Rick Nash Trade Rumors: Is Nash Really What the Tornoto Maple Leafs Need?

To date the Toronto Maple Leafs have amassed 176 goals for and have allowed 174 goals against, which begs the question—do they really need Rick Nash?

Perhaps a bit of context will help answer this question.

The 176 goals that the Maple Leafs have scored thus far in the 2011-12 NHL season places them in a tie for fourth-most with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference, behind only the Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers and Ottawa Senators.  

On the flip side, the 174 goals against also has them in a tie for fourth. However, in this instance it is for the worse. Only the Carolina Hurricanes, Ottawa Senators and Tampa Bay Lightning have given up more goals against than the Maple Leafs.

So, do the Leafs really need Rick Nash?

According to the numbers the answer is an emphatic no.

The combination of Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul—currently fifth and sixth amongst NHL scoring leaders with 62 and 61 points respectively—has for the most part been able to carry the offensive load for Toronto. 

The Maple Leafs have also been able to rely on the likes of Mikhail Grabovski, Clark McArthur and Tyler Bozak, just to name a few. As well, they have received much production from a defensive corps that currently ranks amongst the highest in the NHL for points produced.

In theory, the problem seems to be simple enough: The Maple Leafs do not need help putting the puck in the net, they need help keeping it out of their own.

As talented as the team can be at times, attention to detail seems to be a persistent problem, which results in defensive breakdowns.

It should be noted that the Leafs defensive issues are not the responsibility of one player, nor should they be blamed on their back-end alone.

Granted, goaltending has been inconsistent, but team defence seems to be a concept that eludes the Leafs often. Perhaps the issue is coaching, but that is another topic for another day.

In time, I think that the majority of the Leafs' issues in the defensive zone will fade away as the team matures. Unfortunately, being as the Leafs are in the midst of a playoff race, time is not a luxury that they have.

It goes without saying that Leafs Nation would be thrilled to see an elite power forward such as Rick Nash come on board, but now may not be the right time.

Since the Maple Leafs actually need help in the defensive zone, perhaps mortgaging the teams future for help in the offensive zone is not the right answer.

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