How good is Rick Nash?

Question

He's played for only 1 horrible team all his NHL career and was still an All-Star. But don't great players elevate their whole franchise? With only 1 career playoff series and 0 playoff wins could the team have done that poorly without him? Or is the impact of 1 player not that monumental in NHL as it is in some sports? Could he have or still be considered an all time great if he played for a winner?

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

One player can't carry a team. As the person who answered before me said, only a couple of other players are consistent scorers, though I also would add Jakub Voracek, who was really good for most of the season but stopped scoring for what seemed like the last 20 games (Probably from a lack of effort). In basketball, one player makes the difference, but not in hockey. Almost all great players had a lot of other great players with them. Bobby Orr played with Esposito, Gretzky played with the Oilers in the 80's, Lemieux had Jagr and Francis, etc...
He is a great player though, and is undoubtedly one of the top 10 in the game right now, but plays for a bad team.  At least he won't leave, because if he did Columbus would be screwed.

Ari Gold · Answer

Only one way to find out...

I'd love to see him on the wing of a guy like Kesler or Toews or Kopitar... then he could do some real damage. 
As for right now, he pretty much is the whole team. You can only expect so much from one guy. Umberger and Vermette are the only 2 other relatively consistent scorers on that team... Nash is a great player. He's not in the same conversation as Ovechkin, Crosby, Datsyuk etc... but he's still a great hockey player and has done a lot for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Anonymous · Answer

If he was selected to play for the best hockey team ever assembled in 2010 for mighty Team Canada, and win a Gold he is a very talented player.

Avro Arrow · Answer

Not quite as good as Steve Nash.

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How good is Rick Nash?

4 Answers