Rick Nash and the New York Rangers are a perfect match. The Rangers were stout defensively and Henrik Lundqvist stood on his head for as long as you could expect him to in the playoffs.
They fell short because they couldn’t consistently score enough goals to take pressure off Lundqvist and the blueliners. When they wilted, the Rangers fell apart against the New Jersey Devils in the playoffs.
Per the Fourth Period, the Rangers are about to ramp up their pursuit of the Columbus Blue Jackets star forward:
Upon failing to sign hot shot free agent defenseman Justin Schultz, the New York Rangers are turning their attention to acquiring Columbus Blue Jackets captain Rick Nash.
Sources tell TFP the Rangers are making a big pitch for Nash, which is expected to include two to three roster players and a top prospect.
The Rangers simply wore Lundqvist out in the postseason. The only games they won in the Eastern Conference finals were games where Lundqvist shut the Devils out. Nash is a proven offensive force who can not only light the lamp himself, but he is also a playmaking winger.
He had 30 goals and 29 assists in another losing campaign in Columbus. He is the face of the franchise there, but it has long been evident that it’s time for him to move on.
Nash would immediately add some scoring punch to the Rangers’ first line. He is a much better offensive option than Ruslan Fedotenko at the left wing. The Rangers are smart to pursue Nash, and if need be, they should up the ante.
They were very close to reaching the Stanley Cup Final last season; a player like Nash could have been the difference.
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