Who is the biggest disappointment?

[Ail]

Nash wasnt brought here to carry the team. Only a few people around here knew that his cap hit would automatically put him at a disadvantage.

Nash didnt demand that contract from Sather. he was given the contract by another moron GM and owner who wanted to lock up the face of their franchise.

I get it. We're blue collar fans and like underdogs, and shun the rich, spoiled athletes. The problem with most Rangers fans is they think every star they acquire is some Silver Bullet. At least initially. Then when they struggle, it all goes back to the salary.

Nash on Columbus was a franchise player and Captain of a garbage team. On the Rangers, he's a complimentary player on an above-average team.

It's called expectation management. Any fan who thought Nash would be a 40-40 guy was just ignorant.

Some of us knew it would be 30-30.

Nash is who we thought he was. Why are people disappointed? Because they expected too much.

Rangers fans who expect too much?

Pick a new team, is my advice.

This x a dillion.

How many times do people have to be reminded that Nash was only given that contract because he was a big fish in a small pond. No one in their right mind thinks he is worth that contract. Even at 70 points a year he wouldn't be. It's unfortunate the Rangers are stuck with it, but it has not handicapped them. The hate on Nash because of the contract is so ridiculous and short-sighted.

The biggest disappointment about Nash is how disengaged he has looked since the concussions. He still has 5 more goals than anyone else and missed 17 games. I mean come on. I understand wanting him to play harder and look inspired, but all things considered it's hard to say he is the clearcut biggest disappointment. I don't think there is any clear cut front runner for most disappointing. Several guys have disappointed to some degree. The entire team has at times. You can make a case for Lundqvist, Richards, Stepan and Nash.

People are focusing too much on contracts.

Edit: Oh and he leads the team with 7 GWG.

 

[True Blue]

People are focusing too much on contracts.

Contracts size matters quite a lot in a salary cap world. People are disenchanted with Nash because (in no order):

1. The amount of assets given up for him.
2. The fact that he disappears when the team needs him the most.
3. That even he admits that for him to be successful, he needs to play inside and yet spends so much time outside.
4. That he takes up A LOT of cap space.
5. That he is NOT producing to the level of what he is being paid as.
6. That he was brought in to be a difference maker and has not made any difference.

To me, he is not underperforming. He is actually performing and playing exactly as I thought he would when the trade was made. Which is why I thought that it would be a bad trade.

 

[CharlieCharleschuk]

To me, he is not underperforming. He is actually performing and playing exactly as I thought he would when the trade was made. Which is why I thought that it would be a bad trade.

Perfectly put.

Nash is statistically "ok" with regard to his past performance. The reason he disappoints me most is because he seemingly has a higher gear, but is extremely hesitant to use it.

He's a disappointment the way anyone with talent and ability is a disappointment. 75% of the time he just isn't there to put it on display.

 

[Ola]

I am not very dissapointed with anyone, but would probably mention Hank and Strålman in lack of alternatives in this cathegory.

Hank is maybe not that strange to speak of, he had a great slump this yaer and is not yet back to 100%.

Strålman is playing good hockey, but I would have hoped for more pts on the board litterary. 1+7 in 69 games is nothing for a D. Strålman has a few times proven that he does have some sort of punch offensively. Its a bit the same for Marc Staal. 3+8 in 60 games. Not good at all.

We need that punch offensively, and this guys should be able to give more.

 

[Ola]

Nash still has 22 goals with recent history of concussions. Staal was given every chance to recover long term and every excuse in the book was thrown out there to defend him. How anyone could answer Nash to this question is pure spite. I guess Richards was bought out already...

Nash, as well as Step and Kreider, is also on a line that just is not finding ways to get top notch chances on a regular basis.

Nash is on pace to get 34.3 goas over 82 games, under the above circumstances.

You know, I think Nash has been better lately, and he was definitely fighting it for a long while. No doubt.

