- Oct 23, 2014
- 30,365
- 43,067
What is Rick Nash's legacy as a Blueshirt?
- Thread starter Filthy Dangles
- Start date
- Oct 23, 2014
- 30,365
- 43,067
NYRFAN218
King
- Oct 23, 2014
- 30,365
- 43,067
I will guarantee you, the only people ever discussing "the Legacy" of an athlete are non athletes. If Rick Nash is contemplating his legacy, he's probably looking at his undoubtedly awesome house, his full bank account, and the way he has provided for his family. This legacy crap is completely made up by fans and media.
- Oct 23, 2014
- 30,365
- 43,067
What in the world are you even talking about? Former athletes always debate was Player X greater than Player Y on sports talk shows almost daily. How a bunch of people remember you as a player is pretty significant
JT Kreider
FIRE GORDIE CLARK
It was funny when they were celebrating his 1000th game earlier this season and they had a Nash tribute highlight reel.
There was a very distinct lack of Nash's huge game/series winning playoff goals. How could there gave been such an oversight? Shame on the Rangers video production team.
OH WAIT
There was a very distinct lack of Nash's huge game/series winning playoff goals. How could there gave been such an oversight? Shame on the Rangers video production team.
OH WAIT
Last edited:
The Crypto Guy
Registered User
- Jun 26, 2017
- 29,227
- 38,914
He slightly under performed. I think the main issue with him is that he became a ghost in the playoffs. Would have liked to see him become a difference maker in the playoffs and he normally wasn't.
One of the worst playoff performers in the modern era. But it's not like he was a superstar that people thought he was at Columbus so it depends on how you frame it.
n8
WAAAAAAA!!!
silverfish
got perma'd
So much better than the majority of fans give him credit for. The guy came here to score goals for this team and that's exactly what he did. Rick Nash's NYR tenure saw him be an elite goal scorer during 5v5 play.
Since 2012-2013, Rick Nash is 20th in the league in goals scored. Only two people ahead of him on this list have played less games than him. Only one player on this list played less TOI/GP than Nash did. [NHL.com]
In the same time frame, only 12 players have scored more 5v5 goals than Nash has. Not a single player ahead of him has played less games in this sample, in fact, the next closest player has played 35 more games than Nash.
And finally, there are only two players who have played more than 100 games in this sample that have a higher goals per 60 during 5v5 play than Rick Nash, and they are Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine, who have each played over 200 less games than Nash has in this sample.
[Corsica.Hockey]
So you want to have beef with his playoff performance here? Fine. But if you don't think he scored enough goals as a Ranger, you are objectively wrong, or your standards are dumb.
Please keep in mind that goals per 60 is a rate metric. What I'm displaying here is efficiency and not raw production. Rick Nash is arguably the most efficient 5v5 goal scorer since 2012.
Most fans are probably too hard on this guy. His legacy with NYR should be a 'what if' legacy? What if he stayed healthy? What if he had a coach that played him more during 5v5? That's what I wonder.
Since 2012-2013, Rick Nash is 20th in the league in goals scored. Only two people ahead of him on this list have played less games than him. Only one player on this list played less TOI/GP than Nash did. [NHL.com]
In the same time frame, only 12 players have scored more 5v5 goals than Nash has. Not a single player ahead of him has played less games in this sample, in fact, the next closest player has played 35 more games than Nash.
And finally, there are only two players who have played more than 100 games in this sample that have a higher goals per 60 during 5v5 play than Rick Nash, and they are Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine, who have each played over 200 less games than Nash has in this sample.
[Corsica.Hockey]
So you want to have beef with his playoff performance here? Fine. But if you don't think he scored enough goals as a Ranger, you are objectively wrong, or your standards are dumb.
Please keep in mind that goals per 60 is a rate metric. What I'm displaying here is efficiency and not raw production. Rick Nash is arguably the most efficient 5v5 goal scorer since 2012.
Most fans are probably too hard on this guy. His legacy with NYR should be a 'what if' legacy? What if he stayed healthy? What if he had a coach that played him more during 5v5? That's what I wonder.
Last edited:
I think his legacy is he was the highest paid penalty killer we ever had. Or was Holik paid more?
eco's bones
Registered User
His $7.8 mil per deal (of which he had 6 years left at the time) prorated today would be $10 mil anyway. Just saying. If we brought in Patrick Kane and Kane's production numbers dropped off a cliff and continued to stay low that would make it a bad deal. We brought Rick Nash in to be a 1st line player--a guy our offense would revolve around. 12-13--a little low on the goals but the points were there. 14-15 was a very good season with 42 goals but he faded towards the end.
Other than those two seasons he didn't live up to his contract. He didn't put up the goals or the points and mostly when it came playoff time he underwhelmed and sometimes underwhelmed a lot. Even the one year he got 14 playoff points in 19 games--5 of them came in one game we blew Tampa Bay out in--in a series we eventually lost anyway.
Maybe he was too comfortable complacent--maybe it was injuries particularly concussions catching up with--maybe some other things. He took up a lot of cap space year after year and the numbers weren't there to justify it. IMO we should have traded him as soon he started putting up 30 + point seasons. His time with the Rangers and his play was just disappointing as far as I'm concerned. I will say though I suspect his decision to retire is because of the number of concussions he's had. If so--it's a smart move on his part and good luck to him. At the end of the day it's a game--it can be a dangerous game though and if a player has real concerns about his future brain health I would advise him to retire too. Not something you should mess around with.
Other than those two seasons he didn't live up to his contract. He didn't put up the goals or the points and mostly when it came playoff time he underwhelmed and sometimes underwhelmed a lot. Even the one year he got 14 playoff points in 19 games--5 of them came in one game we blew Tampa Bay out in--in a series we eventually lost anyway.
