Rick Nash Trade: Star Winger Will Ensure NY Rangers Enter Playoffs as Top Seed

The New York Rangers finally pried Rick Nash away from the Columbus Blue Jackets and the move will allow them to finish the regular season as the best team in the Eastern Conference for the second consecutive year. 

The Rangers received the All-Star winger after parting ways with Brandon Dubinsky, Artem Anisimov, Tim Erixon and a 2013 first-round draft pick, as noted by ESPN.

Nash is a remarkably consistent and productive player who will add another dimension to the team’s attack. The 28-year-old has scored 30 goals or more in the past five seasons and recorded at least 50 points eight years in a row.

He was drafted first overall by the Blue Jackets in 2002. He lived up to expectations and made five All-Star appearances while becoming the team’s captain.

But Columbus’ 65 points was the worst in the NHL last season by a nine-point margin. The team will be involved in a lengthy rebuilding process and Nash did not want to be around for that.

The Rangers were smart to keep pressing and prodding until the Blue Jackets finally accepted a deal to add prospects and draft picks. Now, they are in perfect position to defend their title as the East’s best regular season team.

New York finished with 109 points, earning the top seed in the conference. They came within two games of the Stanley Cup finals, but the New Jersey Devils emerged after defeating the Rangers in six games.

The NHL playoffs are wild and unpredictable. As the eighth-seeded and eventual Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings proved, anything can happen. 

But the regular season is not as erratic. Teams with balance and depth will win the most games.

The Rangers finished third in the league in goals against average, but were not as proficient on offense, ranking 11^th in scoring. Nash will help significantly with bolstering the team’s attack.

New York will have an essentially identical roster to last season, with Nash’s addition being the only major difference. The team was one of the best in their conference last year, and they will be even better in their upcoming campaign.

The Rangers certainly have the talent and leadership to win the Stanley Cup next season, but any championship run is a long journey that requires both skill and luck.

New York will give itself the best odds in the playoffs by winning as many games as possible in the regular season. The team did this last year, and with Nash now on the roster, it will do it once again.