But I definitely agree with you, the critisism of him lack perspective. Many seem to expect a hockey star to be able to do what the best stars does in the NBA. It just don't work like that. Look at MSL, not even 12 month from a Art Ross Trophy, he is clearly levling out as a 60 pts player for us just due a change in environment. Nobody does it by themselves. Nobody, and I litterary mean nobody, is going to score a ton by themselves in an environment that isn't hitting it off.

We don't pay much attention to these kind of details when building teams in NY, BR never get a right handed point partner on the PP; MSL don't get to play with anyone with size; Nash is put with two other players that needs some support; and so forth.

 

[Ail]

Contracts size matters quite a lot in a salary cap world. People are disenchanted with Nash because (in no order):

1. The amount of assets given up for him.
2. The fact that he disappears when the team needs him the most.
3. That even he admits that for him to be successful, he needs to play inside and yet spends so much time outside.
4. That he takes up A LOT of cap space.
5. That he is NOT producing to the level of what he is being paid as.
6. That he was brought in to be a difference maker and has not made any difference.

To me, he is not underperforming. He is actually performing and playing exactly as I thought he would when the trade was made. Which is why I thought that it would be a bad trade.

1. You have to give to get and the Rangers had a glut of tweeners then and now with more on the way. In hindsight I'd rather have kept Dubi and traded Callahan.

2. Yet he still leads the team in GWG. Let's see how the playoffs go though if they make it.

3. I agree he needs to do this more. Everyone thinks he does and it is disappointing. While the concussions are not an excuse, they are a reason. He definitely played that game more last year. However he still has 22 goals not playing on the inside and that's without playing in 17 games.

4. He takes a lot of cap space, but he was paid to stay in a small market for big money. Was he given that contract because he produces like a top-10 paid guy? No. So why would you expect him to produce to his contract?

5. See 4. This is by far the most ridiculous expectation.

6. Last year he and Stepan were the offense. This year he leads the team in goals and GWG despite being injured. Do I want to see more out of him? Yeah, especially in the playoffs. He has made a difference, however, people just expect him to always make a difference which is unreasonable.

 

[DelZottoHitTheNetJK]

I'm hesitant to say Nash because it's painfully obvious that he's shying away from contact because of the concussions, and in the long term that's probably the right thing to do, as much as it sucks. I remember Nash's first shift as a Ranger, he was hitting everything in sight. He looked fired up to play for us and had something to prove; then he got concussed by Lucic and then SJ. Nash was hitting and playing with snarl prior to the concussion this year; he even got into a fight the first game of the season. The concussions unfortunately have taken a toll on him. Because of the injuries I honestly don't care if he finishes the season with 40 points in 65 games, as long as he turns it up in the playoffs. Hopefully he's airing on the side of caution for now. I think we see a big game out of him tonight vs. CBJ

 

[Leonardo87]

Nash has 22 Goals in 52 games and you guys think he is a big disappointment? Wow!

 

[JCrusher*]

Stepan for sure. Yes he is playing better since teh Olympics BUT he is still nowhere close to what he was last year. Hopefully next season he comes into camp in better shape and mentally ready. Rick nash is what he is which is a good scorer who has hot streaks and cold streaks. Richards is just declining so its not unexpected

 

[AlternateSideParking]

OK, so all those complaining about his cap hit.....

What other 30-goal scorer was available, and what would his cap hit have been ?

In 2012, there were 30 30+ goal scorers.

Crosby, Stamkos, Malkin, Ovechkin, Neal, Kovalchuk, Kessel, Hartnell, Perry Moulson, Vrbata, Ryder, Cole, Michalek, Spezza, Eberle, Sharp, Pacioretty, Iginla, Tavares, Parise, Couture, Pavelski, Ryan, Pominville, Sedin, Marleau, Evander Kane, Clarkson.....

And Rick Nash.

Out of the top 30 goal scorers in the NHL (not counting Gaborik), who was available to improve the power play, the offense and the scoring depth?

Parise signed a 13-year, 100-million dollar contract.