Maybe he was too comfortable complacent--maybe it was injuries particularly concussions catching up with--maybe some other things. He took up a lot of cap space year after year and the numbers weren't there to justify it. IMO we should have traded him as soon he started putting up 30 + point seasons. His time with the Rangers and his play was just disappointing as far as I'm concerned. I will say though I suspect his decision to retire is because of the number of concussions he's had. If so--it's a smart move on his part and good luck to him. At the end of the day it's a game--it can be a dangerous game though and if a player has real concerns about his future brain health I would advise him to retire too. Not something you should mess around with.
Bluto
Don't listen to me, I'm an idiot. TOGA! TOGA!
- Dec 24, 2017
- 1,439
- 2,179
Rick Nash's cap hit severely restricted the Rangers for the entirety of his time here when the window was open. We basically got a 2-3 line guy who was hurt frequently, disappeared when it mattered offensively, and had a horrible cup run with the team. We would have been better off with Dub and AA.
His cap hit was the worst part of his stint here. I remember being completely against the trade and CBJ fans saying shit like he'd be a 60 goal guy in our system... CBJ won that trade!
It's also amazing how skilled he was but even with all that skill his shot was so mediocre that he could barely capitalize on the chances he created.
His cap hit was the worst part of his stint here. I remember being completely against the trade and CBJ fans saying shit like he'd be a 60 goal guy in our system... CBJ won that trade!
It's also amazing how skilled he was but even with all that skill his shot was so mediocre that he could barely capitalize on the chances he created.
Last edited:
SA16
Sixstring
He scored goals at 5v5 at a higher rate in his first five years as a Ranger than his last 5 years in CBJ so I voted that he exceeded expectations.
pld459666
Registered User
Was a good player for us. Had a great full season and a great half season (lockout shortened) otherwise, left me wanting more.
Injuries sidetracked what he was capable of. And that's just unfortunate
Injuries sidetracked what he was capable of. And that's just unfortunate
JT Kreider
FIRE GORDIE CLARK
There's just no way anyone can think "the Rick Nash trade" exceeded expectations.
Not Nash himself, but where the Rangers were at the time coming off that ECF run, with a prime Lundqvist coming off his best season to date, a blossoming young core headlined but what seemed like a perennial Norris contender in McDonagh and to not come away with a Stanley Cup is extremely disappointing.
And Nash with his failures is a huge reason for that. He was expected to do what Kessel did for the Penguins. Be the difference from consistently failing in the playoffs between 2010-2015 to winning back to back Stanley Cup championships.
If we got half of what the Penguins got from Kessel out of Nash, we get at least one Cup out of the 2014 and 2015 playoffs.
So yeah. Rick Nash was a huge disappointment. The Rick Nash trade in which we blow up our core for the shiny new toy was a huge disappointment. The Rick Nash era in which was our lone peak of the last 20+ years and to not win a Cup is a huge disappointment.
Not Nash himself, but where the Rangers were at the time coming off that ECF run, with a prime Lundqvist coming off his best season to date, a blossoming young core headlined but what seemed like a perennial Norris contender in McDonagh and to not come away with a Stanley Cup is extremely disappointing.
And Nash with his failures is a huge reason for that. He was expected to do what Kessel did for the Penguins. Be the difference from consistently failing in the playoffs between 2010-2015 to winning back to back Stanley Cup championships.
If we got half of what the Penguins got from Kessel out of Nash, we get at least one Cup out of the 2014 and 2015 playoffs.
So yeah. Rick Nash was a huge disappointment. The Rick Nash trade in which we blow up our core for the shiny new toy was a huge disappointment. The Rick Nash era in which was our lone peak of the last 20+ years and to not win a Cup is a huge disappointment.
Last edited:
Beer League Sniper
Homeless Man's Rick Nash
I don't think I've ever seen a Rangers player so good at generating high-quality scoring chances. Seriously, he could use his size and reach to make that move into the slot from the corner.
Conversely, he converted on so, so few of those chances. He just couldn't finish. It was absurd at times to watch.
However, he always gave 110%, and his defensive game and effort was elite.
I voted for "slightly underperformed." The offense wasn't what I signed up for, but his defensive game was a definite bonus.
Conversely, he converted on so, so few of those chances. He just couldn't finish. It was absurd at times to watch.
However, he always gave 110%, and his defensive game and effort was elite.
I voted for "slightly underperformed." The offense wasn't what I signed up for, but his defensive game was a definite bonus.
JT Kreider
FIRE GORDIE CLARK
His defensive game was overrated. It's a go to defense whenever fans try to cover for the offensive shortcomings of a big name player on their favorite team.
got us a great return from Boston in the end, especially if we can get good return for Spooner and Beleskey and Lindgren turns into a good player.
In the conversation for one of the best wingers of his generation, IMO. Unfortunately just not the kind of player who could carry a team on his back down the stretch. However, the Rangers didn't do a great job of assembling a team around him either. Elite player in the regular season but underwhelming in the post-season. Then the concussions hit and it was downhill from there.
Should be held in higher regard but unfortunately he just couldn't get the team over the hump.
Should be held in higher regard but unfortunately he just couldn't get the team over the hump.
So you think he was average defensively?
I think he was great during the regular season but fell short in the playoffs. over the last couple postseasons though he played well. Just wish He showed up during those two deep runs we made with him on the team
Another in a list of "saviors" and/or "that final piece
that did not succeed. Sure he put up numbers, but I won't remember him for scoring when the chips were down.
that did not succeed. Sure he put up numbers, but I won't remember him for scoring when the chips were down.
JT Kreider
FIRE GORDIE CLARK
I don't think he was this great Selke worthy winger where his defense was good enough to excuse his offensive shortcomings.
