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Rick Nash, Michael Grabner Held Out Of Lineup

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As the trade deadline creeps closer and closer, the New York Rangers aren’t willing to risk their prizes in another hockey game. Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post reports that both Rick Nash and Michael Grabner will not play tonight, which explains the call-up of Vinni Lettieri earlier today.

The Rangers are set to be the star of the deadline with Nash, Grabner and potentially Ryan McDonagh changing teams in the next few days. The club issued a letter to fans earlier this month declaring that a rebuild was on the horizon, and already moved Nick Holden to the Boston Bruins for a third-round pick. The names mentioned above are expected to be worth much more than that when they eventually do move, and an injury could derail those plans.

New York will play in three games before the deadline including tonight, but the team has already basically admitted they’re not going to the playoffs this season. Despite being just six points behind the final wildcard spot, GM Jeff Gorton has already started to plan for next season and beyond. The next few days are incredibly important to those plans.

Morning Notes: Nash, Karlsson, Weber

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Trade deadline rumors are coming fast and furious these days, and NHL Network analyst Brian Lawton took to Twitter to express his thoughts on several topics this morning. Lawton contends that a deal for Rick Nash will definitely happen, and it’s just up to the New York Rangers at this point to decide which package is the best offer. There have been previous reports that linked Nash to Nashville, Dallas, Winnipeg, Columbus and Boston, though it’s not clear who has actually put forward an offer for the veteran winger.

Lawton also states that Ryan McDonagh is “closer to being moved then [sic] anyone realizes” which make earlier reports that the Boston Bruins are still in the mix for the New York captain that much more interesting. The Rangers are clearly one of this year’s biggest sellers, looking to give themselves something of a new slate to work with in 2018-19.

  • Erik Karlsson rumors have dominated the last few days, and Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) notes that even the Nashville Predators have checked in on the Ottawa Senators’ captain. One might assume that Nashville would have no interest given their glut of outstanding defensemen, but as LeBrun writes, GM David Poile “leaves no stone unturned.” Asking on the kind of return the Senators are expecting for Karlsson would be good information to have even if the Predators have no intention of acquiring him, which can often lead to speculation of interest where there is none (though, that can’t necessarily be said for this specific case).
  • LeBrun also notes on Twitter that interest is picking up on Michael Grabner, and that teams are “coming harder at NYR today it seems.” That increased interest could lead to an incredibly exciting weekend for Rangers fans looking to the future.
  • Unfortunately it looks like Shea Weber’s season may be over, as Darren Dreger of TSN reports that the team will update his status later today. Weber has consulted two specialists in recent days, and with Montreal clearly out of the playoffs could aim at the beginning of next season as a return date.

Deadline Notes: Kane, Grabner, Nash

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The latest edition of Insider Trading on TSN was enlightening, as panel members Darren Dreger, Pierre LeBrun and Bob McKenzie discussed several of the top trade deadline names. In addition to the “king’s ransom” for Erik Karlsson that we wrote about earlier today, Evander Kane was one of the topics for the first time in a while.

Dreger believes that the Buffalo Sabres already have a few offers for Kane, but that those include roster players and the team is more interested in picks and prospects. Kane is mired in a terrible scoring slump just at the wrong time for Buffalo, who will hope that the fact he has just four points in his last 20 games won’t hurt their return too much when he’s eventually moved.

  • LeBrun was very clear when speaking about Rick Nash, saying that he “will get moved before Monday.” Nash is alongside Kane as the top rental options on the market, and LeBrun lists Nashville, Dallas, Columbus, Winnipeg and Boston as teams that have shown some interest in the veteran winger. The Jets might not be on Nash’s approved trade list, meaning the two sides would need to agree to waive his no-trade for any move to Winnipeg.
  • Nash’s teammate Michael Grabner has many more suitors according to McKenzie, who says there could be as more than 10-12 teams interested in the speedster. Grabner has 25 goals on the season and can play up and down a lineup, but doesn’t create much for those around him. McKenzie reports that a second-round pick and “something” is believed to be the asking price, which could be more palatable to contenders than the prices for Nash or Kane.

