Rick Nash has traditionally been a very good goal-scorer in the NHL, while never being truly exceptional, and never ever being a good assist producer. Goals are gold in the NHL and are very much worth paying for, however, since tying Iginla for the Maurice Richard in 2004, Nash has been a top-ten goal scorer twice, and a top twenty goal scorer three more times. Once he was 28th and three times he's finished outside the top-30.
Compared to Iginla, a truly elite-goal scoring forward, Iginla has two top ten finishes since 2004 (both 3rds, higher than Nash's best - a 5th place) and six top-twenty finishes. Only one time since '04 has he not been one of the twenty best goal-scorers in the NHL.
Rick Nash is a very, very good hockey player who is well worth the second or third highest contract on any given team, but should not ever be expected to be the best player on an NHL team.
Given that he's got the highest cap-hit on the Rangers, and the second-highest salary in real dollars (and his real-money salary goes UP over the next four years) it's pretty clear that Rick Nash is overpaid.
|