Director of NHL Central Scouting, E.J. McGuire
"Plays in Portland but showed the world how good he could be in the (World Junior Championship) playing for the Swiss National Team. And after that tournament he kept getting better. He's shifty, he's skilled, he has a good stride and he loves battling in the corner."

Portland Winterhawks head coach and GM Mike Johnston
"Nino is a combination of a power forward and scorer. He’s a guy who can play a very physical, very involved game. He has touch around the net, he has great instincts on where to be around the net and when he gets the puck on his stick he usually creates scoring chances or a goal. He’s a player who, personality-wise, is a great teammate, a real key focal point for the group. And he’s becoming a better two-way player."