NHL Trade Rumors: New York Rangers and Teams Most Likely to Nab Rick Nash

With each dismal defeat, each punchless performance, the Columbus Blue Jackets draw closer and closer to one ineffable conclusion:

The time to rebuild is now, and the player most likely to be offered as "sacrifice" to the hockey gods is Rick Nash. The five-time NHL All-Star's talents remain wasted on a team that has the basement in the Western Conference all to itself—by a full nine points.

That's not to say that Nash is necessarily destined to change shirts before the February 27th trade deadline, seeing as how the Jackets could probably get the most bang for their buck if they wait until the summer to trade him.

But, if Jackets GM Scott Howson does decide to deal his franchise star before the end of the month, chances are, Nash will end up with one of these three teams.

New York Rangers

The Blueshirts currently enjoy a nine-point cushion atop the Eastern Conference standings, with Tuesday's trouncing of the Boston Bruins providing yet another boost to their big advantage.

This, despite the fact that New York is barely in the top 10 in the league in goals per game scored. The Rangers have benefited tremendously from the Vezina-worthy efforts of Henrik Lundqvist in net, though it's clear they could still use another forward to improve their production on the other end.

New York has some solid pieces to offer in return for a star like Nash, including 20-year-old center Chris Kreider.

The bigger question for the Rangers remains their financial flexibility. They already have a heap of cash invested in Marian Gaborik, Brad Richards and Lundqvist, and, in Nash, would be taking on a player who comes with a cap hit of $7.8 million per year through the 2017-18 season.

Still, it's not every year that the Blueshirts are in position to hoist the Stanley Cup. With a little bit of financial trickeration, GM Glen Sather could certainly find room for a star of Nash's caliber and put his squad squarely on the path to a deep postseason run. 

Philadelphia Flyers

The Flyers sit 10 points behind the Rangers in the Atlantic Division, though they may be in even better position than the Blueshirts to make a run at Rick. Philly's organization is loaded with young talent, including James Van Riemsdyk, Brayden Schenn and Sean Couturier (among others).

The problem? The Flyers don't particularly need help putting the puck in the net—they rank second in the NHL in goals per game behind only the once-mighty Bruins. If anything, GM Paul Holmgren would be better served pursuing a fresh body for Philly's blue line or a goalie who can actually stop the puck from time to time.

That being said, would anybody really say "no" to the possibility of pairing Nash with Claude Giroux?

Yeah, I thought not.

Los Angeles Kings

If any playoff team in the NHL today could use a player of Rick Nash's particular (and plentiful) talents, it's the LA Kings. Much of the tremendous netminding by Jonathan Quick and Jonathan Bernier has gone by the wayside, thanks in large part to an offense that's posted the fewest goals of any in the league.

With that degree of puck-shooting impotence, it's a wonder the Kings are in the Western Conference playoff picture at all.

Throw a winger like Nash into the mix, and the Kings might finally have themselves the Cup-contending team they thought they had coming into the season. Kings GM Dean Lombardi has some excellent pieces to offer the Jackets in return, as well, including Bernier, forward Andrei Loktionov and defencemen Jack Johnson and Slava Voynov.

Taking on Nash's salary would make it more difficult for the Kings to offer Quick a lucrative extension beyond the 2012-13 season, though with Nash providing some offensive support in front of him, Quick might not so much mind staying in LA for a smidgen less.

Follow @J0shMart1n