The Boston Bruins have been eliminated from Stanley Cup contention, losing in five games at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning. After destroying the Lightning in game 1, the Bruins lost the next four and were eventually done in by a lack of secondary scoring and the depth of the Tampa Bay squad.
One player who seemed to embody the Bruins play all series was Rick Nash, who scored two goals in the first game and then was held to just a single assist in the following four. Nash, who was acquired at the trade deadline for a hefty sum, is now looking at unrestricted free agency later this summer, provided he doesn’t re-sign in Boston.
That price that the Bruins were forced to pay, a first-round pick, Ryan Lindgren and Ryan Spooner, looks even more expensive now that Boston has been knocked out in the second round. Re-signing Nash could dull the sting of losing out on those young assets, especially if it came at a reasonable price. After all, the soon to be 34-year old did record 21 goals this season and is still a positive possession player at both ends of the rink.
The question is will the Bruins even try to bring him back after a disappointing playoff run? Nash seemed open to the idea soon after the trade, but as Ty Anderson of 985 The Sports Hub tweets, it seems more likely that most of Boston’s pending unrestricted free agents will not return. With more young players ready to make an impact, the team could instead try to use some of their remaining cap space on a bigger fish, and fill in the rest of the spots internally.
Still, there is no doubt that Nash will have suitors on the open market. Just as several teams showed interest at the trade deadline, there will be some who point to his solid defensive play and still respectable offensive totals and see a useful player who could be acquired on a reasonable contract. There’s no way the veteran forward will be able to demand the kind of salary he’s been earning in recent years, but a multi-year contract is not out of the question.
Where do you think Nash will end up? Could Boston re-sign him for a smaller salary and try to recoup some of the value they sent to New York at the deadline? Could another team swoop in and make him a multi-year offer to join their playoff hopes? Will he return to one of his old stomping grounds in New York or Columbus to try and find a spark of past glory? Make sure to leave your reasoning in the comments below.
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I think Nash will go back to the Rangers. He loves the city and his family loves the city too. His son sings the Rangers goal song after every NYR goal he reviewed in an interview. I’d love to see him back with the Blueshirts
Unless he dips below 3 or 3.5 million I don’t see him staying in Boston, and even that’s iffy. My new theory is Boston signs Joe Thornton to a one year deal, he retires as a Bruin, and Boston makes a play for someone from the superclass in 2019.
Nash is Mr. Invisible and the Bruins would be better off with a traffic cone on the ice.