Rick Nash has brought a rookie mentality to his 14th NHL training camp.
After a summer as the subject of trade rumors, but in the end no handshake between teams, Nash said Friday that he's treating camp as a proving ground, and an opportunity to convince the New York Rangers that he still belongs.
"As I get to the tail end of my career, especially after the year I had last year, I have to show I belong on this team," Nash said, according to Steve Zipay of Newsday.
"I can't speak for other guys, but I truly feel that way. You look at the numbers and you have so many forwards, you know there's going to be big moves that are going to be made. For me, I want to be a Ranger, I want to be in New York, so that's all I'm worried about."
Beset with injuries and battling inconsistencies, Nash followed up the 2014-15 season - in which he scored a league-best 29 even-strength goals - with the worst statistical campaign of his career, scoring 15 times and totaling 36 points.
Set to earn $7.8 million from New York for the next two seasons, it's possible that even a return to form won't necessarily save the veteran forward, though he does hold a protection clause. The Rangers have been taking steps to recycle their roster and alleviate cap pressures, most notably by trading Derick Brassard to the Ottawa Senators for Mika Zibanejad.
