The Rick Nash Saga

The NHL trade deadline is only a few days away. It is one of my favorite days on the NHL calendar. It's usually day with a flurry of transactions as every NHL team wants to give their fanbase the impression they are doing something, short-term or long-term to improve their rosters.

Most trades at the deadline center around a team acquiring role players to provide depth for their roster or there is an impact player available who is set to become a free agent next season and his current team has very little hope of resigning him.

However this year there is one impact player available at the deadline who is in the prime of his career.

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Rick Nash.

Nash will turn 28 later this summer. Currently on the season he has 20 goals and 22 assists. He has reached the 30 goal mark in six of the eight seasons he has played in the NHL.

In my mind Nash is the best player in the NHL that nobody knows about. So why is a player of this caliber available at the deadline?

Because the Columbus Blue Jackets are a poorly run franchise.

Whether it's bad management, bad luck, or bad karma little has gone right for Columbus since joining the NHL in 2000. They went through the normal growing pains most expansion teams do before clinching their 1st playoff berth in 2009 where they were swept by Detroit.

Since then the Blue Jackets have finished last in the Central Division. That led to GM Scott Howson trading for forward Jeff Carter in the off season and signing defenseman James Wisniewski to an eight year contract.

With those two additions along with Nash at forward Columbus had visions of being a playoff contender this season. Instead they lost their first eight games of the season and have never recovered. That has led to Howson to make everyone and anyone on his roster available as we approach the deadline. This includes Rick Nash.

Since it was reported that Nash was on the trading block there has been endless speculation as to where he will end up. He has been linked to at least eight different NHL teams. When the deadline hits on Monday there is only one place where I think Nash will be playing hockey.

Columbus, Ohio.

So why do I think Nash will be a Blue Jacket still on Monday. Three reasons.

1. The Trade Market: 

Every NHL GM knows Nash is available for the right price. Every GM also knows that if Scott Howson is going to trade Nash he has to get a massive return on him.

Not every team is able to or willing to break up their core of players to add a forward who while he has been productive in his NHL career has yet to win a playoff game let alone a series.

Plus if you look at some of the teams that are linked to him, (San Jose, Vancouver, Boston, New York) Right now they are legit Stanley Cup contenders. I can't think they are anxious to break up the core of players on their roster especially with no guarantee that they are better with Nash on their team.

Plus Nash has a salary cap hit of 7.8 million for the next six years on his contract. That's a lot of money to commit to during the season. You are better off waiting until the summer where you have three months to acquire the player and organize the salaries on your roster as compared to the four day window right now before the trade deadline.

2. Jeff Carter 

Since the trade was announced the day before the NHL draft it has been clear that Jeff Carter did not want to be a Blue Jacket. Even though he hasn't openly complained about it he also hasn't embraced playing in Columbus.

When that is the case and you are dead last in the NHL there is no sense in keeping a player like him around.

Carter has 10 more years left on his contract but his salary cap hit is around 5.3 million per season. He also averages 28 goals a season. That's three less than what Nash averages.

A trade for Carter instead of Nash could be more beneficial for the team acquiring him. You would get similar production and it wouldn't cost you as many players or prospects as it does right now to get Nash.

3. The No Movement Clause: 

One thing to remember about all this is Nash has a no movement clause which means any deal that Howson agrees to means it has to have Nash's approval.

We have heard there is a list of teams he would approve a deal to but nobody is exactly sure what teams are on that list.

Plus it was just a couple years ago he signed an extension to stay in Columbus instead of becoming a free agent. While Howson may be exploring every avenue to improve the team I'm not convinced Nash wants to leave.

If Howson can get a decent return on Jeff Carter and Columbus can find a goaltender who can stop the puck then you have to ask yourself are they still a bad team or are they a team that could contend for a playoff spot? 

Editors Note: Columbus has traded Jeff Carter to Los Angeles for defenseman Jack Johnson and a 1st round pick.

Those three reasons are why I believe Nash will still be a Blue Jacket after Monday. If Nash stays he'll probably be in play once again before the NHL draft when more teams are able to make a pitch for him.

But the decision to leave Columbus is up to Rick Nash and Rick Nash alone.

As of right now I'm not convinced he's leaving.