Nash was 10X better than Parise last season. This season, they have played the same amount of games and Parise has one more goal and 10 more points.

 

[AlternateSideParking]

Nash was supposed to be a difference maker if the rest of the 2012 team lived up to their end of the bargain. He wasnt brought in to be a savior, a captain, a Hart candidate.

Gaborik, Del Zotto, Richards, Girardi and Callahan were all miserable in 2013, and were eventually carried by Nash and Stepan.

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

Nash has not been what he was for us last year, but with the concussion issues I'm inclined to give him a bit of a pass - and he is still producing at an above average goal scoring clip.

Hard to call Richards a disappointment this season - he surpassed my personal expectations, if anything. He's been a decent player this season, although he has a tendency to play like absolute **** at times, and his skating has deteriorated greatly.

I have to go with Hank. He's supposed to be the best goalie in the league - at worst top-3 - and he has been average at best this season, overall. I'm not condemning him or anything, here. Just think his season as a whole has been ******. I'm sure he'll bounce back.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

OK, so all those complaining about his cap hit.....

What other 30-goal scorer was available, and what would his cap hit have been ?

In 2012, there were 30 30+ goal scorers.

Crosby, Stamkos, Malkin, Ovechkin, Neal, Kovalchuk, Kessel, Hartnell, Perry Moulson, Vrbata, Ryder, Cole, Michalek, Spezza, Eberle, Sharp, Pacioretty, Iginla, Tavares, Parise, Couture, Pavelski, Ryan, Pominville, Sedin, Marleau, Evander Kane, Clarkson.....

And Rick Nash.

Out of the top 30 goal scorers in the NHL (not counting Gaborik), who was available to improve the power play, the offense and the scoring depth?

Parise signed a 13-year, 100-million dollar contract.

Nash was 10X better than Parise last season. This season, they have played the same amount of games and Parise has one more goal and 10 more points.

Are you going to just ignore the 4 assets it took to get Nash?

 

[offdacrossbar]

del zotto.

top ranger draft pick. supposedly a guy who would come in and qb our pp for years. an offensive guy who could carry the play from the blueline.

he was moved for a 3rd pair ( albeit steady/dependable and cap friendly) guy.

very sad for this young mans career but i wasnt a fan for many years and wanted him moved. another black eye for our already weak recent drafting record.

as an aside, he was a healthy scratch last night- how fitting since they played torts and his canucks. he was scratched 8 times by av.

good luck kid.

 

[Fataldogg]

It's between Rick Nash and Derek Stepan.

Both have wildly missed expectations.

After them, it's not close. They're far and away the biggest disappointments in the organization this year.

 

[AlternateSideParking]

Are you going to just ignore the 4 assets it took to get Nash?

Team leader in goals back to back seasons.

Anisimov and Dubinsky were both playing LW entering the 2012 playoffs.

Richards
Stepan
Boyle

They were the three centers.

Anisimov bounced between the 2nd to 4th line and Dubinsky was 3rd-4th.

They replaced Anisimov and Dubinsky with Kreider and Zuccarello.

Kreider and Zuccarello cost nothing. Nash was an upgrade over any player involved in that trade.

 

[AlternateSideParking]

del zotto.

top ranger draft pick. supposedly a guy who would come in and qb our pp for years. an offensive guy who could carry the play from the blueline.

he was moved for a 3rd pair ( albeit steady/dependable and cap friendly) guy.

very sad for this young mans career but i wasnt a fan for many years and wanted him moved. another black eye for our already weak recent drafting record.

as an aside, he was a healthy scratch last night- how fitting since they played torts and his canucks. he was scratched 8 times by av.

good luck kid.

I think he's just dumb. His skill is undeniable. His instincts stink.

 

[Fitzy]

Nash has 22 Goals in 52 games and you guys think he is a big disappointment? Wow!

We didn't give up that many assets for him to come over and score at a 30 goal pace without providing anything else.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

Team leader in goals back to back seasons.

Anisimov and Dubinsky were both playing LW entering the 2012 playoffs.

