New York Rangers Rick Nash can’t live up to his contract

Since being acquired in a trade by the New York Rangers, Rick Nash has had the highest salary for skaters on the team. However, Nash has not always been the most productive player, despite being paid well. As he enters the last year of his contract, let’s look back on what Nash has done with the Rangers.

The New York Rangers acquired Rick Nash in July of 2012. The Columbus Blue Jackets sent Nash, along with defenseman Steven Delisle and a third round pick for Ranger’s forwards Brandon Dubinsky and Artem Anisimov, along with defenseman Tim Erixon and a first round pick. At the time, the Rangers needed a young and proven goal scorer, and Nash fit the bill perfectly.

Nash was drafted first overall by the Blue Jackets in the 2002 NHL Draft. In nine seasons with the Blue Jackets, Nash set franchise records in points, goals, assists, and a plethora of other categories. He also set Blue Jackets single season records in points in 2008-2009, as well as goals in 2003-2004.

However, when Nash came to the Rangers, he lost his touch. In five seasons with the Rangers, Nash has only scored more than 30 goals once. He scored 30+ goals in all but one of his seasons with the Blue Jackets. The winger hasn’t lived up to the $7.8 million that he’s paid annually.

Nash with the Rangers

Rick Nash’s first season with the New York Rangers was during the lockout shortened 2012-2013 season. He appeared in 44 games, scoring 21 goals and adding 21 assists for a solid 42 points. At this point, Nash was worth his price, playing at about a point per game pace.

However, the following season, Nash caught the injury bug. In only the third game of the season, Nash suffered a concussion that caused him to miss 17 games. This point proved to be an almost dramatic shifting point in his career. Nash finished the season with 26 goals and 13 assists for 39 points in 65 games played. What’s worse was Nash’s performance in the playoffs. In 25 games, Nash scored 7 goals and tacked on 3 assists in the Rangers run for the Stanley Cup.

Nash had possibly his last great season in 2014-2015, where he scored 69 points off 42 goals and 27 assists. Nash also made improvements in his postseason game, scoring 5 goals and adding 9 assists for 14 points in 19 games. However, it didn’t last long.

The last two seasons have been the worst of Nash’s career by a country mile. Mainly marred by injury, Nash had his career low in both goals (15) and points (36) in 2015-2016. Trade rumors have been more persistent than previously, as his play continues to deteriorate, but the price tag is simply too high for most teams.

Redemptions

Rick Nash costs a lot of money for a player who has done a whole lot of nothing in the last few seasons. While injuries are definitely to blame, it can’t be ignored that Nash is fading out as one of the premier scorers in the league, as he has been for many seasons. It’s safe to say Nash’s best days were with the Blue Jackets, and he lost the magic on Broadway.

For his price, Nash should be producing significantly more than he does. The ideal season for an $8 million per season player is one that puts them in contention for the top of the league, not behind other players on their own team.

In reality, Nash will never be able to pay the Rangers back for what they’ve spent on him. Nash’s faltering performance in the last few seasons all but assured that the Rangers weren’t going to get their money’s worth on Nash. So it goes, unfortunately.

While Nash may not have been worth the contract he was signed to, he has given the Rangers a lot to love over the last few seasons. His spirit and dedication to the team has been wholly apparent. It would be great for the Rangers to have him back after this season. Alas, the money must match up, and Nash has to keep performing.