Winnipeg Jets Talking To Several Teams

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The Winnipeg Jets are one of the best teams in the league this season, and just got Mark Scheifele back to add to their impressive attack. Now, they might be looking to get even better. Darren Dreger of TSN reports that the Jets are talking to several teams, and mentions Rick Nash, Mike Hoffman, Patrick Maroon, Mark Letestu and Ryan Hartman among those the team has looked into.

That list of players includes both rentals and those with years remaining on their contracts, meaning the Jets could be open to acquiring just about anyone available around the league. The team has plenty of cap space both this season and next, and look like legitimate contenders already.

The team also has several promising young prospects coming through the system, and could pull from that group in order to land some NHL talent right away. Players like Nash and Hoffman will come with hefty price tags, making an acquisition of their level something new for GM Kevin Cheveldayoff. In his tenure with the team, they’ve never really been buyers at the deadline, with sending Andrew Ladd back to Chicago and the Tyler Myers–Evander Kane swap his biggest two in-season moves.

Interest In Rick Nash From Several Teams

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TSN’s Frank Seravalli released an update to his Trade Bait board, and Rick Nash has taken over the top spot. Evander Kane had been there for the entire season, but with the New York Rangers obvious position as sellers, Nash has become the prize of the trade deadline. Seravalli reports that more than ten teams have spoken to the Rangers about Nash since they published their letter to fans about a rebuild, including Nashville, Dallas, Winnipeg, Boston and San Jose. While obviously a passing interest doesn’t mean a deal is incoming, it’s important to note that Nash’s market doesn’t seem limited as we stand just over a week until the deadline.

The Rangers have other rental options in Michael Grabner, Nick Holden and David Desharnais, but Nash remains the jewel of their pending free agents. Even with his declining offensive numbers, teams likely still see him as a valuable addition to their middle-six that can help on both the powerplay and penalty kill. Nashville has been reported as the leaders in the pursuit, though it is still yet to be seen whether they’ll meet the Rangers high asking price. If the acquiring cost drops in the coming days to a point where the Predators are comfortable, you can bet other teams will jump into the fray with their own offers.

At 33 years old, Nash isn’t the 40-goal man of his youth. With just 27 points on the season he is currently putting up the lowest per-game offensive output of his career, but still has 17 goals and is a positive possession player. Though his cap hit is hefty, the Rangers are likely willing to retain some of it to facilitate a trade, and maximize their return.  Seravalli reports that no team he’s talked to is willing to include a first-round pick in a package for Kane, which could greatly reduce the market for Nash. The two players’ future could be tied together over the next few weeks, as teams try to match acquisitions made by their rivals.

Nashville Predators “All In” On Rick Nash

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In his latest 31 Thoughts column for Sportsnet, venerable hockey insider Elliotte Friedman confirms what has been rumored for the last few weeks: the Nashville Predators are going hard after Rick Nash. Friedman states that the Predators are “all in” on the New York Rangers forward, but wonders if they’ll eventually be able to outbid the field to land him before the trade deadline.

According to other reports, the Rangers are looking for a three-piece return for Nash, similar to the ask for Buffalo’s Evander Kane. That might seem like a lot to give up for the Predators, who have already traded two good young players in Samuel Girard and Vladislav Kamenev and don’t have their 2018 second-round pick or 2019 third-round pick.

Nash has been tenuously linked to the Dallas Stars as well, while the Toronto Maple Leafs are known to be among his approved trade list. While there are surely others, the Predators seem to be the front-runners for the time being. New York has made it clear they’re going to sell off their expiring assets this season, and Nash could be the jewel of the rental market.

Toronto Maple Leafs On Rick Nash Approved Trade List

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The New York Rangers have a group of 12 teams that they could send Rick Nash without his approval, after they asked him recently to submit his 18-team no-trade list. It isn’t clear who most of those 12 teams are, but Frank Seravalli of TSN confirms that the Toronto Maple Leafs are one of them. Nash recently said he had included Canadian contenders in his approved group, of which really there are only three: the Maple Leafs, Calgary Flames and Winnipeg Jets. It’s unclear if the latter two are among the dozen teams, though Seravalli writes the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars are both “believed to be” among the approved destinations.

