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New York Rangers Were Right to Give Nash an ‘A’

By Michael Monti

Jan 15, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; New York Rangers left wing Rick Nash (61) skates with the puck during the third period of the Boston Bruins 3-0 win over the New York Rangers at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 15, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; New York Rangers left wing Rick Nash (61) skates with the puck during the third period of the Boston Bruins 3-0 win over the New York Rangers at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports /
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The New York Rangers have named Rick Nash an alternate captain but was it a good move.

When talks began about The New York Rangers trading for Rick Nash in 2011, a lot of Ranger fans were not so happy about the possible trade. Mostly because of who the  Blue Jackets wanted in return. The Garden Faithful treated Nash to a “We don’t want you chant.” in 2011.

Fast forward to 2016, and think of what Nash has accomplished while playing in New York City. In 248 regular season games, Nash has 104 goals, 83 assists, and 186 points. In contrast to his postseason numbers which are far from par, for a player like him.

Nonetheless, even though the 32-year-old forward has struggled with scoring in the postseason, he has shown leadership qualities by going out there night after night and throwing his body, blocking shots and helping the team on the penalty kill. While it is nice to see this, fans get restless because it’s not what he get paid to do. In fact, despite the early postseason exit, Nash tallied two goals and two assists in just five games.

Apr 4, 2016; Columbus, OH, USA; New York Rangers left wing Rick Nash (61) against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. The Rangers won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 4, 2016; Columbus, OH, USA; New York Rangers left wing Rick Nash (61) against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. The Rangers won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /

Nash spent a majority of two months injured during the 2015-16 season with a leg injury. As a result of this, he ended up with a career-low 15 goals. Nash has scored 30 or more goals in eight out of his 13-year career.

Eventually, this offseason, you had to believe that there were going to be rumors about a Nash trade. All summer long you heard he would be going to places like Buffalo, or even St. Louis. All in all, they ended up being just that rumors.

This morning the New York Rangers tweeted that Nash would join Derek Stepan, Dan Girardi, and Marc Staal as alternative captains to Ryan McDonagh, who is entering his third season as Rangers captain.

Seeing this, I believe it was a smart move. As mentioned earlier, Nash, who struggles to perform in the playoffs, still provides the team with leadership qualities. By going out on the penalty kill, throwing his body, and even blocking shots.

In an interview with John Giannone during the Rangers live practice, Alain Vigneault talked about why they decided to make Nash an alternative; “ While speaking to McDonagh, he stated he feels comfortable with Nash by his side.” He continued by saying, “Nash has a lot of experience, and the team never filled the spot since Martin St. Louis retired.”

Nash is entering his seventh season of his eight-year contract that carries a $7.8 million cap charge. Nash’s salary is in the top 30 in the NHL. So it will be interesting to see where the Rangers and Nash go from there.

Next: New York Rangers: Fantasy Hockey Ratings for Forwards

In the end, once again I believe this is a good move by the Rangers. Nash has been a consistent regular season performer for the Rangers. Despite the injury from last season, I am expecting Nash to bounce back and hopefully help the team through the playoffs, his one kryptonite.

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