NHL Trade Rumors: A Rick Nash Trade to Rangers Would Be Disastrous

Rick Nash has been linked to the New York Rangers in the latest trade rumors because of his scoring abilities, but it is a trade the Rangers should steer clear of at all costs.

To put things in perspective, Nash is on pace to finish the season with 26 goals and 29 assists for a grand total of 55 points. The Rangers shouldn't trade for a player who won't even crack 60 points when they have tons of players like that already.

Yes, Nash is having a down year, but for a player who has never hit the 80-point plateau, he makes a lot of money and Scott Howson would be demanding a lot in return. 

One of the players the Blue Jackets would want in exchange for Nash is Derek Stepan. On the flip side, Derek Stepan is on pace to finish the season with 57 points. Currently, he trails Nash by a point in the stat sheet despite playing two fewer games. 

The rumors are rooted in a report published by Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, which was expanded upon by The Fourth Period.

Garrioch writes, 

"

If the Rangers are going to deal for Columbus RW Rick Nash—and sources say GM New York Glen Sather is interested—it’s going to come with a big asking price.

The word is the Blue Jackets may demand C Brandon Dubinsky, prospect C Chris Kreider from Boston College and a No. 1 pick.

Kreider was New York’s No. 1 pick in the 2009 NHL draft. The talk in Columbus is Nash may waive his no-movement clause to get a deal done...

"

The Fourth Period added, 

"

The Sun suggests the big price tag for Nash could include Rangers center Brandon Dubinsky, top prospect Chris Kreider and a first-round draft pick; however, one league source told TFP that one of young forwards Derek Stepan or Carl Hagelin would need to be included in a package, along with Dubinsky.

"

This trade has disaster written all over it, but I am confident Glen Sather would never consider it. Derek Stepan is a rising star in the league and has grown by leaps and bounds so far under the tutelage of Brad Richards.

Stepan is a playmaking center with 70-point potential in the future. He is a key piece for the Rangers at center ice and dealing him would be counterproductive.

Brandon Dubinsky may be having a down year and despite early criticism from the fans and media, myself included, dealing him with Stepan or Carl Hagelin doesn't yield a big enough return. He is a key penalty killer and would leave a hole in that area of the Rangers' game.

At the end of the day, this is just a rumor, but it is pretty easy to see where this is going. The Rangers love their young players and are starting to click. They will look to add a veteran scoring forward, especially now that Ruslan Fedotenko could miss some time.

This is how the top six looks right now.

Artem Anismov—Derek Stepan—Marian Gaborik

Carl Hagelin—Brad Richards—Ryan Callahan

If a veteran scorer was added, Hagelin could be slotted on the third line, and his speed would help the forecheck and could interject some needed offense. No matter how you slice it, the current squad has gotten the job done. It isn't an accident that the Rangers are 35-13-5 with 75 points in 53 games.

The current system is working, so any trade that is made will be done to add upon what Sather and company have built. Any major additions to the squad will occur in the offseason, so there isn't a gun to Sather's head.

With the Rangers set to eye impending free agent Zach Parise in July, they won't deal for Rick Nash.

This season has been a breath of fresh air for the fanbase. The team is playing great, the kids are exceeding expectations and the team doesn't need to make any major moves.

For once, Rangers fans have a great reason to hold their heads high and can be proud of their homegrown talent. 

Tom Urtz Jr. is an NHL Featured Columnist. For more NHL free-agent news, updates and alerts about players: