Boston Bruins Trade Rumors: Does Nathan Horton Injury Create Need for Rick Nash?

After an incredibly slow few weeks on the NHL trade rumors front, hockey fans were treated on Valentine's Day with the news that Columbus Blue Jackets superstar winger Rick Nash is available for trade.

Nash, who has scored at least 30 goals in six of his eight NHL seasons with some subpar talent in Columbus, is an elite power forward who has the potential to dominate with a playmaking center.

The Boston Bruins have a need on the wing with Nathan Horton still recovering from a concussion, and he did not accompany the team on their current six-game road trip. Horton also suffered a concussion during the Stanley Cup Final in June, so there is some uncertainty as to whether he'll return or not this season.

Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli needs to add a forward before the February 27 deadline, and with Nash available, should Boston give up top players, prospects, draft picks or a combination of all three for the Blue Jackets star?

Let's break down the pros and cons of the Bruins trading for Nash.

Pro: Nash's Toughness Would Fit in Well with the Bruins

Rick Nash fits the mold of the typical power forward, and his size and strength would fit nicely in the Bruins offense. Nash is like Milan Lucic only he's better offensively and won't fight as often as the Bruins forward.

Nash is 6'4" and 214 pounds, and is someone who would likely have little trouble adapting to the physical style of play the Bruins excel at.

Con: Nash Has Never Played in a Huge Market

Playing in an Original Six market like Boston is really tough because the expectations are always high, and you can go from being cheered one night to booed the next.

Nash has played in Columbus his entire career, where he has been the guy with yearly expectations low, and where a playoff berth is a tremendous season.

I don't think Nash would have a problem handling the pressure of playing in a major hockey market on a Stanley Cup contender, but it certainly would be an adjustment for him.

Pro: Nash is a Young Player Who's an Established Star

By acquiring Nash you are not getting an unproven youngster, you are acquiring a 27-year-old superstar who's a proven 30-plus goal scorer.

Nash has scored 30 or more goals six times, 40 or more twice, all while playing with very little talent around him.

With playmaking forwards like Patrice Bergeron, Tyler Seguin and David Krejci, Nash could score 40 goals per season for many more years.

Con: Nash Has a Huge Salary Cap Hit

The biggest risk in acquiring Nash is the massive, potentially salary-cap-burdening contract he has. His current deal runs for six more seasons with a cap hit of $7.8 million. That's one of the largest salaries in the league, and he would be the highest paid player on the Bruins (Zdeno Chara is highest with about $6.9 million cap hit).

Chiarelli has worked hard to give the Bruins the cap flexibility they enjoy right now, and acquiring Nash would tear that flexibility down.

However, young players such as Tyler Seguin, Brad Marchand and Milan Lucic all having contracts expiring over the next two seasons, so the Bruins are going to have to spend some serious money to keep their young core intact for the long-term.

The Bruins have the cap space to take on Nash's giant deal, but is it worth acquiring him when the result is that you won't be able to sign some younger guys and/or the entire fourth line, who are all unrestricted free agents this summer?

Con: Bruins Would Have to Give Up a Ton to Acquire Nash

The price to acquire Nash will be immensely high, because in trading the face of your franchise, especially when he's locked up for six more years, the Blue Jackets cannot afford to screw this one up. Failing to acquire top talent for Nash could set Columbus back as much as a decade.

Here are some possible trade proposals I have come up with that the Blue Jackets may consider for Nash:

Dougie Hamilton, Tyler Seguin, first-round pick

Dougie Hamilton, Tuukka Rask, first-round pick

David Krejci, Tuukka Rask, Tyler Seguin

Milan Lucic, Tuukka Rask, first-round pick

Dougie Hamilton, Tuukka Rask, David Krejci

As you can see, the asking price could be enormously high. The Blue Jackets' biggest need is a franchise goaltender, which is why I think any trade talks with the Bruins would have to begin with Rask. 

He's ready to be a No. 1 goalie in the NHL. Boston has shown no interest in trading Rask thus far, and with a 37-year-old starter between the pipes in Tim Thomas, Rask is the future of the team in goal.

Conclusion: Three cons, Two pros

While acquiring Nash would be a major move for the Bruins, it doesn't makes sense on some important levels. Trading for Nash would ruin the Bruins' cap flexibility, and it would prevent them from signing marquee free agents and re-signing important young players for years to come.

While Nash would really help Boston play better offensively, the price to acquire him is too high for Chiarelli to make the deal happen.

The Boston Bruins should not trade for Rick Nash.

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Nicholas Goss is a Boston Bruins Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and was the organization's on-site reporter for the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals in Boston.