Riley Nash is currently the NHL’s best Nash

It’s the bye week! You know what that means: random posts!

This one is even more random than most: currently, Riley Nash is the most productive Nash in the NHL.

The versatile forward was signed by the Bruins in the summer of 2016, with an eye toward filling a bottom-six role on a team in transition.

What people didn’t expect is that in the second year of his contract, Nash would be more productive than the NHL’s higher-profile, “other” Nash: Rick Nash.

A lightning rod for criticism through most of his time on Broadway, Rick Nash is having a bit of an up and down season this year (much like his New York Rangers team).

He has seen his reign as the NHL’s PREMIER NASH come to an end at the hands of Riley.

• Through 39 games, Riley Nash has 5 goals and 13 assists for 18 points.
• Through 42 games, Rick Nash has 9 goals and 8 assist for 17 points.

ONE NASH TO RULE THEM ALL!!!!!!!!

Riley Nash is producing at a thrifty cost-per-point pace of $50,000; Rick Nash is producing at a $458,000 cost-per-point pace.

ADVANTAGE SWEENEY.

What is the point of all this? Not much, really. Rick Nash will end up having more points by season’s end. He’ll probably end up coming up big at some point to justify his contract.

A more Bruins-related point: Riley Nash is one of those low-key depth signings that GM Don Sweeney has cashed in on.

We know that some of Sweeney’s bigger moves (Hayes, Beleskey) haven’t quite panned out. What’s kept his team afloat at times, however, are the depth moves, like signing Nash.

Look at what Sweeney did with the Bruins’ rejuvenated fourth line:

• Signed Noel Acciari as an undrafted free agent out of Providence College.
• Grabbed Tim Schaller off the scrap heap in 2016.
• Added Sean Kuraly as a throw-in in the Martin Jones trade.

The Bruins will always rely heavily on their big guns. However, one shouldn’t overlook the impact Sweeney’s depth guys have had on this team’s success.

If you’re going to swing and miss on a big deal here or there, it helps to connect on a few smaller ones to blunt the impact.

In the meantime, Sweeney can take pride in his more economical Nash producing at a pretty impressive pace.