Thomas Townsend: 24 Team Playoff? Rick Nash's impact on Columbus

Thomas Townsend: 24 Team Playoff? Rick Nash's impact on Columbus
- Thomas Townsend

I started following this team because of Rick Nash, a true power forward with a scoring touch that could rival that of Jerome Igninla.

Unfortunately the '' Rick Nash era'' is mired by incompetence at the upper levels, Doug Mclean was doing moves left to right without focusing on what mattered for his star player , a true number one center, instead he opted for these wing players that become useless without proper center depth. And his lack of vision for how the game evolved to puck moving defensman is astonishing, instead we had these stay at home guys the Hawks blogger at times jokingly called a '' Chinese fire drill'' to move the puck out of our own zone.

Scott Howson was the tipping point, vaunted as this bright young executive he did more of the same , although some bold moves such as Brule for Torres and Carter , that turned into a fiasco and probably marked the franchise as a perennial joke. I think once Carter wanted out , it made no sense for Rick to stay on a sicking ship.

One could wonder with all these injuries if management approached Rick to lace them up for the rest of the season...

One could wonder with all these injuries if management approached Rick to lace them up for the rest of the season...
- Alexzanki

Not sure what the on-ice current day Rick Nash would look like, but it would make headlines across the NHL and would be fun.

There was a move Rick Nash did that had he ever had any real significant help besides David Vyborny or a very very young Jake Voracek, been in another era like today's NHL, we would have seen some huge years. He seemed to develop it in like 2008 or so, but would enter the zone and pivot skating backwards into the offensive zone with the puck on his stick like he was posting up in the NBA. But he would do it with speed and control, and his frame made it impossible to be knocked off the puck. He generated shots, rebounds, double teams and a lot of chances off this. I always wished he could have had 1-2 years with Jumbo Joe in San Jose because I always thought their games were so in sync with one another.

I also am a Blackawks fan. While video game desires aside, there were rumors of the Hawks making a play for him, I am thankful it never happened, because the Rangers definitely felt the brunt of his salary when he just couldn't physically perform the same way. Rick Nash was a really fun hockey talent to watch and see how much he meant to that market. I traveled there for work often and always picked up a ticket to see him play.

Not sure what the on-ice current day Rick Nash would look like, but it would make headlines across the NHL and would be fun.
- Thomas Townsend

That would imply there IS a rest of the season.

That would imply there IS a rest of the season.
- BINGO!

You are correct...we may have seen the final NHL game for 2019-2020. And that is too bad for you and the Canes as they were making their push for the playoffs

No, no byes. In the NHL letting higher seeded teams sit for two to two and a half weeks before playing might be a big advantage to the lower seeded team coming off a series. There is just is not enough of a difference between the 1 and 24 seeds in the NHL for it to be an advantage.