As we begin to head into the homestretch for the NHL season, the buzz surrounding individual awards is certainly going to start picking up. In relation to the Hart Trophy in particular, awarded to the league’s most valuable player, there are the usual host of names in the mix. Alex Ovechkin is there, as is Patrick Kane. Goaltenders like Carey Price and Pekka Rinne have a pretty serious case as well. One player who could almost be a little bit overlooked in the discussion, however, is that of New York Rangers forward Rick Nash.
It seems like the most publicity that Nash has received this year, at least in a national sense, came during All Star Weekend, when he was relentlessly booed in his former city of Columbus. He’s a touch behind a pace that would have him in line for a new career high in points, but his 46 that he’s posted to this point, in 48 games, definitely have him set up to turn in his best statistical year since that 2008-09 year, with Columbus.
Through 48 games, Nash leads the Rangers in points, by 10, with 46. His 31 goals on the year lead the team by 17. In terms of where that leaves him from a league standpoint, he’s 13th in the league in overall points, while sitting tied at the top of the league in goals, with Alex Ovechkin at 31. Of his 31 goals, four have come with the man advantage, while another four have come shorthanded. His 23 even strength goals are ahead of everyone else.
This is a guy who wasn’t necessarily too popular in his first stretch of games with New York. Having been acquired in 2013, last year represented Nash’s first full season with the Rangers. In each of those years, he’s turned in poor playoff performances, leaving something of a stigma attached to him after leaving Columbus. He had just five points in a dozen postseason games in his first year, with only 10 in 25 last season. While he hasn’t reached that point this year, obviously, his regular season performance certainly bodes well for an uptick in playoff production.
The thing about Nash is that he isn’t solely a goal scorer. He logs the fourth-most shorthanded minutes for the Rangers among forwards, while also serving as a key contributor on the power play. Make no mistake about it, this is a guy who is capable of contributing in all phases. He has certainly turned the early perspectives and reviews of the trade with Columbus completely around with his performance.
Is Rick Nash going to take home the Hart Trophy? Probably not, just due to the sheer volume of big name, big market players in the mix. At the same time, it’s impossible to ignore what he has achieved this season. He’s been one of the most consistently dominant players, at any position, this season. He’s been the key offensive presence that the Rangers might otherwise lack. He’s certainly a player that you could say is the most valuable to his own team, and there’s a very real argument there that he could be the league’s Most Valuable Player as well.
