The New York Ranger have got their man. After months of speculation, the Rangers have finally acquired former # 1 overall pick Rick Nash from the Columbus Blue jackets in exchange for Brandon Dubinsky, Tim Erixon, Artem Anisimov, and a first round draft pick in the 2013 NHL entry draft. All three players are talented and can immediately help Columbus. Dubinsky especially can bounce back and be the player he was a couple of years ago. But make no mistake, this trade is all about Nash.
In acquiring Nash, the Rangers have filled a much needed hole... goal scoring. The Rangers lack of production was evident in the playoffs, as they struggled to put the Ottawa Senators and Washington Capitals away, finally succumbing to the New Jersey Devils in the Conference Finals. The Senators and Capitals both took the Rangers to 7 games, and the blue shirts struggled mightily to score goals.
With Nash, the Rangers should again be favored to come on top of the Eastern conference. Nash is a two time 40 goal scorer and a has passed the 30 goal mark seven times. He is the youngest player in NHL History to ever lead the league in goals when he tallied 41 times as a 19 year old. With Marian Gaborik likely to miss the first couple of months of the regular season due to a shoulder injury, Nash will have plenty of time to acquit himself with his new teammates; and will have the luxury of finally playing with some top level talent such as Brad Richards, Ryan Callahan, Gaborik, and up and comers Carl Hagelin and Chris Kreider. The defence is young, mobile and solid, and goaltender Henrik Lundqvist is coming off a Vezina Trophy win.
In Nash, the Rangers are getting a player who is in his prime, a just turned 28 year old who is a natural when it comes to scoring goals. He has scored 289 goals and 547 points in 674 games. With decent but not great speed, great size and reach, great hands and a quick shot, Nash will quickly become a fan favorite with the Rangers fans. Nash can score in many different ways . I feel the Rangers will be very tough to beat this year, and will have something to prove after losing to the Devils in the Conference Finals. The team is young; Ryan Mcdonagh, Carl Hagelin, Michael Del Zotto, Chris Kreider, Marc Staal, and Derek Stepan are all under 25 and are all improving. Captain Ryan Callahan is 27 and defensive anchor Dan Girardi is 28.
All this being said, I feel the Rangers will finish first overall again in their conference, and will come out as Eastern Conference Champions once again. On the other side of the league, The L.A Kings will now get a full season from Mike Richards and Jeff Carter, and a rejuvenated Drew Doughty will once again be a Norris Trophy contender. Its early, but I'm predicting a Kings-Rangers finals...now lets hope they iron out this collective bargaining issue so we can have a hockey season!
In acquiring Nash, the Rangers have filled a much needed hole... goal scoring. The Rangers lack of production was evident in the playoffs, as they struggled to put the Ottawa Senators and Washington Capitals away, finally succumbing to the New Jersey Devils in the Conference Finals. The Senators and Capitals both took the Rangers to 7 games, and the blue shirts struggled mightily to score goals.With Nash, the Rangers should again be favored to come on top of the Eastern conference. Nash is a two time 40 goal scorer and a has passed the 30 goal mark seven times. He is the youngest player in NHL History to ever lead the league in goals when he tallied 41 times as a 19 year old. With Marian Gaborik likely to miss the first couple of months of the regular season due to a shoulder injury, Nash will have plenty of time to acquit himself with his new teammates; and will have the luxury of finally playing with some top level talent such as Brad Richards, Ryan Callahan, Gaborik, and up and comers Carl Hagelin and Chris Kreider. The defence is young, mobile and solid, and goaltender Henrik Lundqvist is coming off a Vezina Trophy win.
In Nash, the Rangers are getting a player who is in his prime, a just turned 28 year old who is a natural when it comes to scoring goals. He has scored 289 goals and 547 points in 674 games. With decent but not great speed, great size and reach, great hands and a quick shot, Nash will quickly become a fan favorite with the Rangers fans. Nash can score in many different ways . I feel the Rangers will be very tough to beat this year, and will have something to prove after losing to the Devils in the Conference Finals. The team is young; Ryan Mcdonagh, Carl Hagelin, Michael Del Zotto, Chris Kreider, Marc Staal, and Derek Stepan are all under 25 and are all improving. Captain Ryan Callahan is 27 and defensive anchor Dan Girardi is 28.
All this being said, I feel the Rangers will finish first overall again in their conference, and will come out as Eastern Conference Champions once again. On the other side of the league, The L.A Kings will now get a full season from Mike Richards and Jeff Carter, and a rejuvenated Drew Doughty will once again be a Norris Trophy contender. Its early, but I'm predicting a Kings-Rangers finals...now lets hope they iron out this collective bargaining issue so we can have a hockey season!
No comments:
Post a Comment