From the Sporting News:
It seems that the only way [Rick] Nash will stay in Columbus through the rest of a contract that runs through 2018 is if he exercises that no-trade clause. Multiple league sources have told Sporting News that even after trading Carter, the Blue Jackets still will look to deal Nash. The question is whether GM Scott Howson will attempt to trade his team’s captain before Monday’s deadline, or if he will wait until the summer.
One source said that a Nash trade “probably” would wait until summer, while another said that the timing was “no matter” for the “right deal.” That makes sense, given that with Nash willing to accept a move to a limited number of teams, it may not make a difference whether the Blue Jackets wait until summer or make a move now. In fact, a team chasing the Stanley Cup may be willing to pay more of a premium to get Nash for this year’s playoff run.
“Nash will go,” another source said. “I’m sure of it.”
When and if the Blue Jackets do trade Nash, they can expect a heftier return than they got for Carter, whose value was diminished not only by his poor performance in Columbus, but by the fact that he is signed through 2022 at an annual cap hit of $5.27 million. Nash is only six months older than Carter, so the difference between a contract that ends in 2018 and one that ends in 2022 is enormous.
The New York Daily News:
If Neil Smith were GM of the Rangers today — the way he was when the franchise won its last Stanley Cup in 1994 — he wouldn’t make a deadline mega-deal for a sta r such as Blue Jackets sniper Rick Nash. He also wouldn’t deal Nash away if he were in charge in Columbus.
“I wouldn’t trade for a huge player at this point when you’re sitting where the Rangers are,” Smith said Thursday on a phone call from South Carolina, where he is president and GM of the Rangers’ ECHL affiliate, the Greenville Road Warriors. “I wouldn’t trade Rick Nash if I was in Columbus. And the reason is, those (top-tier) guys, you only get a shot at those kind of guys once in a decade, if that.”
From The Globe and Mail:
There is little doubt winger Rick Nash and the Columbus Blue Jackets are headed for a divorce. But there is no shortage of NHL general managers who think it will be a protracted break up that won’t be final until this summer, instead of a quickie, Las Vegas-style split by Monday’s trade deadline…
In the words of one NHL GM who has an interest in Nash: “This is a summer deal.” The way this fellow sees it, the price is just too high for anyone to take the plunge right now and a Stanley Cup contender runs the risk of giving away too much to make landing Nash worthwhile…
Add it all up, says the GM who spoke on the condition of anonymity, and it’s a stiff price for someone he describes as a “complementary player” rather than a franchise player such as Joe Sakic or Steve Yzerman. Nash, 27, is an all-star scorer who has 279 goals in 652 NHL games since 2002, but he has only scored 40 or more goals in a season twice, most recently in 2008-09.
From Comcast Sports:
It’s believed that in order to land a player of Nash’ caliber, the Sharks would have to part ways with an established young player and a combination of draft picks and prospects.
Joe Pavelski’s name has surfaced, if only because he would be the next most logical choice after it was reported that Logan Couture is an untouchable asset.
The 27-year-old Pavelski, who is having a career year with 22 goals and 24 assists for 46 points, doesn’t seem phased.
“We’re a team that’s looking to add, more than anything,” Pavelski said. “That’s what we expect, and we believe in everyone in here. We’ve seen how everyone can get the job done throughout the season, and we just need everyone to step up their game and find that spot where they’re comfortable, and they’re contributing.”
