RICK’S ROLE
Nash’s goal: Win Cup, get new contract
Rick Nash has never been an unrestricted free agent, but the veteran Ranger who will be 34 years old when free agency begins next summer is entering the final year of his contract, which carries a $7.8 million cap hit.
“Every year I want to have the best year possible. But this year, it’s an important year for me personally,” Nash said Friday at Citi Field during an event promoting the Winter Classic between the Rangers and Sabres on New Year’s Day at the ballpark. “It’s an important year for the Rangers, too. We still haven’t achieved that goal (winning the Stanley Cup) that we all want to achieve.”
The venerable winger knows his performance during the upcoming season will inform his next contract but offered a very matter-of-fact view on his situation. “Your contract’s up and you play for another contract. That’s what I’m facing this year,” he said.
Nash set a career-high with 42 goals during the 2014-15 season. In the two seasons since he scored 15 goals in 60 games and 23 goals in 67 games, respectively.
The Rangers have $47,150,000 in cap space devoted to 10 players for the 2018-19 season. Add in Dan Girardi’s dead-money hit following his buyout and that jumps to $50,761,111. J.T. Miller, Kevin Hayes, Jimmy Vesey and Brady Skjei will all be restricted free agents after the 2017-18 campaign.
Nash’s sixth season as a Ranger will be his second as an alternate captain, a role he shared with departed core members Girardi and Derek Stepan. Those absences will be felt in the locker room, but there is also an opportunity for others to take on greater leadership responsibilities, with Nash specifically mentioning Hayes, Chris Kreider and Miller, all of whom are coming off career-highs in regular-season points but had their share of struggles during the postseason.
“You knew something was gonna happen. I think everyone kind of had that feeling,” Nash said of the offseason changes. “It’s tough to lose a lot of veterans, guys with big voices in the dressing room, but I think it gives a chance for guys to step up — guys like Hayes, guys like Kreider, guys like Miller that aren’t young guys anymore. This is gonna be their team. It’s gonna be fun to watch them kind of grow into leaders.”
They are major components of a revamped group, which includes newcomers in prized hometown signing Kevin Shattenkirk, David Desharnais, Ondrej Pavelec and Anthony DeAngelo, as they prepare to begin training camp next Friday.