The New York Rangers announced they have completed a trade that will send veteran winger Rick Nash to the Boston Bruins in exchange for a 2018 first-round pick, defensive prospect Ryan Lindgren, forwards Ryan Spooner and Matt Beleskey and a seventh-round pick in the 2019 draft. The Rangers are expected to retain 50 percent of Nash’s salary (the maximum allowed)according to Pierre LeBrun. The Bruins are also expected to retain some of Beleskey’s salary.
For Boston, the deal adds a solid veteran to their top-nine core and improves the team’s depth. The 33-year-old was having a solid season in New York as he has 18 goals and 10 assists this year. His knack for finding the goal makes him a welcome addition. He has 434 career goals and is one point away from reaching 800 career points. However, it is the intangibles of a veteran leader and playoff veteran that makes him so coveted as Nash has played in 77 career playoff games. He is in the final year of a eight-year, $62.4MM deal he signed in 2009 with the Columbus Blue Jackets. With the salary retention, however, the Bruins will only have to pay him $3.9MM of his deal for the remainder of the year, which was the only way the trade would have worked without involving a third team. NHL.com’s Joe Yerdon tweets that Nash is expected to join Boston for their game tonight in Buffalo.
Perhaps the key to the trade will be the Bruins first-rounder. That will give the Rangers two first, two second and two third-round picks in this upcoming draft. The Rangers, who are trying to build through the draft, already had two first-round picks in last year’s draft when they drafted centers Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil.
The Rangers add more to its struggling defense as they add Lindgren to their improving core of prospects. The Bruins 2016 second-round pick, the 20-year-old is in his second season at the University of Minnesota. The six-foot, 198-pound blueliner looks to be more of a physical defenseman who might eventually provide team depth as he has two goals and five assists this year in 33 games playing in the Big-10. He also has 49 penalty minutes.
Beleskey and Spooner were both added into the deal to make the salaries match up. Beleskey signed a five-year, $19MM deal in 2015 after he had put up a 22-goal season with the Anaheim Ducks. However, he has not been able to duplicate those numbers, although he did score 15 goals in the 2015-16 season. He only played in 49 games last year and just 14 for Boston this year as he was sent down to the Providence Bruins and has played for much the season there. The Bruins retained 50 percent of his salary as well. Spooner, on the other hand, could be flipped again if the Rangers can find a taker for the 26-year old. In 39 games this year, the center has nine goals and 16 assists.
Dreger adds that the deal for Nash could prompt a response from the Bruins’ Atlantic Division rivals as both the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Tampa Bay Lightning might be more likely to improve their rosters for the upcoming playoff push. Both Toronto and Tampa Bay are looking to add depth to their defense.
TSN’s Bob McKenzie was the first to report the initial deal.
Great job Gorton
Nash goes to Boston for Charlie Lindgren, Matt Beleskey, Ryan Spooner, Boston’s 2018 1st round pick, Boston’s 2019 7th round pick
I mean Ryan
A stupid deal!!!!!!!!
It would be nice to get some forward prospects
Wow that is a bit of an overpayment by the B’s. I didn’t think the Rangers could reel in a 1st. But a 1st and a pretty solid defensive prospect too? Gotta give Gorton credit on this one. Even if Lindgren’s potential is capped due to his lack of offensive game, he’s still a former 2nd rounder who should be able to turn into a shutdown D in the NHL.
And now I just seen Spooner, Beleskey and a 7th added to Lindgren and the 1st for Nash. Did I just wake up in 2009 or something? Lol
Spooner and Beleskey don’t really bring any extra value for the rangers. And Boston only gave up there 1st rounder(very late 1st rounder) because the rangers are still paying 50% of Nash salary which probably meant more to the Bruins then giving up a 1st pick verse paying Nash whole salary and giving up a 2nd rounder
Have you seen spooner play this year? When’s he’s on the ice he’s a good 2 way player
Yea…… but I don’t think he brings any value to a rebuilding ranger team. He was just a throw in piece so Nash would fit under Bruins cap. He would bring value to a team trying to compete.
He doesn’t but he’s also a rental I believe so it doesn’t hurt the rangers in the long run. Also beleskys contract helps pay for Nash’s contract
I know Beleskey is an essential non-factor and I think Spooner provides more value than you’re giving him credit for but still not too great. I just never would have thought a Nash trade would see a return of 5 pieces, 3 of which have good to great value(depending on your POV).
