NHL Trade Rumors: Teams That Must Not Risk Their Futures for Rick Nash

Rick Nash is the biggest asset on the trade market for NHL teams. He is a 27-year-old star with a history of great performance and many years of dominance left in him. It is no surprise that teams would be willing to go all-out to bring him in, but there are some teams who should resist the temptation. 

Very seldom does someone like Nash become available, so when he does it is only natural to take advantage of it. The problem is not with him, rather what a franchise would have to give up to land him. He is not going to come cheap. 

Here are teams with links to Nash that should think twice before blowing the Columbus Blue Jackets out of the water with an offer. 

New York Rangers

The Rangers are expected to go hard after Nash, but there is no point in doing so. They are coasting at the top of the Eastern Conference right now. 

They have three more wins and nine more points than Boston. Team chemistry has been a driving force all season, and taking away the pieces from the puzzle will damage everything they have built. 

Nash would be a nice asset for the Rangers, but considering where they are and what they can do without him, they don't need to mortgage their bright future by dealing two or three young players to bring him to Madison Square Garden. 

Los Angeles Kings

On the other side of the coin, the Kings are scratching and clawing to get into the postseason. They are sitting in the seventh spot out west and can use some help. 

Pierre LeBrun of ESPN.com listed the Kings among the teams that he could see making a play for Nash. They need scoring help, so he does make sense. 

However, they would have to give up at least three young players—LeBrun lists Jonathan Bernier, Andrei Loktionov, Slava Voynov and Jack Johnson as trade chips—but they would not be upgrading their roster in a three-for-one deal. 

Patience is a virtue, and the Kings can't afford to make hasty decisions. 

San Jose Sharks

The Sharks actual interest in Nash is not yet known, but according to Kevin Kurz of Comcast Sportsnet Bay Area they may look to pursue him if the price is right. 

Kurz says that they would have to work the salary cap and decide if they want to give up the players and draft picks it will take to get the Blue Jackets to agree to a deal. 

The Sharks are set for the next three to five years with a deep roster and a good mix of young players. Honestly, they stand to gain nothing by trading for Nash at the current asking price. 

If they can catch the Blue Jackets in a desperate moment where the players and picks they would have to give up is drastically reduced, then they should go after him. 

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