NHL Trade Rumors: Jeff Carter Is Smarter Option Than Rick Nash for Leafs

The Rick Nash sweepstakes is starting to get more crowded and, therefore, more expensive as the trade deadline approaches. That means that the Toronto Maple Leafs would be better off looking at teammate Jeff Carter, whose asking price should be a lot more reasonable.

Carter is struggling in his first season with the Blue Jackets, but that isn't a major surprise considering how poorly the entire team has played. Another change of scenery could be exactly what he needs to get his career back on track.

David Shoalts of the Globe and Mail reports yesterday's meeting between the front office brass of Toronto and Columbus could have been about Carter even though most assumed it was about Nash:

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The excitement was all about Blue Jackets winger Rick Nash, the top prize as the NHL trade deadline nears, but chances are Burke and Jackets GM Scott Howson spent just as much time talking about centre Jeff Carter. Burke’s chances of making a deal for Carter, a player he has coveted in the past, are far better than his chances of landing Nash.

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Carter had scored at least 60 points in three straight seasons, including an 84-point outburst during the 2008-09 season, but things just haven't clicked for him with the Blue Jackets.

The list of possible reasons for the disappointing season includes a foot injury and the pressure of living up to a monster contract, but in reality, it's probably a combination of many things. A lack of talent around him up front is certainly playing a role.

He's illustrated during his time with the Philadelphia Flyers how much talent he possesses. That type of ability doesn't disappear during one summer. Something just isn't working in Columbus, which is why a quick separation might be the best option for everyone involved.

That could benefit the Leafs, who could use some depth up the middle. They have tried a bunch of different line combinations, but the lack of a true No. 1 center is really holding them back from becoming an elite offensive team.

Even though Tim Connolly, Mikhail Grabovski and Tyler Bozak have all had their moments, they are all better off serving as a No. 2 or 3 center in the grand scheme of things.

If Carter could return to form in a Leafs uniform, that would take pressure off those three guys to play beyond their means. Toronto prides itself on a balanced approach up front, and Carter would deepen the lineup even more.

With both Carter and Nash on the block, it appears the Blue Jackets are leaning toward a complete rebuilding project. So they would likely be pleased to get Carter's more than $5 million cap hit off the books to start fresh.

For Toronto, that means the cost in terms of young players, prospects and picks should be far less than Nash, who is an established superstar with a sky-high price.

So, while the other teams are battling it out for Nash, Brian Burke should fly under the radar and snag Carter. It's a trade that won't get as much hype as a Nash deal, but the long-term dividends will be a lot better.