The Curious Case of Rick Nash

 

Rick Nash walked into the NHL as a first overall pick, and a superstar...He instantly became the face of the Columbus Bluejackets and a fan favorite...For most of his time there, he was the only bright spot on a struggling expansion franchise...He was a prolific goal scorer...A great passer...While not the fastest skater, his skating ability and strength overmatched many...And his stickhandling was amazing....He was a Rocket Richard Trophy winner, and an All-Star Game MVP...He also holds two Olympic Gold medals...One of those, working on the third line, and filling the role superbly...Often having the announcers talk about him being one of the best players on the ice, even though he wasn't on a scoring line...

In his first couple years, league tough guys tested the young, big, strong Nash...He held his own, to the point were he didn't get tested to drop the gloves much more...And playing under a coach like Ken Hitchcock, Nash improved his defensive game, stick checking, blocking shots, and becoming a quality penalty killer...He had become an elite, all-around power forward...




Then in 2012, a year after signing a long-term contract extension with Columbus, rumors started swirling about what moves the Jackets would need to make to get competitive...Nash's name started coming up...Nash never asked for a trade...Nash never demanded to go to a certain team...He was a team guy, and loyal to Columbus...He went to the brass and told them, "if trading me is the best thing for the organization's future, get the best deal you can."

Nash was traded to the New York Rangers along with a 3rd round pick and a minor league defenseman...The Rangers gave up fan favorite, Brandon Dubinsky, Artem Anisimov, top prospect, Tim Erixon, and a first round pick...Dubinsky and Anisimov were two players under contract for a few years, who would fill immediate holes...Erixon was a year or two away...And it freed up the money going to Nash for the next 8 years...It was a good move for Columbus, even though fans didn't want to see their star go...

As a Rangers fan and a Nash fan...I was thrilled...This would bring a surge to the Rangers offense, and he was able to play their defensive style as well....In New York, Nash hasn't always looked comfortable...His offensive production had become very streaky...Then he took a series of concussions...Late in the 2013 season he was knocked out with a concussion which hindered the Rangers playoff run...Then at the start of this season, Nash took another hit to the head...An illegal shot to his head, then bashing his head into the boards...This lead to Nash doing something we rarely see in sports...Nash spoke out against the union for not working with the NHL to take these hits out of the game...He called out all players for a lack of respect for each other and their livelihood...

He came back, and was streaky...But the most noticeable thing was that his drive didn't seem there...The aggressiveness in his game is gone...In so many of those highlights you see him get to another gear...He's taking the game to another level...He's putting everyone on his back, and beating two d-men and a goalie on his own...Now he's not driving to the net...He's not getting in front and mixing it up, and waiting for a rebound to roof over the goalies shoulder...

What has happened to Nash? Have the concussions taken the edge away?  Has fear of another taken it away?  Has playing in New York shaken his confidence, going from big fish in a small pound, to little fish in the big apple?  He has never looked very comfortable in New York...Has a combination of things changed his game?

In this year's playoffs, Nash is at the top of the board with shots on goal...But he's not putting them in...The Rangers are down 2 games to none to the LA Kings in the Stanley Cup Finals....This is the moment that Rick Nash has waited for, languishing in Columbus for so long...This is the moment where Nash needs to put the team on his back...The playmaking goal scorer needs to return...

The Rangers have squeaked through the playoffs on the back of Henrik Lundqvist's great goaltending, and some timely goals coming from seemingly everyone but Nash...But I don't see them getting past this Kings team without a standout performance that superstar players are made for...Blueshirt fans everywhere are calling Rick Nash...We need you to come back if the Rangers are going to win this thing.


Oh yeah....Eye candy...

Have a week...

The Beeze.