Nash Overrated? Are You Serious?
Steve Zipay at Newsday spoke with former Columbus Blue Jacket GM Doug McLean about what type of player the Rangers are getting in Rick Nash..."Where do you find a 6-4, 235-pound guy with hands, who can skate, is entering his prime, with limited miles on him -- although every night he was the No. 1 focus, tightly checked, man-on-man, because teams knew if you shut down Rick Nash, you beat Columbus? Now people are telling me he's overrated. Are you serious?"
...seen a lot of Nash haters pointing to the fact that his goal totals have dropped in each of the last three years. But this quote by McLean should have every Rangers fan pumped for next season, as Nash is either going to attract so much attention it'll open up the ice for his linemates or Nash himself will finally receive less focus allowing him to take his game to the next level.
...the Rangers got themselves a stud Blueshirts fans, make no mistake about it.
On why New York is the perfect spot for Nash, McLean added...
"It's worse in a small market sometimes. Rick couldn't walk around Columbus without being recognized. New York? I think he goes there and excels."
...couldn't agree more with this statement. While there might be more media scrutiny in New York than most markets (although there is absolutely no threat of him being negatively portrayed on the back page of any of the daily papers), he'll be able to travel around New York City virtually unnoticed. Unless of course he's walking next to Derek Jeter.
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So when Nash finally pulls the Blueshirt over his head he'll be on a line centered by Brad Richards, right? Aaron Portzline at the Columbus Dispatch isn't so sure...
"Most expect him to step in with Brad Richards, a playmaker extraordinaire. My hunch is he'll fit best with Derek Stepan, but – as a guy who sees the Western Conference almost exclusively – I'm not entirely keyed in on Stepan's game. Nash needs the puck to be successful. He doesn't find space in the offensive zone and rip one-timers; he hauls it to net. This will be interesting."
...oh uh. Wasn't this the same reason why Richards and Gaborik didn't work so well together?
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Portzline also notes that to complete the Nash trade, the Rangers made a last minute addition...
"...sources have told The Dispatch that the Rangers’ offer changed the Friday before the deal was agreed upon. Erixon was added into the mix on the Rangers’ side, and the Jackets countered with a third-round conditional pick."
...if all it took was adding Erixon to the mix, Sather should have done it weeks ago. As I've had more time to reflect on the trade, the Rangers GM deserves so much credit for bringing one of the game's best players to the Blueshirts for two role players and a prospect who's not even a lock to be a servicable NHL defenseman. Not as much of a steal as McDonagh for Gomez, but damn close.
Speaking of Nash, he has a message for Rangers fans...
To watch on Blueshirts United, click here.
...can someone get Nash to work on his on-camera skills. That was shaky at best.
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And finally, Nash was interviewed on WABC-TV Eyewitness News last night...
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Nash is a total power forward, he needs to bring the puck to the net. Can't think of any player today that does what Brett Hull did. Making career of finding open ice at the top of the circle and shooting. Could you imagine Gaborik and Nash arguing over who gets to play Stepan...
I'm all for the trade but to say the trade was for "two role players and a prospect who's not even a lock to be a servicable NHL defenseman" is an insult to Dubi and AA and maybe Erixon too. Everyone forgets Dubi was our leading scorer a few seasons ago. And I'm still not convinced Erixon couldn't have turned out to be more if not for Torts handling of him - he certainly offers everything Stralman does and more.
Nash hasn't even played a preseason game for the blueshirts yet, so let's hold off on this being the biggest steal since McD for at least a half season or so.
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@sureshore -- I think Erixon is going to be great, but he's not quite ready to make the jump -- although he may have more opportunity in Columbus. There was absolutely nothing wrong with Tortorella's handling of him either. And, by the way, it's not like Torts acts in a vacuum, he's got a whole staff of people he depends on. Sully, Gordie, and the rest, I'm sure all agree with where Erixon played. You can't push these guys to play in the NHL too quickly, sometimes it really destroys their confidence. He got a few games with the big club and did OK. He would have played some more games this year and depending on how he handled himself may have started competing for a spot. In the end, I won't be surprised if Erixon winds up being a better player than Del Zotto, but we've got a long way to go.
@sureshore Are you seriously trying to tell me Dubinsky and AA are more than role players? Are they solid NHL players? Absolutely. But c'mon let's not make them into players they're not. How would you categorize them then?
@KevinDeLury @sureshore It's the same problem when you trade homegrown talent. They're overvalued and its never, ever for a good cause. It stings to see Dubi and AA go, but they were necessary casualties to bring in a player like Rick Nash. Be thankful Glen Sather was smart and didn't deal Kreider, McD or Step.
@sureshore How dare you continue to disagree with me using a well written, factual response? No room for that here at The New York Rangers Blog.
I'm not an AA fan and I know Dubi's not what Nash is and better be for the Rangers, but Dubi is more than a role player. Prust - role player, Fedetenko - role player, Dubi more than a role player. I stand my ground -lol
And I'm not against the trade - I'd just like to see a few games before I declare it a steal
@KevinDeLury @sureshore HOW DARE YOU NOT AGREE WITH THE ALMIGHTY KEVIN?!?! DO YOU NOT VALUE YOUR LIFE?!?!
@TheWrage @sureshore James, I brought you on the blog to defend me, not be peace maker. So rip this guy for not agreeing with every word I say. lol