It doesn’t seem like the Maple Leafs have much use for the winger as they continue to deal with a roster crunch of their own, but there is a connection to head coach Mike Babcock from international competition. Nash was on two gold-medal winning clubs with Babcock, exquisitely playing a checking role alongside Jonathan Toews at times.

Nash will almost certainly be dealt by the February 26th trade deadline, and could even set the market for rental forwards by landing the Rangers a hefty package. There have been reports that New York is looking for as many as three assets for the 33-year old forward, a big ask for someone who can only give you a few months of production. While Toronto is now confirmed to be on the list, they don’t seem like a match to enter the bidding, even if the price does drop to a reasonable amount.

Eastern Notes: Hurricanes, Nash, McDonagh, Van Riemsdyk

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The Carolina Hurricanes are by no means out of the playoff hunt. Afterall, they have won two in a row and currently are clinging to the second and final wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference. However, the team might end up being sellers at the trade deadline as the young team have quite a few trade chips that could help this team down the road, according to The Athletic’s Eric Duhatschek (subscription required).

The scribe writes that the Hurricanes have quite a bit of depth on the blueline and it should get deeper soon. The team already has captain Justin Faulk leading the defense and although he’s not having as good of a campaign as a year ago, he might make for a good trade chip especially as the defensive salary cap will rise for the team next season. Carolina already have Jaccob Slavin and Brett Pesce under contract and both their extensions will kick in next year at a combined $9.325MM. Defenseman Noah Hanifin will be a restricted free agent next year and should get a solid raise. The team has rookie Haydn Fleury back next year and likely will have 2016 first-rounder Jake Bean coming in. This might be the right time to make a move for a scoring forward.

Duhatschek also notes that the team, who recently waived Marcus Kruger and Josh Jooris, could also look to move another pair of veterans at the deadline including Derek Ryan and Lee Stempniak. Ryan is an excellent face-off specialist and would make a solid bottom-six center and is an excellent story, while Stempniak, is starting to find his groove after missing much of the season. Ryan has 11 goals and 26 points this season, while Stempniak has played in just 14 games, but has one goal and five assists so far.

  • The New York Post’s Larry Brooks writes that New York Rangers winger Rick Nash has set his 12-team trade approved list and the veteran revealed that he chose teams based on their chances to win the Stanley Cup this season. “I included the teams that I think have the best chance of winning the Stanley Cup and are also places I think would be good for my family,” the 33-year-old father of two young children said. “And, yes, that does include teams in Canada. I’m not excluding that as a possibility.” Nash says he would consider changing the list if a certain team not on the list shows interest in him. Brooks adds that several teams have shown interest including the Dallas Stars, Nashville Predators, San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues, Boston Bruins, Winnipeg Jets, Tampa Bay Lightning and possibly the Toronto Maple Leafs.
  • Brooks also notes that the Tampa Bay Lightning have quite a bit of interest in adding defenseman Ryan McDonagh at the trade deadline. They believe that with Victor Hedman and McDonagh at the blueline, the chances Tampa Bay could win a Stanley Cup would increase heavily. However, the scribe notes that the Rangers should demand 19-year-old defensive rookie Mikhail Sergachev as the asking price for the veteran defenseman.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have gotten some interest in veteran forward James van Riemsdyk recently, Sportsnet’s Mike Johnston said during Saturday’s Headlines’ segment on Hockey Night in Canada. Johnston said two teams were told they have no plans to trade van Riemsdyk before the deadline. The 28-year-old goal scorer, who has 22 goals so far this year, will be an unrestricted free agent this year, but according to Johnston, has not received any contract extension offers yet. Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos added on the segment that the main reason is because van Riemsdyk refuses to take a hometown discount.

Snapshots: Johnson, Nash, Green

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The Columbus Blue Jackets are looking for a landing spot for Jack Johnson, after he requested a trade earlier this season and wants a chance to play a bigger role somewhere before hitting free agency. In tonight’s edition of Insider Trading on TSN with panel members Pierre LeBrun, Darren Dreger and Bob McKenzie, they discuss where Johnson could land.

