Oilers Fans Like That Nash Is Staying

One of the contributing factors to Riley Nash's decision to stay at Cornell for his junior year was probably the stance of the Oilers organization. When Ricky Olczyk spoke at Cornell last year, he stressed that the Oilers would not pressure Nash to leave college early. And it wasn't like Nash had such an amazing season last year (for example, top 10 in the NCAA in goals) that it seemed like he was ready for the next level.

The Oilers prospect blogs have been chiming in on the news that Nash is staying, and the reactions have generally been positive. Most of these guys tend to belittle the college game, but they like what they see with Nash. The 10 pounds he gained over the summer demonstrate that he's serious about getting himself ready for the pro game.

It's an interesting take and one that is rare from a hockey player, but then everything we know about Nash suggests that he's not a typical hockey player. The choice of Cornell was suggestive, and the quotes we've heard, both from Nash himself and from scouts following him suggest both intelligence and an unusual level of independent thought.

It almost certainly looks like Nash will be gone before his senior year, since both fellow star forward Colin Greening and Nash's older brother, Brendon, will be graduating. Nash turns 21 next May, and I don't see him staying in Ithaca another year after that.

Every Cornell hockey fan dreams of the team winning a national championship during his or her time on the Hill. The fans around for '03 certainly thought that was their year, and the '05 and '06 teams came inches away from a Frozen Four. With the team the Red have coming back, '10 looks like the best chance Cornell will have during my time as an undergrad.