Columbus signs Riley Nash to three-year deal

The Bruins have officially lost their third line center. Riley Nash has signed a three-year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets worth an AAV of $2.75 million, per TSN’s Darren Dreger.

Nash spent the last two years with the Bruins, and broke out this past season with 15 goals and 41 points in 76 games. He also stepped up his game when he took over the first line center duties when Patrice Bergeron went down with an injury during the second half of the season. Thanks to this, Nash entered today as one of the top free agent centers on the market, and it is plausible there were a lot of teams bidding for his services.

The $2.75 million AAV is a nice raise from the $900K he made in each of his two seasons in Boston. The Bruins probably were not going to pay up to retain the 29-year-old center, so the departure of Nash should not come as a surprise.

The Bruins are now without a third line center, but with several young prospects in Providence and free agency open for the summer, it is likely they find somebody to fill the void before training camp in September.