Feb 10, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Rangers left wing Rick Nash (61) lines up before a face-off during their game against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Air Canada Centre. The Rangers beat the Maple Leafs 5-4. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

With Rick Nash possibly on his way out of New York and onto the trade market, there’s a unique question surrounding the Edmonton Oilers. With them looking to strengthen their defense, and get rid of a couple of pieces on the forward lines, should they go for him on the cheap?

“The Sportster” was the first to bring up this rather interesting rumor of a possible deal between Edmonton and New York, which included Nash in exchange for RW Nail Yakupov, who wants off the Oilers and reportedly requested a trade earlier this season.

This would be a steal for the Oilers if it were to even happen. First off, Yakupov is clearly not going to improve in Edmonton. We’ve seen his struggles, demotions and promotions and obviously troubles with management. He has not developed properly and needs a new landscape to at least attempt at reviving his NHL career.

Nash is a winger who has the potential to net 40 goals a season and brings a lot more to Edmonton than fans wuld think. Sure, he’s a veteran, but he’s only 31. He brings size and speed, standing at 6-foot-4 and coming in at 220 pounds.

The former Columbus Blue Jackets captain is usually in the 30-goal range, and has accomplished the 40+ feat three times in his career. However, after a not-so-impressive 15 goals and 21 assists through 60 games with the Rangers this season, as well as struggling greatly with the team as a whole, it looks like he could be looking at a new team. He is also excellent when it comes to possession and backchecking, having a 51.1 Corsi percentage. In the playoffs, that percentage increases by two.

Obviously, Edmonton’s priority this off-season will be defense, but if they are willing to give up Yakupov along with a couple of picks, they could have a good chance at getting someone like Nash.

Especially if the Oilers take the trade path of getting rid of core players that are wingers (i.e. Jordan Eberle or Nail Yakupov), they will need to replenish their offense. The only problem is, Nash shoots left.

However, it wouldn’t be too much of an issue, and he could be a great addition to the second line, or even the first. With his scoring ability, he could work with players like Connor McDavid and become one of the biggest offensive threats on the Oilers roster in years.