Rick Nash (2012)
While Rick Nash has been a useful player in his tenure with the Rangers and will surely bring back assets within the coming days, the trade started the trend of giving away first round picks. For those that don’t remember the trade, the Rangers sent Brandon Dubinsky, Artem Anisimov, Tim Erixon, and a 2013 first round pick to the Blue Jackets in exchange for Rick Nash, Steven Delisle, and a conditional third-round pick in 2013.
Dubinsky and Anisimov went on to have solid careers in their new home, and Erixon ultimately never became anything special. The problem was the first round pick. The Blue Jackets would go on to select Kerby Rychel who would ultimately turn out to be a bust. For the Rangers, they dodged a bullet on this trade.
They got a good return for what they gave up. However, the Rangers in the future would not be so lucky with mortgaging their future. The 2012 draft would be the last draft in five years that the Rangers had a pick in the first round.