NHL Trade Rumors: Toronto Maple Leafs Must Make Strong Push for Rick Nash

Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke must do everything in his power to acquire Rick Nash from the Columbus Blue Jackets. The sniper would thrive in Toronto and would immediately make the Leafs one of the Eastern Conference's most dangerous sleeper teams.

Bob Mitchell of the Toronto Star provides the details on a potential swap:

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In the rumoured deal, forwards Mikhail Grabovski and Nazem Kadri, along with defencemen Luke Schenn and Mike Komisarek would be heading to the Blue Jackets. Also coming to Toronto with Nash, 27, would be forward Kristian Huselius, 33.

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Nash is one of the league's most talented goal scorers. He has two seasons with at least 40 goals under his belt and four more years with at least 30. That would be an impressive résumé for a retiring player, but Nash is only 27 and should be enjoying his best hockey in the coming years.

One thing that's always overlooked when talking about Nash is Columbus' playing style. The Blue Jackets employ a defensive approach, which limits the amount of time he gets to spend on the attack. Yet he's still nearly a point-per-game player.

If given an opportunity to play in a more open system like Toronto's, Nash would become an unstoppable force. It would also help that the Maple Leafs are fighting for a playoff spot, making the intensity level exponentially higher than in Columbus, where they are dead last.

While the rumored asking price is high, Nash is worth it. None of the players the Maple Leafs have to give up have the potential to make the same impact he could. He isn't just a good player, he's a superstar that could single-handedly win games for Toronto. None of the other players in the deal fit that mold.

The Leafs haven't made the playoffs in six years, coinciding with the lockout's end. One thing they've sorely lacked over that period is star power. Depth hasn't been an issue, but somebody who can carry the team on his back for weeks at a time was needed to survive lulls.

Nash would fill that role perfectly. His arrival would provide enough of a boost both physically and mentally to push the Leafs back into the playoffs.

Burke has done a terrific job of building a playoff contender, but he needs one marquee move to push the team over the top. It would cement his legacy as an elite general manager and also bring postseason hockey back to Toronto.

That's why he needs to keep working the phones to get a deal done before the trade deadline.