NHL Trade Rumors: Rick Nash's Possible Trade Locations

With the NHL trade deadline a week away, the rumor mill will surely heat up, and the speculation surrounding this year’s prize catch, Rick Nash, will surely intensify.

The 27-year-old forward for the Columbus Blue Jackets has been nothing but loyal to the fledgling club since they drafted him first overall in 2002. Since then he has posted numbers that are amongst the best in the league, scoring 20 or more goals in all but two of his NHL seasons. He also guided the franchise to their first playoff appearance in 2009.

However, the romantic notion of building a strong team around Columbus’ most loyal captain have faded over time.

As recently as last week, management had expressed desire to continue to hold on to Nash and try once again to surround him with quality players. But within a few days, rumors and speculation circulated that the front office decided that it was more beneficial for the future of the franchise to capitalize on his value rather than his skill.

Prospects and draft picks will be the asking price for Nash, as he is all but able to say exactly which team he wants to join due to a no-trade clause.

According to the Columbus Dispatch, his list includes the following teams: Boston, Los Angeles, the Rangers, San Jose, Toronto and Vancouver, with Philadelphia attempting to court him as well.

Here is a breakdown of how the trade will effect each team, the Blue Jackets and, of course, Nash himself.

Boston Bruins

Nash welcomes a move to Boston for all the rightly selfish reasons. The chance to implant himself immediately on a Stanley Cup contender in a city that gushes over the game is the dream of every player growing up.

The Bruins already have the talent to match with Nash and explore his true potential as a player. With some of the best centers in the game—guys like Tyler Seguin and Patrice Bergeron—Nash could finally get the service he needs and make the Bruins a threat through depth.

For the Blue Jackets, the return will probably be fruitful as the Bruins are loaded with young and already blossomed talent.

According Joe Haggerty of CSN New England, Columbus would be after Tuukka Rask, Dougie Hamilton and a top forward prospect like Ryan Spooner orJared Knight. They could also just ask for a straight swap for center David Krejci. All of which would go a long way in building for the future.

However, the trade makes a little less sense for the Bruins.

The salary cap hit Boston would have to take to acquire Nash will make it difficult to keep the core of the squad together, and, with a side that is already competing for their second straight Cup, it is a gamble that pays too little now while risking the future.

Beyond that, you risk upsetting the chemistry of the squad. Not only will players be leaving that could negatively affect the team, but Nash would become their highest-paid player right away.

It may sound petty, but this is the kind of thing that can make the established stars of the team like Zdeno Chara a bit jealous and throw them off their game.

Overall, I see Columbus and Nash both pushing for a move to Boston, but in the end it will only be speculation as the risks are just too great for a team that is already a major contender.

Los Angeles Kings

The Kings may seem like the one-off team on this list, but perhaps he is looking at a Gretzky style move to the land of movie stars.

In effect, the Kings are not an incredible team that is expected to make a deep playoff run. They currently sit on the periphery of the playoffs, bouncing between seventh and tenth place.

But perhaps this is what Nash likes about them. He could come in and be an instant success while still remaining the No. 1 guy like he was in Columbus. It would be like playing on a better Blue Jackets.

Then of course there is always the warm weather to enjoy. With a past decade spending the dead of winter in the Midwest, one could hardly blame him from wanting to see the sun once in a while.

For the Kings, the move makes all the sense in the world. The team has struggled in front of the net, having scored the fewest goals this season in the NHL (124)—not a single scorer has more than 17 goals. Nash, at a modest 19 by his standards, would be the leading goal scorer right away.

He could really provide that extra edge necessary to not only secure a playoff spot, but make them a force to reckon with moving forward.

According to Craig Custance of ESPN, the Kings are also have the right pieces to deal.

With the emergence of Jonathan Quick as their No. 1 netminder, their first-round pick in 2006 Jonathan Bernier has become a valuable trading chip.

The Blue Jackets could use a young, talented goalie in which to start building the future around. It is not secret that a good keeper makes all the difference in the NHL and is the fastest way to turn around a team.

Stopping the puck from going into the net will get you wins; wins will attract talent—and talent wins you championships.

Overall, I see this as a win-win for both clubs involved. The Kings get their scorer, and the Blue Jackets a goalie for the future. But whether Nash really prefers to make a move to a team that is not known for its hockey pedigree remains up for debate.

New York Rangers

The top team in the NHL is also considered the front-runner for Nash’s services.

It is hard to believe that a team that has been so incredibly dominant all season is actually in search of another top player, but Nash probably could not resist the temptation of playing at MSG.

However, the lure of the arena and playing on one of the game’s biggest stages does not outweigh his desire for silverware. The Rangers are the early favorites to come out of the Eastern conference, an attractive factor for Nash who understands his window is closing.

Playing alongside the likes of Ryan Fedotenko, Marion Gaborik and Ryan Callahan will put him in the company of players who can match his skill level—something Nash has never had in Columbus.

For the Rangers, it offers an intriguing proposition.

On the one hand, they have relied so heavily on Henrik Lundquivst and his career season that the offense is not quite on par with what they may want come playoff time. Every team will have good goaltending come the postseason and the x-factor will be who can break down the other goalie more.

Nash provides the key to possibly unlocking other strong defenses like Boston and New Jersey, who can match New York in defense in a seven-game series.

The Blue Jackets may not reap much from this move as most of the Rangers are on the slide towards the end of their careers. Draft picks would be the most likely deal, but the uncertainty in finding an all-star there is always worrisome.

On the other hand, similar to Boston, it is a cap risk that negates the future. The $7.8 million cap hit means you are locked up with Nash as your big money name until his contract expires in 2018. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it could become problematic for planning a long-term future.

