When the casual hockey fan hears a rumor that their favorite team is in the market to trade for a top-tier player, the immediate reaction is: go get him! Of course you want nothing but the best players wearing your team's sweater....everyone does.
Rumors surfaced a few weeks ago that the New York Rangers could possibly be in the market for Columbus Blue Jackets 5-time All-Star and 2-time 40-goal scorer, left wing Rick Nash. I've always been a Nash fan so this especially perked my ears.
So instead of a rapid reaction and social network posts (which some of you have known to see from me), I did a bit of research. I went to one of my favorite hockey websites, capgeek.com, to check out what Nash's contract status is.
I knew Nash had received a large contract a few years back to keep the face-of-the-franchise in Columbus....a franchise that has struggled since it's inaugural season in 2000-01 (I'm still trying to figure out, of all places, the NHL settled on Columbus for a professional hockey team). Nash has a cap hit of a whopping $7.8M through the 2017-18 season.
The big rumor I saw came in yesterday's edition of the New York Post (it's the Post, I know). The rumor, reported by Larry Brooks, was the Rangers sending Brandon Dubinsky, top prospect Chris Kreider, and a first-round pick to Columbus. If this trade were to go through, it'd be a fair deal for a the 27-year old winger.
However, and this is a big however, the Rangers are easily the best team in the NHL's Eastern Conference. They have a solid core of young talent, including the (slim) potential of Kreider joining the team in time for the playoffs. They have a $6.7M cap hit with Brad Richards through 2019-20, a $7.5M cap hit with Marian Gaborik through 2013-14 and nearly a $7M cap hit with the best goaltender in the NHL, Henrik Lundqvist, through the same year.
Wojtek Wolski's cap hit of $3.8M does come off the books at the end of the season as he's set to become a restricted free agent. Don't look for the Rangers to retain him. But after next season Derek Stepan, Ryan McDonagh, Carl Hagelin's entry level contracts all expire and they become restricted free agents as well and they need to be retained.
For the Rangers to add Nash at that price in the current financial status the team is in would be irresponsible. Of course I'd love to have Nash on this team....he's an overall great player, but what the Rangers have here is something special. They have a team fully committed to their coach John Tortorella and they play a full 60 minutes every night. They're aggressiveness on the forecheck, backcheck, and in the neutral zone is something to truly admire.
With that said, the Rangers should add another scorer to their team. Perhaps Ducks winger Bobby Ryan, who the Rangers were rumored to trade for just a couple months back, is available. Another name surfaced recently with the Rangers is Hurricanes winger Tuomo Ruutu, who recently suffered the dreaded upper body injury. Buffalo winger Brad Boyes could also be an optoin, but it's certainly less attractive.
Whichever way the Rangers look like after the February 27 trade deadline, there is great excitement around this hockey club. They have a legitimate chance of bringing the Stanley Cup back to New York City.
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