Toronto Maple Leafs: Sign Rick Nash for a season

Rick Nash is still an Unrestricted Free Agent and the Toronto Maple Leafs should kick tires on a one-year deal for the former first-overall draft pick.

There is a lot of speculation Rick Nash might not even play hockey in the upcoming NHL season, with Ryan Lambert of Yahoo Sports commenting that the big-bodied winger has concerns regarding his concussion history. If Nash does choose to return, however, the Toronto Maple Leafs could be the perfect destination for him for a season.

The 34-year-old, who was the first-overall selection in the 2002 NHL Draft, is still a productive player despite not reaching 40 points more than once in the past five seasons.

He has, however, reached 20+ goals in four of those five seasons, including 42 in the 2014-15 season with the New York Rangers.

Last season, Nash scored 21 goals in the regular season – with 18 coming with the Rangers before he added a further three for the Boston Bruins.

More from Toronto Maple Leafs

• Maple Leafs Rumours: Half of NHL teams interested in Ilya Mikheyev
• Toronto Maple Leafs: How to address the goaltender position
• Leafs reward Timothy Liljegren with extension after breakout season
• Maple Leafs: Jack Campbell situation becoming increasingly uncertain
• Jason Spezza retires, joins Toronto Maple Leafs front office

Nash was also involved in the Bruins’ playoff run and scored against the Leafs during their first-round victory.

He held a positive Corsi For rating with 51.2% last season and 58.8% of his starts came in the offensive zone – contributing to his 34 total points.

Nash is by no means a star anymore, with his best days well behind him. However, he is a player who could add phenomenal depth to an already stacked offence for the Leafs.

He is still capable of reaching 20+ goals in a season and, if he’s healthy, can still play close to a full regular season and playoff run.

The Leafs also have the cap space to add players for the upcoming season, with the real strains coming next summer.

With William Nylander expected to receive around $6 million a season, the Leafs would have a further $7 million available for the next year (before considering the potential of Nathan Horton going on LTIR).

Nash is coming off an eight-year deal that paid him $7.8 million a season, but he is unlikely to receive anything above $3 or $4 million due to his advanced age and health concerns.

With the Leafs, offering him a low, one-year deal that would see him play on the third line alongside two-time 32 goal scorer Nazem Kadri and Andreas Johnsson could still be attractive to the veteran winger.

It would give the team one of the strongest third lines in the entire league and provide Kadri with another proven goal scorer alongside rookie Johnsson.

It would also mean Nash’s playing time can be managed carefully, ensuring he is kept healthy throughout the season while still giving him an opportunity to contribute for a strong playoff contender.

With the Leafs likely heavily relying on their top-six forwards, Nash would also play with reduced pressure and can have a season for a strong team with a real chance to progress deep in the playoffs.

Nash also has familiarity with head coach Mike Babcock, having played for him during the 2010 and 2014 Olympics, where Team Canada won gold medals each time.

His connection with Babcock could help attract him to Toronto alone, but the chance to play with the likes of John Tavares and Auston Matthews could make it even more enticing if Kyle Dubas ever decided to pick up the phone and see how interested he is about returning.

Nash’s 6-foot-4, 212 pounds frame would also give the Toronto Maple Leafs the big body the majority of their roster appears to be lacking.

While it is unlikely something ever came of this, it would still be a smart move to consider – adding a third first-overall draft pick to a stacked offence that could give the Leafs three lines with tons of goal-scoring potential.

What do you think Toronto Maple Leafs fans? Would you like to see someone like Nash signed to the team on a short-term deal? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!