Ultimately, the move makes sense only in a New York market, where the here and now is what the fans demand answered. But rationally, it seems to not truly favor any party down the road.

San Jose Sharks

This is another climate-based proposition, but also one that could be intriguing to the winger, who may just be the piece that puts the Sharks from run-of-the-mill pretender to true threat for a title.

The sharks are currently third in the West, thanks to being first in the Pacific division. Solid defensive play has been the key, but come playoffs they will need more of an offensive threat.

With Joe Thornton having yet another excellent season and fellow center Logan Couture having a break out year, Nash would find himself again surrounded by good company.

Furthermore he could find himself hailed as the man who brought the Stanley Cup to San Jose. No one expects them to win as they stand right now, but a move for Nash could make them contenders quickly, and ultimately Nash would be praised in a way he has never been.

The Blue Jackets in return would probably have an asking price too high for the Sharks. Couture would probably have to go as well as another prospect and draft picks according to SB nation.

For the Sharks themselves, it comes down to what they want to improve: now or the future.

Nash would bring immediate success and even potential Stanley Cup play, but at the same time would decimate any hopes they have of continuing this young roster into the future. It would basically mean they make a run over the next four or five years and then rebuild at the beginning of the next decade.

The Sharks would be the biggest loser from this move, but only if you want sustained success. If you want a trophy now, well, then this might be the most logical move for everyone.

Toronto Maple Leafs

This is simply Nash trying to play the protagonists in the hero-comes-home story. Nash is from a suburb of one of hockey’s biggest towns and would surely welcome a return to finish out his career where he learned the game.

For the Blue Jackets, the Leafs don’t offer any real assets of intrigue. Their top prospects are borderline good players at best and draft picks alone will not be enough to pry Nash away.

It also does not make much logical sense for them to go after Toronto’s top players as they are roughly the same age as Nash himself.

Perhaps they could possibly see picking up the likes of Joffrey Lupul or Mikhail Grabvoski as future bargaining chips, but that's unlikely.

It also doesn’t make such sense for Toronto. They are a periphery playoff team at best and not getting any younger. If they want to rebuild this once-proud franchise into a true contender again they need to mimic what the Blue Jackets are doing, not be on the end of their transactions.

A move like this truly benefits no one except for Nash’s romantic ideals of coming home. However, he may find a warm welcoming hard to come by if he guts the team’s future.

Toronto fans are much more concerned with the franchise as a whole than having another local boy playing in their colors.

Vancouver Canucks

A trade to Vancouver would not be exactly coming home, but a chance to play in one of the most hockey-nuts towns in the entire country and bring them their first ever Stanley Cup is hard to turn down.

Nash would join the best offense in the league and be surrounded by some of the best forwards in the game.  Imagine a first line with him on the right matched up with the Sedin twins across to the other side.  No defense would be able to match it.

The hero status he would enjoy in Toronto would be lavished on even greater—he first helped bring the gold medal to his country in 2010 and now he could bring a chance at Lord Stanley’s cup in the same town.

The Blue Jackets would not look so highly upon this move. There is really nothing in the way of young prospects to choose from, and the stars won’t be dealt as Vancouver is at an all-time best.

Backup keeper Cory Schneider is the only one rumored to be in an offer—plus some draft picks. However, I don’t see this being the best possible way for Columbus to start rebuilding.

The Canucks themselves, still reeling from last year’s Stanley Cup catastrophe, have approached this season with an all-or-nothing mentality. Though it seems illogical to take a $7.8 million cap hit to add 25 goals to your already league leading attack, don’t be surprised if they still pursue it.

Logic would tell you they work on their defense, which was what let them down in last year’s final and is still not as strong as it should be. But sometimes perception can be skewed, especially when a carrot like Nash is dangled in front of your face.

Nash to the Canucks really benefits no one but the rabid fans excited about a big name. In the end, I don’t think it will happen as, Vancouver just does not have the pieces Columbus would want.

Philadelphia Flyers

The Flyers were not on Nash’s reported list of teams he wished to go to, but they have come on the strongest in their pursuit of the winger.

Philadelphia must be sick of always playing second fiddle to the other colonial cities like Boston, New York and D.C. For years now, they have always been right with them, but have been unable to overcome their rivals.

This year has been especially painful as their 0-5 record against the Rangers and 0-2 against Boston has kept them always looking up in the standings.

You would not assume that they would want to add a big scorer like Nash, as they are second in the league in goals scored. But, in all likelihood, they are not going to solve their goalie issues by layoff time, and they may feel it's better to outscore a team than outlast one.

The Blue Jackets are on the offensive in this one, reportedly going after Sean Couturier, Brayden Schenn, James van Riemsdyk and goalie Sergei Bobrovsky.

This price may be too high for the Flyers, but it's a smart play by the Jackets to see how far they are willing to go. Let’s not forget, this is not a move requested by Nash, so it is up to the Flyers to persuade the Jackets to persuade Nash to move to Philadelphia.

I find this to be a desperate and irrational move by the Flyers. They are nothing more than a pretender to me this season and are compromising any hopes they have of building on their recent success by dealing away the future.

Where Do You Think Nash Will End Up?

The truth is that all of this still remains speculation. The Jackets have had years to try and deal Nash for a brighter future, so it's likely that they renege and hold him for another year.

But if he were to go, where do you think he would land? Will it be on one of the teams mentioned or some dark horse out of nowhere?

Your guess is as good as mine so make it known and let’s hear what you have to say.

Follow me on Twitter: @thecriterionman