Tampa Bay Lightning acquire Riley Nash from the Arizona Coyotes
The Tampa Bay Lightning have made one last depth move at the deadline, bringing back Riley Nash from the Arizona Coyotes for future considerations.
We have acquired forward Riley Nash from Arizona in exchange for future considerations.
Nash will report to the @SyracuseCrunch. https://t.co/8HMXCBEtaj
Riley Nash was on the Lightning roster earlier this season after they claimed him on waivers from the Winnipeg Jets, but Arizona then claimed him when Tampa put him on waivers later on in the season. Nash is currently on a one year deal worth $750,000.
Between the Jets, Lightning, and Coyotes, Nash has played in 49 games this season. He has just four assists, all of them coming with the Coyotes. However, aside from a 41-point year in Boston, he’s never been known as a points getter. He’s better established himself as a really good shutdown center, with really strong defensive numbers in his career.
Nash joins a Lightning team poised to make another Cup run, although they have a tough road to get there. Unless they can improve on their six-point gap between them and the first-place Florida Panthers, they seem likely to face one of the Toronto Maple Leafs or Boston Bruins in the first round, and then likely have to face the Panthers in the second round. That said, Nash won’t join them right away, as he’s going to report to their AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch.