Editorial: Four potential landing spots for nitr0

The North American Counter-Strike community erupted in cheers when it was revealed that Nick "nitr0" Cannella was aiming to return to the title that made him a superstar. The former Intel Grand Slam-winning IGL has a long history in the game along with two little adventures to the world of VALORANT. Now, he's back and looking for his next team.

While we don't yet know where nitr0 will ultimately end up, there are probably two teams that fans should not think are likely landing spots for the 28-year-old father. Liquid are an unlikely landing spot at this time with the squad spending so much time in Europe and traveling the globe, despite the immediate need for an IGL after benching Casper "cadiaN" Møller. For similar reasons, Complexity is also out of the running. He might not be everyone's cup of tea, but Johnny "JT" Theodosiou's job with the Texas-based organization is pretty secure.

Complexity and Liquid aren't the only options left remaining in North America as there are four other potential landing spots for the IGL as he looks to mark on a new stage of his career.

#4: Wildcard

This is probably an unlikely landing spot as Wildcard are in the middle of wrapping up their latest ambitious transfers for Swedish duo Love "phzy" Smidebrant and Tim "susp" Ångström and they already have a solid IGL in Peter "stanislaw" Jarguz. Due to Valve's roster rules for the upcoming Major, Wildcard also really can't move on from any of Stanislaw, Josh "JBa" Barutt, or Aran "Sonic" Groesbeek. This means that Wildcard has to make a U-Turn on one of their incoming imports or risk missing out on the Major.

The organization certainly has the investment to support such a star player like nitr0, but with the Major such a cash cow for the smaller organizations, it's all going to come down to how far along the current deals are with the two Swedes and if Wildcard wants to risk making such a change so late in the game.

#3: Nouns

This is a move that actually looks to be an automatic upgrade for the squad as they hope to punch above their weight in the North American ladder. Nouns have seemed to struggle as of late, failing to qualify for the Thunderpick World Championship, finishing 2nd in CCT Season 2 North America Series 1, and finishing 3rd in ESL Challenger League Season 47 to miss out on the next season of ESL Pro League. It's a tough look for an organization that has some of the brightest stars from the region, and maybe nitr0 is the veteran that they need.

The team has already picked up Will "RUSH" Wierzba as they looked to have an experienced voice on the server alongside coach Eric "adreN" Hoag, so maybe nitr0 will be the final piece to push them over the edge. This is not to say that Carson "nosraC" O'Reilly's ability as an IGL should be doubted in any capacity - especially considering his ability to frag on the server, but an internationally experienced IGL like nitr0 doesn't come around often and he could very well be the perfect fit to push this team to the next level.

#2: NRG

Something has got to give with this team. It's frustrating to see a lineup that is stacked with so much potential struggle so hard in North America. With the team unable to get over the hump in the region, it might be time for the roster to make their third IGL change since coming back to the region and the title. nitr0 for Colby "Walco" Walsh might be worth a shot if they need to bring in a different voice that can lead them to domestic and, hopefully, future international wins.

Damian "daps" Steele has quite the amount of experience coaching nitr0 when the two were on Liquid together. With the IGL also knowing how best to use Josh "oSee" Ohm, this little Liquid reunion as part of NRG might just what the doctor ordered. With a resurgent Vincent "Brehze" Cayonte, rock-solid Timothy "automatic" Ta, and prospect in Jadan "HexT" Postma, NRG has the real potential to become a threat in North America. They just need a push that could help them get over the hump. Adding nitr0 could be that crucial addition they need.

#1: M80

A lot of fans seem to think that the addition of nitr0 for the departing Mario "malbsMd" Samayoa makes sense. Honestly, I get it. I think this is definitely a fit that could make sense. M80 immediately get an internationally experienced rifler veteran than can help guide their young IGL Elias "s1n" Stein to become a more prolific caller. He's already with the organization, so there is no buyout needed and M80 can use all the money from the malbsMd sale to fund operations for a long while.

Now, the problem also comes if everything I just mentioned goes awry. M80 doesn't need to bring in another IGL if they are trying to give s1n the reigns to the undisputable 3rd best team in the region. By bringing in nitr0 his authority is immediately undercut and creates a confusing situation where players may look at the much more experienced player for leadership instead of the captain they hired, they imported, they scouted for so long.

It's a double-edged sword on how M80 want to continue competing and how long they want to take to identify their next replacement. However, they don't have too much time as the Esports World Cup is right around the corner on July 17th.

nitr0's future remains uncertain so far in North America, but it's clear that he will be sought after by a number of organizations and teams in the region. He can be an immediate upgrade for whoever he plays for while bringing a wealth of knowledge that will only improve each squad. Where he ends up can be anyone's guess, but we'll know soon enough where he will be plying his trade.