Here’s what Rick Nash said before his first game with the Bruins
"I wanted to go to a place that wanted me and a place that had a great chance to win."
https://www.facebook.com/bruinsdaily/videos/2101287996548315/
BUFFALO — His departure from New York was bittersweet, but his arrival to KeyBank Center prior to Sunday’s Bruins-Sabres contest meant putting his tenure with the Rangers in the rearview mirror.
Luckily for Rick Nash, who had a no-trade clause, the Rangers honored his request by trading him to a contending team that was on top of his list.
“I wanted to go to a place that wanted me and a place that had a great chance to win,” Nash said a couple of hours before puck drop in Buffalo. “And, you know, I think Boston fits both those perfectly.”
Nash came ready to go as head coach Bruce Cassidy inserted the veteran power forward on the second line with David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk. Up until Sunday, that second line right wing spot was held by Ryan Spooner, who was sent to New York along with Matt Beleskey, prospect Ryan Lindgren, and two draft picks (2018 first round and 2019 seventh round).
Adding a new player always brings its challenges as getting adjusted to a new system is often difficult. Even with his Black and Gold debut – without the benefit of practicing with the club beforehand — it will take some time for Nash to acquaint himself.
“He’s walked through the door, he’s getting new equipment, introducing himself to new teammates and meeting four new coaches,” Cassidy said about Nash’s quick turnaround from leaving the Big Apple to meeting the team in Upstate New York. “We just wanted him to play today. This isn’t a one game trade, but we’ll get what we get today and hopefully as it goes along he becomes a real good fit for our club.”
Though he becomes a free agent on July 1, Nash’s addition signifies the Bruins quest of inserting themselves as Stanley Cup contenders. But some might say adding an outside piece to an already tight Bruins locker room this late in the season is a bit risky.
Even with a healthy mix between the talented youth movement and the veteran leadership, Sweeney had no qualms about making the trade for a solid top-six power forward.
“You’ve got tough matchups each and every night in this league, and the deeper you can be, the better off you’re going to be,” the third-year Bruins general manager said.
“We’ve tested depth throughout the year in the organization and we’ve had some players that have stepped forward when we had some injuries. But our players have made a push and we wanted to inch that along if we could, and the coaching staff identified that [top-six] was an area that we could improve upon…”
Of course, there’s also the production side of things. Nash’s game has taken a dip since posting a career-high 42 goals in 2014-15 and entered Sunday’s slate with just 28 points (18 goals, 10 assists).
The public statements made by upper management to Rangers fans about the team’s current state accelerated Nash’s departure from New York. But with a new lease on things, the Bruins are excited to fill a top-six need and Nash is certainly looking forward to the opportunity of chasing another Cup.
“It was a strange last few weeks in New York,” Nash said, “but, you know I’ve moved on and I’m excited for this opportunity and I’m excited to be a Bruin.”
