Word on the street, or Internet as the saying should go is that the NHLPA and NHL are working long and hard hammering out a deal that could salvage some type of hockey season. Whether it is 60 games or less, all of us puckheads are ready. Heck, we were ready back in October, you know, when the season was supposed to start.
The New York Rangers could have been the prohibitive favorites had the season been played in full. Actually with the injury and now rehabilitation of leading scorer Marian Gaborik, a shortened season could actually help the Rangers even more. Falling in the Eastern Conference Finals to the rival New Jersey Devils was a bitter pill to swallow for the Broadway Blueshirts.
General manager Glen Sather thinks he may have found a solution by acquiring Columbus power forward Rick Nash. The former Columbus captain was brought in as a more than capable replacement for Gaborik as he recovers from shoulder surgery. However, with the season delayed, the Rangers may have the luxury of both scorers when the puck officially drops.
Nash brings something to the Rangers that the team might have been missing in previous campaigns. Desperation. The years of toiling on terrible teams will give Nash the appreciation of a winning culture. Never, ever underestimate the power that a winning tradition can give to someone used to losing. For a guy who regularly dropped 30 goals for terrible Columbus teams, Nash can’t wait to get on the ice.
Championship teams aren’t built by assembling stars, and the Rangers did more than acquire another thoroughbred for their stable. With Nash, they get scoring (obviously), leadership and the hunger of a man who desperately wants to win. The chemistry with his teammates might take a hit with the absence of a training camp, but you get the feeling that Nash probably landed in New York within an hour of hearing the news that his deal had been done.
So how does this translate to fantasy hockey? It turns Rick Nash from a top 25 forward to a top ten forward. Nash is durable and strong, and scores in bunches. His new lease on life will bring joy to the thousands at Madison Square Garden and to your fantasy roster as well.