NHL Trade Deadline: Power Ranking the Contenders for Rick Nash

Could this be the most significant trade the NHL has seen since Joe Thornton left the Boston Bruins for the San Jose Sharks?

That remains to be seen but, undoubtedly, this is the most intriguing event that has happened regarding trades this year.

Truth be told, I can't think of a single GM who wouldn't want Rick Nash in their franchise, but few are willing to walk the walk when it comes to parting with assets and having the cap space to absorb his behemoth contract.

TSN insider Bob McKenzie isolated seven teams that might be the top dogs in the fight for Rick Nash.

These teams are the Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, San Jose Sharks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks and the Los Angeles Kings.

They would be acquiring, arguably, the best power forward in the NHL today, while it would be a major boost for Nash's career and image.

He's also the type of player a team could build around for the better part of the next decade—and maybe even help put them over the top for this season's Stanley Cup.

7: Toronto Maple Leafs

Brian Burke has been one of the most active and unorthodox General Managers the NHL has ever seen.

With a history of blockbusters in his pocket (see Sedin Twins, 1999), he is certainly willing to make a trade that goes down in the books.

As of today, the Maple Leafs are the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference, but by no means are they safe.

Directly behind them sit the Washington Capitals with a point less and a game in hand. 

In my opinion, Burke has positioned his team for success: The Eastern Conference is now a grind house and the Maple Leafs need size, skill and toughness. 

Nash has all of that and then some. He would be a huge bonus for Toronto in the east playoff picture but, as of today, the Leafs are worst team vying for this phenom.

6: Los Angeles Kings

The Los Angeles Kings are in seventh place in the Western Conference, with 65 points in 57 games.

They are relatively safer than the Maple Leafs in the playoff race, but they can't afford to take any risks.

This year, the Kings have been a sub-par hockey team.

Anze Kopitar isn't the scoring dynamo he use to be, and the team has been plagued with injuries over the past few seasons.

Dustin Penner's acquisition is an utter fail and Dean Lombardi was snubbed in the Ilya Kovalchuk sweepstakes. 

That doesn't bode well for a franchise that needs to have superstars and needs to win.

Lombardi, as per TSN's Darren Dreger, has been sending his scouts around trying to find a player that will put the Kings over the top and finally make them contenders—and not pretenders—in the tough Western Conference.

5: Philadelphia Flyers

Despite being fourth in the Eastern Conference, with 69 points in 56 games, this season has been far from a cake walk for the Flyers.

Having lost Chris Pronger and James Van Riemsdyk to concussions, seen free-agent gamble Jaromir Jagr suffer several injuries, and witnessed under-productive performances from star netminder Ilya Bryzgalov and superstar center Daniel Briere, the Flyers find themselves looking for the final piece in the puzzle.

A team that is already big and gritty, the Flyers would be an easy fit for Nash.

Depending on his performance on that market, Rick Nash could be elevated to NHL demi-god status along with the likes of Crosby, Ovechkin, Malkin, Lidstrom et al.

4: San Jose Sharks

The San Jose Sharks are currently in third place in the Western Conference with 68 points in 54 games, eight points adrift of second-place Vancouver Canucks. 

The face of the franchise is Joe Thornton—there is no doubt about it.

He, Marleau, Boyle and company have had a good run, reaching the Conference Finals last year.

The Sharks are perennial contenders, but year in and year out they never seem to reach the coveted Stanley Cup.

This team is battle-hardened and they're not getting any younger.

GM Doug Wilson knows that the window of opportunity is closing in on the Sharks and they might be in line for a drought once their core retires. 

Nash would be an excellent fit for this team: They're large and tough and go deep in the playoffs.

Maybe he is what the Sharks need to go over the top, but to acquire him they might have to part with a member of their excellent core.

The name that comes to me is Ryane Clowe, but we'll have to wait and see.

3: Vancouver Canucks

The Stanley Cup runner-up is a team that primes for skill.

In second place in the Western Conference with 76 points in 54 games, the Canucks don't seem like a team that needs a trade, but as GM Mike Gillis knows, the playoffs are a whole different subject.

As seen last year, the Canucks play tough, but unlike champions Boston Bruins, the toughness is not an intrinsic quality to this group.

The Canucks' bottom six fares among the best in the league and the Sedin twins are relentless in their point production.

They have a good pair of agitators in Alexandre Burrows and Maxime Lapierre, but despite the good play by Burrows to put them over the top in the west, they need the complete package to play with the twins.

If they acquire Nash, they turn into an almost unbeatable team.

However, unless Mike Gillis can come up with a lopsided trade where he makes a fool out of Scott Howson, I wonder what they'll have to give up. 

2: Boston Bruins

With the Bruins losing to the New York Rangers this evening, they sit second in the Western Conference, with 70 points in 54 games.

The Big Bad Bruins are poised for the repeat this year—and they seem well in place for it—but Nathan Horton is once again out with a concussion and the savvy GM Peter Chiarelli wants to add someone to plug that hole.

Nash would be a lot more than a stopgap: He could become their legitimate franchise player for the next decade.

I dare to say that with him, the Bruins could be well on their way not only to a repeat, but to building a dynasty.

My only question is with whom would they part with?

They have a massive prospect pool, but it's hard to fathom that Scott Howson would be happy with prospects only.

The Bruins' chemistry has been so good for the past two years that I'd be reluctant to mess around with it—but then again, I'm not the GM. 

1: New York Rangers

The Rangers' 3-0 victory over the Bruins tonight cements their position atop the Eastern Conference with 79 points in 55 games.

Imagine a dream line of Nash in the left wing, Brad Richards at center, and Marian Gaborik in the right wing. 

Exactly.

But as Nicholas Goss noted in his article, the Rangers would lose a vital part of their team in Brandon Dubinsky, not to mention a vital part of their future in Chris Kreider.

However, both teams seem to be eerily close to a trade.

The Rangers are the best team in the NHL and with Nash, they would almost be invincible.

Conclusion

The player in the picture above (Ilya Kovalchuk) was the last marquee free-agent to be traded mid-season.

Then he signed a 15 year, $100 million contract.

Does he play like a $100 million dollar player? No. 

With Nash, the whole rental issue doesn't apply: He has six more years at $7.8 million per year.

Is he worth the gamble? Yes.

Will he flop like Kovalchuk? It remains to be seen.

*All salary cap and contract mentions are found in capgeek.com