Add Riley Nash to the list of potential FA targets for the Toronto Maple Leafs this offseason.
Due to the management changes it has been a busy offseason for the Toronto Maple Leafs thus far. With the draft and the free agent frenzy coming up, as Jim Ross would say, business is about to pick up. The Leafs have two center positions that need to be addressed.
Although many fans are hoping the Leafs land either John Tavares, Joe Thornton or Paul Stastny, the possibility of signing a top name UFA is usually low. It might be time to start thinking about a Plan B, and Riley Nash would be an excellent option.
Riley Nash spent most of this season playing on the Bruins third line with David Backes and Danton Heinen. He finished with 41 points, with 29 of them coming at even strength. For comparison, Tyler Bozak put up 32 even strength points playing with JVR. Although Bozak thrived in terms of dominating his opposition, he also played against inferior competition and with a high amount of offensive zone starts.
In contrast, Nash is serviceable, versatile center who can be used in many different situations. Last year Nash had 54% defensive zone starts while facing difficult competition. When at home (where Cassidy controlled matchups), Riley Nash ranked 4th amongst forwards in quality of competition percentage. Having Riley Nash in the lineup it would give Mike Babcock some options when it comes to matching up with the oppositions top line, a similar situation that he had with Tomas Plekanec on the team. This also allows Babcock to put Nazam Kadri in offensive situations more often.
Enough cannot be said about Riley Nash defensively. He is a positionally sound forward and is also a dangerous puck hunter. Last season Riley Nash tied Patrice Bergeron for 2nd on the Bruins with 55 takeaways. Only Brad Marchand had more, with 58. Riley Nash also only had 14 giveaways.
Last season the Toronto Maple Leafs relied on Leo Komarov, Tomas Plekanec, Zach Hyman, Connor Brown and Kasperi Kapanen to kill penalties. Considering Komarov and Plekanec are likely not coming back next season, it makes sense that the Leafs target a strong penalty killer. Last year Nash was on the top penalty killing unit for the Bruins, a team that finished third in the league.
Contract Projection
Nash is currently making 900K/year but is definitely in for a huge raise considering the career year he had in the 2017-2018 campaign. Many teams will be bidding for his services, especially those who lose in the bidding war for the bigger UFA centers.
I would expect Nash’s deal to be around 2-3M/year, something the Toronto Maple Leafs should strongly consider. Even if Nash is asking for three million for three years, this contract seems to be worth it considering the Leafs have traded second round picks at the past two deadlines to acquire a player similar to Riley Nash.
Riley Nash does not blow anyone away in any specific area of the game, but his toolbox allows him to make great plays when necessary. He is a resourceful forward, who always seems to make the right decision based on what the defence is giving him. He possesses a quick wrist-shot which tends to catch goalies by surprise. He is also able to pick corners if given a little bit more time. Nash playmaking ability doesn’t stand out, but with 26 assists this past season it is tough to complain. He is a very good player in transition, something that is extremely valuable when you can generate that many takeaways.
Conclusion:
Riley Nash certainly wouldn’t be the big splash many are hoping for, but is still a solid plan B option for the Leafs. Signing Nash allows the Leafs to ice a much more defensively responsible group than in years past.
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It also gives them a lot of cap space to spend in other areas that need. As shown above, Nash is also able to chip in offensively and would fit perfectly on a third line between Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson. The Bruins have put themselves in a bit of a salary cap problem and with many players in their prospect pool ready for the NHL, it might be time for them to part ways with Riley Nash.
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