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The Columbus Blue Jackets and Team Captain Rick Nash have just signed a new eight-year $62-million dollar contract deal that will keep him playing in Columbus through the 2017-2018 season. The 25-year-old leads the team in both goals and assists, and scored the fifth highest number of goals in the entire league last season.
Nash led the Jackets to their first ever playoff season, was named 2007 MVP of the World Hockey Championships, and also was selected to appear on the cover for the video game NHL 2K9.
Any predictions on what year Nash will lead the Jackets to the Stanley Cup?
I Love Rick Nash. He should have his own Billboard !
Agreed! Hockey might not quite have the mass appeal that other pro sports do, but I’m glad we’ve got this local pro in Columbus for so much longer. Maybe we’ve got another playoff season ahead of us next year? ;)
Not sure he’s worth in the top 10 highest salary in the entire league (I saw 7.8 mill as the 3rd highest salary last year but don’t know how accurate the source was), but no one can say the jackets aren’t trying to build a contender by signing him long term.
I think this is a good move. He is seriously talented, and continues to improve. He has stepped up to a leadership role. He’s healthy. He’s productive.
I’m happy.
It shows that the Blue Jackets are committed to building a good team. Lease problems aside, they’re going to be here for awhile.
Now, to find a defenseman who can score.
Nate Says: Not sure he’s worth in the top 10 highest salary in the entire league…
Yeah, if you divide the 62M by 8 and get $7.75M per year, then it might not make as much sense for Rick Nash in 2010, but more likely you should probably consider the pay to be stepped each year. So maybe it’s the equivalent of him making $4.5M the first year, $5M the next, etc.
And if he’s able to continue to improve and grow and lead the team to a cup (fingers crossed) then I’d say he’ll probably be worth it in the long run.
Two great quotes from Nash in the Dispatch:
“But I’ve said all along that this is where I wanted to be, that I love the city and I love the direction of the team. I hope this proves it.”
Speaking specifically to the rumors that Nash was destined to join the Toronto Maple Leafs as a free agent next summer, Nash said, “Toronto just didn’t appeal to me as much as Columbus.”
This is worth every dime.