Rick Nash was a massive disappointment during the New York Rangers’ run to the 2014 Stanley Cup Final, but his lack of scoring production won’t lead to an exit from the Big Apple.
Larry Brooks of the New York Post reported Sunday that neither the team nor Nash are looking to part ways.
“But I’m here to tell you that a trade is not happening,” Brooks writes. “Nash has a no-move clause in his contract in force through the end of this season that management has no intention of asking him to waive and No. 61 has no intention of volunteering to forfeit.”
Nash’s contract, which includes a salary cap hit of $7.8 million, runs through the 2017-18 season.
The 30-year-old veteran still is a quality top-six forward and likely will score 25-plus goals for the 10th consecutive non-lockout season in 2014-15. With that said, since Nash posted a career-high 79 points (40 goals, 39 assists) during the 2008-09 season, his points totals have decreased in each of the last five years.
More concerning for the Rangers is Nash’s 18 points in 41 career playoff games, including just five goals (zero in the ’14 Cup Final against the L.A. Kings).
What’s to blame for Nash’s lack of elite scoring production? The Brampton, Ontario native is approaching the end of his prime, but his recent struggles could be connected to the concussion issues that he’s battled over the last two seasons.
After buying out veteran center Brad Richards, the Rangers have about $14 million in salary cap space with seven free agents, per CapGeek. Nash’s cap hit shouldn’t be a burden in 2014-15, but it might be next summer when Derek Stepan, Carl Hagelin and Martin St. Louis are all free agents.
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