Buffalo Sabres Trade Options: Rick Nash

By Jacob D. Strozyk | Jun 16, 2015

When I think of the name Rick Nash, a particular style of player comes to mind; a player with great leadership skills, hard work ethic, and a knack for scoring goals.

Related – Daily Links: Rick Nash, Matt Hackett

In the NHL today, high scoring power forwards are rather hard to come by, but Rick Nash has made his career off of doing it very well.

Recently, there was a suggestion made by Elliotte Freedman that the Buffalo Sabres should make a move for Nash. This got me thinking about a few things. The first thing was if the Sabres should make an offer for Nash, and second was what they could possibly offer the New York Rangers for him.

First thing’s first. Do the Buffalo Sabres have anything to offer the Rangers for Rick Nash? My answer to that question is yes. Buffalo has a very center deep team at the moment, and there are players either on the fringe, or about to be on their way out. Players like Cody Hodgson and Mikhail Grigorenko are causing some buzz in the trade rumor world, and the Rangers might be interested if it means dumping Rick Nash’s salary.

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With the Rangers also potentially dropping Martin St. Louis from their team, that would open up at least one winger slot on their team. With that opening, it could mean the Rangers target the likes of Marcus Foligno. A hard hitting forward with some scoring punch would be a cheaper replacement for Nash, while they also grab some center depth in either Grigorenko or Hodgson.

So do the Buffalo Sabres have something to offer the Rangers for Rick Nash? Absolutely.

Now the question is should they make an offer for him? Let’s take a look at a few things before we come to a decision here.

The Buffalo Sabres have already made a blockbuster trade by sending off Tyler Myers and company to he Winnipeg Jets for Evander Kane and Zach Bogosian, and both players have a good deal of term left on their contracts. Kane is expected to be a primary form of offense for the Buffalo Sabres alongside the likes of Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart next year, so would it make sense to add another scoring threat and ego to that mix?

Rick Nash is a leader for sure, but he has a large ego that goes along with him. Everyone in Buffalo knows Evander Kane has a big ego, so would that competition spur him to be better, or would it frustrate him after he was given the keys to the offense?

Rick Nash hit the 40 goal scoring mark for the first time in six seasons, and he is in the prime of his career at the age of 31. With the Rangers looking to shed his cap potentially, he would make a valuable addition to any team.

So here comes the answer. Nash would be a valuable asset to any team. Any team except the Buffalo Sabres. Buffalo already has its leadership core and its captain in Brian Gionta, and it recently made its choices for the future of the defense and offense. The core of the team is very young while having some seasoned veterans in the mix to guide the way.

Rick Nash is a hell of a player, no doubt, but his ego would be clashing with the team, and he would be working hard for a leadership role that he would most likely deserve. His type of player is sought after around the league, but in the end, he does not fit well in the future of the Buffalo Sabres.

Next: Year in Review: Zach Bogosian

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