The Rick Nash dilemma: Should the Bruins retain the winger or continue with youth?

When free agency begins July 1, the Bruins will have a handful of decisions to make on their unrestricted free agents. Riley Nash is likely gone as a result of the productive season he had and the increased value he will command in the open market because of it. Backup goaltender Anton Khudobin and fourth-liner Tim Schaller are better bets to be back on more cost-effective deals.

Tommy Wingels, Nick Holden, and Brian Gionta, all late-season additions, will probably head elsewhere, too.

Rick Nash’s future is less clear.

The Bruins risked a sizeable bounty to land the veteran at the trade deadline when they sent Ryan Spooner, Matt Beleskey, a 2018 first-round draft pick, Ryan Lindgren, and a 2019 seventh-round pick to the Rangers. Had the Bruins made an extended run in the playoffs, the payoff required to acquire a rental piece such as Nash would have made more sense.

Instead, the Bruins got wiped out in the second round and Nash’s stint with the team feels more incomplete than anything else. He only played 11 games in the regular season after he was traded because of a concussion he sustained March 17. He missed almost a month and had to shake off that rust to return in time for the playoffs.

Now, the Bruins will have to decide if they want to move on or give Nash a shake at a full season to prove what he can bring to this team.

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Nash’s contract was worth $3.9 million this season, a price that is likely behind the 33-year-old winger. He’s three years removed from his 69-point season with the Rangers and it’s clear his best offensive days are behind him.

That said, there could be value in retaining Nash if he accepts an offer that's lighter on the budget, something he may be willing to do as he enters the final stage of his career. He said Wednesday that he enjoyed his time in Boston. His priority is to compete for a Stanley Cup and the Bruins certainly proved they are poised to make a run next season. They overachieved this season with an infusion of young talent, and because of that, they were largely disappointed in their early exit.

“It was disappointing having the concussion, having some effects during it and only playing a certain amount of games and then coming back for the playoffs,” Nash said. “But everything was positive. The organization was great. The guys were awesome. It’s a great chapter here and, hopefully, it continues.”

In 11 regular-season games with the Bruins, Nash had three goals and three assists. He brought value to the Bruins top power-play unit. Most importantly, rookie Jake DeBrusk seemed to thrive on David Krejci’s line once Nash arrived. Having two heavy wingers was the right mix for the speedy Krejci and they played well. According to naturalstattrick.com, their Corsi For Percentage as a trio was only below 50 percent twice in the nine games they played together, which meant most of the time they were outshooting their opponent.

It could help to have Nash around to help DeBrusk make that next step.

When the Bruins' offense disappeared in the second round, Nash was one of the few goal scorers outside the Bruins top line. Both of his goals in that series did come in the same game, but he continued to create some chances as the series went on and he proved a good defender.

He’s 6-foot-4 and has a long reach. There were two memorable plays against the Lightning when he used his stick to thwart a scoring chance.

Only five forwards had a Corsi For percentage higher than 50 in the playoffs. One was Nash. The other four were Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand, and Krejci. DeBrusk came in at an even 50.

The Bruins could very well end up moving on. Perhaps next season they roll out a first line of Marchand, Bergeron, and Anders Bjork — like they did in the early part of the season before Bjork was hurt —and paired Krejci and Pastrnak together with DeBrusk.

I’d imagine the Bruins are wary about breaking up their All-World line of Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak that dominated this season, but maybe they want to balance the offense throughout the lineup like they tried earlier. Maybe they don’t, and Bjork ends up on the second line with DeBrusk and Krejci.

Those are all possible options. Bjork or DeBrusk could struggle in the early stages of their young careers. It’s far too early to tell, but these are the factors the Bruins need to consider when evaluating Nash’s future with the Bruins and it’s worth taking a hard look.