 19 and 12th in the league in points. That sort of production made it a surprise when the Islanders didn’t invite him to training camp and made it almost no surprise he asked to be traded.

At the AHL All-Star Game in Providence, Niederreiter, 20, talked about his awkward situation with the Islanders. When I asked if not getting an invite to training camp after putting up such big numbers in the AHL was what frustrated him most, he opened up about it.

“It was really frustrating,” Niederreiter said. “I had a really tough season last year. I wasn’t playing much, I played low minutes and obviously it wasn’t the game I wanted to play. I still learned a lot, I was really happy to have that chance to play a full season in the NHL already.

“This summer I was working hard and I was trying to prepare myself for the next chance and it was frustrating I didn’t get the chance but that’s out of my control.”

Last season, Niederreiter played in 55 games with the Isles and scored just one goal and no assists while putting up an incredible -29 plus-minus while averaging just over 10 minutes of ice time per game. Comparing that with what he’s done in the AHL so far would seem to indicate major improvement and a leading reason why the Isles don’t want to deal him.

When it comes to things being out of his control, you can put “what his agent says to Swiss newspapers” in that category as well. After an interview surfaced with his agent telling a Swiss outlet that the trade request was his idea, Niederreiter made it clear he’s controlling what he can do himself.

“I’m trying to focus on what I can control and what I can control is on the ice. The rest I leave for my agent. Whatever he think is best for me he should just do that.”

With injuries and poor play from others being likely through the rest of the NHL season, it’s possible Niederreiter will get his chance to show how much he’s improved. From the way he spoke about the situation, he’s eager to prove what he’s all about on the biggest stage.