Trading Rick Nash

Dan, the question then becomes… are the Blue Jackets looking to turn things around in 1-2 years or is this the rumored 4-5 year rebuild?

Nothing suggests that even if it’s a top 10 pick the Jackets will be able to do anything with it. Let’s face it, not a single pick has yet proven to be a home run. Even Nash, with as many goals as he can score, has only been able to lead this team to the playoffs once.

If it’s a 4-5 year rebuild, I can see the team stockpiling as many picks and prospects as they can in the next 2-3 years. If they’re looking for a slightly quicker turn-around, that’s how I see a deal with the Kings or Canucks making the most sense.

Hopefully Johansen will take the next step up as well. That is, as long as he gets some playing time here on out. We need to develop this kid right, not doing a great job over the last few weeks.

Yeah, but Taylor Hall didn’t instantly make Edmonton a great team. Counting on a #1 pick to replace a guy like Nash in terms of production is a bit short-sighted.

The way i see it, Edmonton decided on a 4-5 year rebould. Now, they have Eberle, Hall, RNH, and they need one more piece, a defensemen.
However, I could see us doing this in a matter of 1-2 years because we have the assets right now to pull that off. We are already looking at adding Yakupov for next year, so lets assume we trade both Nash and Carter. Out of Nash and Carter, I would expect to definately have a top young goalie, great young defensemen, a couple of young forwards along with draft picks for the future.
With this, will already be a deep young team. Obviously, there will be some more trades in there, but that should basically be the premise of what Howson should shoot for

Keep Zuccarello, we already have enough small forwards.

Imagine the day Carter and Richards were traded, and add even more to that.
It will be nuts. All the sudden trade deadline just got a whole lot more interesting in the NHL

they gotta be salvating over reuniting carter and richards. rick nash still wants to be here, carter dosnt

O man, plus minus. The dreaded stat. All credibility is lost when plus minus is used as the focal point of an argument.

I’m going to also jump on the +/- bandwagon. It’s a totally worthless stat for judging individual performance. And I’m also going to assume you’ve never watched any hockey because you seem to think Nash is a “slow, non backing checking winger.”

You’re aware this is Rick Nash we’re talking about, right?

Look, I would be a plus-player if I skated in front of Lundqvist.

There’s a reason Nash was lined up with Crosby and Iginla during the Olympics. He’s an elite talent. Under Hitchcock, he learned how to play defense.

He’s had a bad year. He is playing for the worst team in the league, after all. But if that’s all you reduce Nash to, you’re dead wrong.

I’m all for differing opinions around here, but leave the ignorance at the door.

Im not even a Nash fan and it makes my stomach turns with the thought of him being traded. Hard to imagine life without Rick Nash.

As somebody not originally from Ohio and somebody late to hockey, I found it hard to pick a team to follow. I got interested via college hockey and the obsession that my friends seemed to have with the trade deadline and NHL playoffs (or that’s what it seemed to boil down to at the time). So with Syracuse as the farm team and Grant Clitsome as the best d-man on Clarkson’s team, I figured I could give the Jackets a shot. But that’s not what got me to stay. It’s Rick Nash.

When Nash is having a good game, it’s unreal. He’s a dominating physical talent, so deceptively fast and with a deadly wrist shot. I mean, we all know that stuff, but it’s so satisfying. Just that one isolated player is enough to get somebody from Upstate NY to pay attention when they finally watch the Jackets. From a gut fan reaction, it’s so hard to think that a major part of the franchise could be gone.

I know people have asked the question “Can you imagine the Jackets without Nash?” It’s a silly one for this situation (something valuable will come back), but it’s a remarkable thought experiment. Can you envision the Jackets without Nash? Yes, there were a few years without him at the outset, but Nash has helped to define the very image of the Jackets. He’s easily the first guy that comes to mind when I think of the team, and I’m a fan of the team. Who replaces him as the image of the team? Who is the next captain?

The logical side of me understands that this will probably be a good move as long as the return is right. But the illogical fan side of me is disgusted. Rick Nash is just so awesome.

I mostly agree. I only slightly disagree about Carter… he could be a top 15-20 player in the league. The problem is he’s a product of his environment. He plays better when those around him play better. He’s not Jarome Iginla or even Nash that can make linemates better.

I always compared Rick Nash to Shane Doan. That dude has practically carried hockey in the desert by himself.

Me either. The you have a reporter…was it Portzline? I forget already, but I ran across the quote. Nash is asked if he would entertain waiving his NTC hypothetically, and the guy says, “I love Columbus. I love being here. I love being a Blue Jacket. The city of Columbus deserves a winner and deserves a good product on the ice. If it comes to that — like you said, all speculation — but if they don’t want me here, they want to move me? I’m not going to do something where it’s going to hurt the franchise just because I have that in my contract.” If there’s any doubt why Nash wears the Captains “C,” that should just about sum it up. He wants to be here. He wants to win HERE. From his quote, yeah, if I was Nash, and Howson asked to trade me…I would feel the same way. If you approach the guy, and want to trade him, why would he stay if the organization doesn’t want him here?

Personally, I feel like the team has tried to build a winner in the wrong way. They’ve built a team entirely around Nash. They can’t expect him to shoulder that load, to carry the team the whole way. It takes more than one superstar, and role players surrounding him, to win in the NHL. If you want to build a team that competes for the Cup, which is everyones end goal, then you have to build it with multiple star caliber guys carrying the load.

I don’t think this team will be able to ice a winner until Priest and Howson are gone, and scouting and development of prospects is drastically improved. It’s pretty disgusting when you look at a “fantasy Blue Jackets” comprised of some of the players we’ve passed up on in the draft….instead selecting Filatov, Brule, etc. etc.

There needs to be a veteran presence in the room for the young kids to learn from.The youngsters will pick up on things from Prospals work ethic, to his professionalism. He will be a great influence on these players.
See Ryan Smyth in Edmonton.