LeBrun even reports that Columbus is “comfortable they can go out and get a low first-round draft pick,” but that they’d still rather get a forward back for a playoff run of their own. That at least seems to increase the likelihood of Johnson being dealt by the deadline, as even a late first is very valuable for clubs on draft day.

  • Rick Nash is clearly on the market, now that the New York Rangers have effectively signaled a rebuild and asked for his no-trade list. Dreger lists the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars as the top two contenders for Nash, but that as many as ten teams have been in contact with his representatives. Nash is likely going to be one of the top prizes on deadline day, if he even lasts the next few weeks.
  • McKenzie chimes in with some news on Mike Green of the Detroit Red Wings, once again linking him to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning are after a defenseman for their Stanley Cup run, but McKenzie reports that the Red Wings are after a return somewhere between the one they received for Brendan Smith last season (2018 second-round pick, 2017 third-round pick) and the one St. Louis received for Kevin Shattenkirk (effectively 2017 first-round pick, prospect Zach Sanford). Whether Tampa Bay wants to pay that much is unclear, but they do have quite the prospect pipeline already built up if they do start to sacrifice futures.

Trade Candidate: Rick Nash

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With the trade deadline approaching, we will be profiling several players in the weeks ahead that have a good chance to be dealt by February 26th.

News broke this morning that the New York Rangers had finally asked Rick Nash for his 18-team no-trade list, essentially confirmed what has been suspected for some time. The team plans on trading Nash before the deadline, trying to recoup as much value as possible out of the last few months of his current contract.

Contract

Nash is in the final season of an eight-year, $62.4MM contract—$7.8MM cap hit, $8.2MM salary. He will be a UFA in July, and holds an 18-team no-trade list.

Alain Vigneault, Rick Nash2017-18

For years, Nash was one of the elite goal scoring talents in the NHL. Armed with excellent speed, a large frame and good hands, the power forward topped 40 goals in three different seasons, and 30 in five others. Since his 42-goal 2014-15 season things have started to trend downwards, but there is still effective hockey left in the 33-year old.

This year, Nash has scored 15 goals through 52 games and has seen his ice time increased back to more than 17 minutes a night. His value as a defensively responsible forward is still quite high, and he still spends nearly two minutes penalty killing every night.

Season Stats

52 GP, 15 goals, 10 assists, 25 points, -5 rating, 20 PIM, 162 shots, 17:04 ATOI, 48.7 CF%

Potential Suitors

Even with Nash’s large cap hit, the market could include several teams around the league. If the Rangers are willing to retain salary (which they are), several teams in the Western Conference could see him as one of the top additions, especially because of his two-way ability.

Dan Rosen of NHL.com lists the Dallas Stars, Nashville Predators, San Jose Sharks and St. Louis Blues as possible destinations, with others noting his familiarity with people like Ken Hitchcock and Joe Thornton. All four teams are battling for position in the West, and could end up driving the price higher and higher for top rentals.

Another interesting spot would be a return to Columbus, though it would take a trade between division rivals to pull it off. The Blue Jackets are looking for some more depth at forward—though specifically center if they had the choice—and would likely welcome the old face of their franchise back for one last run. The two sides did not leave on good terms when Nash was dealt in 2012, but that was some time ago and included a different front office regime.

Likelihood Of A Trade

Nash confirmed he had handed in his list today, and seemed upset at the thought he wouldn’t be a Ranger at the end of the season. Speaking to media including Sean Shapiro of The Athletic, he explained how hard it will be to tell his son that he isn’t with the team anymore.

It’s hard to imagine that the team won’t trade him now, but there is definitely the possibility that he returns to New York in the offseason. Knowing that, it would be foolish of the Rangers to not cash in on whatever return they can get, unless they truly believe they can compete this season in the playoffs. Even still, the return for Nash—which some are speculating could be as high as a first-round pick—is more valuable to the franchise than his contributions this season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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