New York Rangers: Rick Nash is Proving his Worth

The New York Rangers big man is back to doing big things offensively.

At the end of last season, Rick Nash was afraid he wouldn’t be returning to New York.

Nash’s performance in 2015-2016 was uncharacteristic. He scored a career-low 15 goals after not only struggling to find his rhythm at the start but also after missing six weeks during the winter due to a deep bone bruise. It led fans to question if Nash’s play this year would be worth $7.8 million dollars he is being paid.

“No doubt there was concern,” Nash told The New York Post after the Rangers’ 6-1 win over Tampa on Oct. 30. “…I know that if you’re an expensive player, you have to perform. If you don’t, you could be moved. I knew that. And I appreciate the fact that they didn’t trade me and had the confidence to bring me back.”

Rumors circulated this offseason, expressing that teams were showing interest in Nash, but nothing came of these rumors– with Nash out for upwards of 20 games last season, it may have been rash for the Rangers to up and move him somewhere else.

And good things have come out of the decision to hang onto the veteran.

Nash and goal scoring

Nash has started this season off right. After being named an assistant captain during the offseason, the 32-year-old has nine points (six goals, three assists) in the first eleven games. Assuming that he remains healthy (knock on wood), there is no reason he should not have another season along the lines of the 42 goals, 27 assist season seen in 2014-2015.

So far, pairing Nash with rookie Jimmy Vesey and his veteran linemate Derek Stepan has generated an extremely dangerous second line for the Rangers. Nash is a winger who is as dangerous passing the puck as he is when he’s shooting it.

“Rick knows the game so well. It seems like every time I’m open he puts it on my stick,” Vesey told The Post. “With Step, we’re all skilled players and for me, playing with two veteran guys like that, they’re always talking about what we can try, what kind of plays we can make. It’s been great.”

Plus, he is one of only four players on the Rangers roster this year that is over the age of 30 (Klein, Girardi and Lundqvist). Compare this to last year’s 11 roster spots that were occupied by players aged 30 plus. Now in a position of leadership, it gives Nash a great opportunity to not only help the younger talent but also get back to the quick, physical game he is known for playing.

Nash and defense

Nash is an excellent two-way forward. Arguably, he has been the strongest forward in all three zones so far this year. Nash plays physically on the defensive end but is quick enough to gain positioning in the neutral zone and smart enough to know when to play aggressively. That leads to goals like this:

When on the defensive end, he also has the ability to get his stick in shooting lanes. He a large part of why the Rangers dismal penalty kill was even remotely successful last year, and he has shown that he has a knack for being able to generate shorthanded points (in his time in New York he has seven shorthanded goals and seven shorthanded assists). Like this one from last year’s playoffs:

The Biggest Concern?

Nash has been criticized for his postseason play since the Rangers’ Stanley Cup run in the 2013-14 season. That season, Nash had a below average regular season missing 17 games due to a concussion he suffered in October.

When the Rangers entered the postseason in 2014, Nash’s below average performance continued. After playing 20 games to get to the Stanley Cup Finals, the Rangers lost to Los Angeles in five games. Nash scored only three goals and had seven assists in those 25 games. Playing a total 65 games that year, Nash had only 39 points (26 goals, 13 assists) – a statistic that at the time tied a career low.

Nash definitely deserved criticism after his performance in the Finals in 2014. However, since then he has been solid in the playoffs, despite the continuing negative discussions about his play in the postseason.

In 2014-2015, Nash had a 60 point season. After getting through the first two rounds, Tampa Bay eliminated the Rangers from the Conference Finals. They played a total 19 playoff games, and Nash had five goals and nine assists for 14 points.

This past postseason – despite only playing five games against the (eventual Stanley Cup Champion) Pittsburgh Penguins, and despite Nash’s aforementioned issues in the regular season (leading to his current career low points) – he recorded four points (two goals and two assists) in the five games against the Penguins.

Nash’s playoff production truly has been on an upward trend since 2014 – but many still have concerns.

Hopefully, this can be a year where the Rangers make a deep run, and Nash can gain back the affection of those who won’t let go of his poor performance in 2014.

Final Thoughts

Eleven games into the season, Nash is just one aspect of what has made the Rangers’ hot start so exciting. As long as he remains healthy, continues to jive with his linemates and remains a core piece of the veteran leadership, there is no reason that Rick Nash cannot lead the Rangers in points this year.

Next: Rangers offense has covered up defensive, goaltending mistakes

Rick Nash is back in New York this year to prove that he deserves the roster spot he has, and so far he has earned it.