My guess is belesky seeks a buyout or he gets waived. He was thrown in for money purposes. I thought the bruins were giving up a lot but upon further investigation it’s not an overpayment
As a Bruins fan I don’t mind this, but I don’t get the inclusion of Spooner unless something else is coming. I get the first rounder especially since Lindgren profiles as more of a 3rd pair defender at best and they took on half of Beleskey on top of retaining on Nash. Spooner’s inclusion doesn’t seem necessary at that point unless they needed to clear room for another move.
They included spooner because they didn’t have a true place for him. I like the 3rd Line of backes, heinen and Nash. Now they can have debrusk, krejci and Rick Nash on the second line.
As a B’a fan I don’t know how to feel about this. Nash is not having that great of a season. But he’s still a big name that maybe the young guys can look up to and rely on for the playoff push. Personally, I would’ve preferred McDonough
They moved Beleskey’s contract and not resigning Spooner now gives them some cap room to work with this summer, especially if they move McQuaid. Heck, If they could dump Backes they can go big game hunting for Tavares or Karlsson.
That’s daydreaming…
I know my point is just that it’s potentially feasible and they have some additional flexibility now.
Prepare for a disappointing showing in the playoffs where he vanished in the last two years.
As a Leafs fan, extremely happy to see way past his prime go to the bruins,
Prediction,,u traded too much for maybe 8 pts in the playoffs
On paper it may seem like a lot but when you Newark it down, its not. As a B’s fan we paid for leadership, size, and experience which our young team needed. Spooner was hit or miss and very expendable, the college D prospect is physical but undersized at 6’, Beleskey was stashed in minors so his cap hit wasn’t as bad, and we had to get rid of the first round pick because we already have way too many blue chip prospects. However, I will give you that the 7th round pick was probably a steal and an over pay.
@holger…wouldn’t Bruins be on the hook for half of the remaining 3.9m since Rangers are picking up other half
3.9 m is the half amount. He’s making 7.8 m.
Rangers have already paid him for first half of the season
How are Rick Nash and Riley Nash going to sort out the names on their jerseys?
How about by giving fans enough credit to know that 61 and 20 are different?
I hate initials on jerseys.
Riley Nash will keep “Nash” on his
Rick Nash will have “R. Nash” on his
Makes most sense that way
Ric. Nash
Ril. Nash.
Might as well finish their first names at that point lol. Nash for Riley Nash and R. Nash for Rick Nash makes the most sense.
It sounds like a lot for Boston to give up, but it really isn’t:
* Late 1st-rounder on a team filled with young talent already, so that’s disposable
* Lindgren projects to a depth d-man, so no huge loss there
* Spooner has always been a trade-chip waiting to happen, B’s fans know this
* Beleskey off the books is a good thing
* 7th-rounder in 2019, whoop-dee-do
So while it wasn’t some steal of a deal for Boston, it also wasn’t exactly giving away the store. The only thing left to evaluate is how Nash performs in the playoffs.
I think Rick Nash is a dog but I still like this deal for the Bruins. Getting rid of that terrible Belesky contract is big for them.
Rangers got a first instead of a second by eating a bad deal they can afford to bury. Good on them.
Can Belesky play center and does Spooner win faceoffs? Either way, its a decent deal for both sides. @fightcitymayor is pretty much spot on with the analysis. Rangers eat half of Nash’s salary (and take on Belesky) so that’s why the 1st rounder is in there, and a late first rounder isn’t that big of a loss for a team with some good prospects waiting in the wings/already up at the NHL level. As a Rangers fan I can live with this trade because the first rounder/Lindgren will help build out the team’s prospect depth. Spooner could be flipped again for another asset or the Rangers might decide to hold onto him as a middle six center. Belesky at roughly $2.5m cap hit (since Bruins are eating half) isn’t that bad…he might get waived/bought out or the Rangers continue to stash him in the minors, or they decide to use him in a bottom six role. Gorton is doing a pretty good job. Hopefully he continues to draft well and get good returns for whoever else is traded and maybe the rebuild won’t be that painful.
I really like this deal for the Bruins even with Nash being a shell of his former self. They gave up nothing besides a late 1st round pick while clearing half of Beleskey. Spooner while an adequate scorer is hot trash in every other regard and never fit the Bruins scheme, they had been trying to find someone to take him in a deal all year. Even if Nash is a disappointment they cleared a decent amount of money going into the off-season while bringing in a guy who could really improve the team for their run.
From the Ranger perspective, a first rounder and another young defenseman makes sense. No complaints here.