Richards
Stepan
Boyle

They were the three centers.

Anisimov bounced between the 2nd to 4th line and Dubinsky was 3rd-4th.

They replaced Anisimov and Dubinsky with Kreider and Zuccarello.

Kreider and Zuccarello cost nothing. Nash was an upgrade over any player involved in that trade.

Considering the cost, 4 assets and a cap hit just short of $8M, Nash needs to do more for this team. A streaky 30-35 goals per season just doesn't do it.

His vanilla personality if a microcosm of what this team has become in the wake up his acquisition. Hes been a loser in this league for a long time, and we are starting to see why.

 

[AlternateSideParking]

Considering the cost, 4 assets and a cap hit just short of $8M, Nash needs to do more for this team. A streaky 30-35 goals per season just doesn't do it.

His vanilla personality if a microcosm of what this team has become in the wake up his acquisition. Hes been a loser in this league for a long time, and we are starting to see why.

This postseason will be a make or break year. Sure, we can almost guarantee that he wont show up. But I have a hard time believing this team would be higher up in the standings if the trade was never made.

My point is for all the *****ing, complaining and fingerpointing, Nash has still been the team's best goal scorer the last two seasons.

He's a goal-scoring winger. Who did you expect? Bobby Clarke? Mike Bossy?

 

[McDunna with Fries]

Why is it that the Rangers are such an offensive black hole? Nash is doing horribly compared to his days in CBJ, but I'd take that over what St. Louis has done since the Cally trade.

 

[Trxjw]

Why is it that the Rangers are such an offensive black hole? Nash is doing horribly compared to his days in CBJ, but I'd take that over what St. Louis has done since the Cally trade.

It's not that the Rangers are an offensive black hole, it's just that the "elite talent" they target tends to be people who are chasing big paychecks, or have demanded a change of scenery. Not much incentive to play your ass off once you get your way.

I fully expect MSL to get his act together, but Nash is another story. The hope was that once he freed himself from the confines of a bottom-dweller like Columbus he would find that "elite gear" and realize his full potential. Turns out he's just a lazy player who can't motivate himself. Hence he's played his best hockey under whip crackers like Tortorella and Hitchcock, but has been grossly inconsistent otherwise.

 

[McDunna with Fries]

It's not that the Rangers are an offensive black hole, it's just that the "elite talent" they target tends to be people who are chasing big paychecks, or have demanded a change of scenery. Not much incentive to play your ass off once you get your way.

I fully expect MSL to get his act together, but Nash is another story. The hope was that once he freed himself from the confines of a bottom-dweller like Columbus he would find that "elite gear" and realize his full potential. Turns out he's just a lazy player who can't motivate himself. Hence he's played his best hockey under whip crackers like Tortorella and Hitchcock, but has been grossly inconsistent otherwise.

Damn.. everything you've said is very true. Never saw it that way but now I do.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

This postseason will be a make or break year. Sure, we can almost guarantee that he wont show up. But I have a hard time believing this team would be higher up in the standings if the trade was never made.

My point is for all the *****ing, complaining and fingerpointing, Nash has still been the team's best goal scorer the last two seasons.

He's a goal-scoring winger. Who did you expect? Bobby Clarke? Mike Bossy?

I expect a better way to find a limited 30 goal scorer than the approach Sather took.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

It's not that the Rangers are an offensive black hole, it's just that the "elite talent" they target tends to be people who are chasing big paychecks, or have demanded a change of scenery. Not much incentive to play your ass off once you get your way.

I fully expect MSL to get his act together, but Nash is another story. The hope was that once he freed himself from the confines of a bottom-dweller like Columbus he would find that "elite gear" and realize his full potential. Turns out he's just a lazy player who can't motivate himself. Hence he's played his best hockey under whip crackers like Tortorella and Hitchcock, but has been grossly inconsistent otherwise.

Agreed.

Although I also think the lack of a top-end center is a driving reason for the offensive futility. The Rangers have very few players who make their teammates better.