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Do you think Rick Nash fulfilled all draft expectations?

Sticks and Pucks

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Jan 2, 2008
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Just wondering if people here feel Rick Nash fulfilled people's expectations from back when he was drafted first overall in 2002. Early on, I kind of expected some 90+ point seasons, especially after he won the Rocket Richard as a 19-year-old but he never reached those heights. Just wondering what people here think.
 
I think Nash is a really good example of an average 1st overall pick. He had a couple PPG seasons and a couple 40 goal seasons, but he's not really someone that you can build your franchise around. Hall fits this pretty well too.
 
I don't believe he's lived up to the expectations of a first overall pick, but he has had a strong career. From what I've seen, he doesn't play his best in big games. The 2002 draft was pretty weak though, especially the first round, so he probably was the right guy from that class to go first.
 
The only better player out of that draft was Duncan Keith, so relative to his draft he definitely met expectations. But in terms of other 1st overall picks, he's average. The only 1st overalls that wouldn't be ahead of Nash since 2002 are Fleury, Yakupov, and maybe Erik Johnson.
 
SLAPSHOT723 said:
The only better player out of that draft was Duncan Keith, so relative to his draft he definitely met expectations. But in terms of other 1st overall picks, he's average. The only 1st overalls that wouldn't be ahead of Nash since 2002 are Fleury, Yakupov, and maybe Erik Johnson.
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I'm very clearly not a fan of Fleury but you really think Nash has had a better career than him?
 
flyersfan018 said:
I'm very clearly not a fan of Fleury but you really think Nash has had a better career than him?
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Depends how you define career accomplishments. Also, why have Nuge and MacKinnon had better careers? and Erik Johnson? Also, why limiting to players drafted after him?
 
Depends on how you classify what his expectations were suppose to be.

He was a 1st line, all star, star winger most of his career, superstar for a season or 2 and won a Rocket Richard trophy.....In my book he met the expectations.

But I guess if you thought he was going to putting up 90 point seasons...then no, but I don't ever remember reading scouting reports on him that he was going to be an elite 90 point scorer.
 
Holy cow what a bunch of haters. He is only in the top 100 of goal scorers ALL time. I guess he hasn't won a cup but come on really. Not live up to his draft pedigree is really a joke if you ask me
 
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Definitely. Nash has been a top goal scorer in the NHL in his time in the league. He gets a lot of hate these days but he's transformed his game and become a fantastic two-way player. He's met expectations in my opinion.
 
The guy's resume is very impressive. I do think he would benefit from a change of scenery though. Olympics, Calder Nomination, Rocket Richard Trophy, five time all star and NHL foundation award.

393 goals and 340 assists in 922 games. That's a great pick and a guy who's done what you wanted him to. Sure he's had some struggles but he's been a very good to great player most of his career and still looks to be a guy who will always flirt with 20 goals at minimum at this stage of his career. It wouldn't shock me if he scored 35 this year.
 
SLAPSHOT723 said:
The only better player out of that draft was Duncan Keith, so relative to his draft he definitely met expectations. But in terms of other 1st overall picks, he's average. The only 1st overalls that wouldn't be ahead of Nash since 2002 are Fleury, Yakupov, and maybe Erik Johnson.
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I'd have picked Fleury over Nash, but not Erik Johnson, personally.
 
Oil Baron said:
Holy cow what a bunch of haters. He is only in the top 100 of goal scorers ALL time. I guess he hasn't won a cup but come on really. Not live up to his draft pedigree is really a joke if you ask me
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Looks around the thread for hate

Doesn't find it

Leaves thread
 
He is much more representative of what it generally means to draft 1OA than guys like Crosby, Ovechkin or McDavid would be. Recent highly drafted players at his position - Laine, Puljujarvi, Drouin, Hall, Landeskog, Huberdeau, Marner... all these kids would be huge successes to have a career like Rick Nash.
 
The thing with Nash is that his skillset was even better than a ''normal'' 1st overall.Nash is Lemieux-like in style, but he never put it together completely.From that perspective, he failed to fulfill his potential.

He had a decent career that could have been better.
 
OvermanKingGainer said:
He is much more representative of what it generally means to draft 1OA than guys like Crosby, Ovechkin or McDavid would be. Recent highly drafted players at his position - Laine, Puljujarvi, Drouin, Hall, Landeskog, Huberdeau, Marner... all these kids would be huge successes to have a career like Rick Nash.
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I agree with this 100%. No way has Nash been a dissapointment.
 
Good player but never met expectations in my mind.

All the tools but the career numbers just weren't what I'd expect from all those tools.
 
He did fine. He never had any great linemates in Columbus.

When he did have linemates he played some decent all star games and represented Canada nice.
 
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Fun fact: It took Rick Nash 12 seasons to overtake his Sophomore season goal scoring mark (41 goals). He's a heckuva player, but I don't know if he's ever been as good as he was in 2003-04 - even in his prime. He was a beast.
 
In 13 NHL season Nash has had eight(9 if you count his pace on the lockout season) 30+ goal seasons and three 40+ goal seasons.

That is an amazing career and great consistency as a goal scorer. Whether or not he lived up to expectations or not i don't know but he is a good first overall pick.
 
I'd say so.

He played in the Olympics for team Canada three times, which is the hardest team to make out of all the teams out there (Team USA, Team Sweden, and Team Russia are up there too) and that says a lot, had some decent seasons, lead his team in scoring at last five times and is the franchise scoring leader for the Columbus Blue Jackets.
 
Nash has been a legit 1st line goal scorer for over a decade, He was a very good pick especially for a terrible draft class.
 
He has reached the 40 goals mark 3 times, has had several PPG seasons, while never really playing beside a true 1#C. And he might very well reach the 500 goal milestone, so yes he has easily reached his expectations , the man deserves a lot more credit than he gets.
 
SLAPSHOT723 said:
The only better player out of that draft was Duncan Keith, so relative to his draft he definitely met expectations. But in terms of other 1st overall picks, he's average. The only 1st overalls that wouldn't be ahead of Nash since 2002 are Fleury, Yakupov, and maybe Erik Johnson.
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Nash > Erik Johnson, Fleury, Yakupov, RNH, Hall. Still too early to say about MacKinnon but probably him as well. The previous 4 1oa, Kovalchuk, DiPietro, Stefan, Lecavalier. Nash ended up being a better 1oa than those guys as well.
 
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