Blue Jackets trade Riley Nash to Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs acquired Columbus Blue Jackets forward Riley Nash in exchange for a conditional seventh-round draft pick in 2022, the team announced Friday.

The seventh-round selection will become a sixth if Nash appears in 25% of the Maple Leafs' playoff games in 2021.

Nash, 31, is out four-to-six weeks after suffering a knee sprain on April 4. He's in the final year of his current deal and is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

The Maple Leafs placed his $2.75-million cap hit on long-term injured reserve. The club will gain additional cap space since he's out for the remainder of the regular season, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.

The 6-foot-2 pivot, who's tallied seven points through 37 contests this season, isn't known for his offensive bona fides but is an extremely productive shutdown forward.

Nash has done a remarkable job at consistently limiting his opponent's offense at five-on-five, according to Hockey Viz's isolated impact model. Red (positive) is good in the offensive zone, while blue (negative) is good in the defensive zone.

The Alberta native has also recorded eight points over 32 career playoff games. Nash's teams have defeated the Maple Leafs in the opening round of the postseason in two of the past three seasons - the Boston Bruins in 2018 and Blue Jackets in 2020.