NHL Trade Rumors: Why Rick Nash Should Go to Vancouver

It's no surprise that the biggest name being tossed around as the trade deadline approaches is Rick Nash. Multiple teams have been brought up in the conversation when debating where he should go, and I think when all the pieces of the puzzle are dissected, Vancouver is the best spot.

Pros for Vancouver:

I mean do I really need to explain myself? They would get Nash, one of the premier forwards that the NHL has to offer. It would also be interesting to see how high Nash's point total could get if he were to be surrounded by talent.

Can you imagine a power play that consisted of both Sedin's and Nash up front, and than Bieksa and Edler on the back end? Their options would be endless. They could even have Kesler up front and put Nash on the point with Bieksa. Basically, their special teams would be insanely talented.

And it's not like their 5-on-5 play would falter at all either. The thought of the Sedins playing on the same line with Rick Nash would terrify the rest of the league. It would also put Burrows down on the second line with Kesler, and give their second line some more offensive power, and with how well Hodgson is centering the third line, their depth up front would be powerful.

Cons for Vancouver

Two issues come to mind: having to win now, and how much they are willing to give up. In order for this trade to go through, Cory Schneider would have to be involved. Luongo is obviously the guy right now, but it's going to be difficult to give up a backup goaltender that is having as solid of a year as Schneider is.

He's 13-5-2 and actually has a better save percentage (.928) this season than Luongo. So he'd be a tough guy to let go because if something were to happen to Luongo, their shot at winning the cup is pretty much gone.  

The other issue is that they would have to win it all right now; there'd be no time to waste, because it's not going to be long before they can't handle Nash's contract. The situation is similar to when Marian Hossa went to the Penguins for half a season, only for them to lose in the finals to the Red Wings, and then Hossa signed with Detroit that offseason.

Also, it's not just Schneider who's going to go, how much young talent or how many draft picks would they be willing to give up to get Nash?

Pros for Columbus

If they can get Schneider, they would finally have a solid goaltender to build around. I know he is far from proving himself as a solid starter in the league, but he's definitely going to be notches above either Steve Mason or Curtis Sanford.

There isn't a trade in the world that Columbus could make that would turn them into a playoff-caliber team, but getting a goaltender would be a great start at making that transition.

If they can get a young goaltender of Schneider's caliber (remember, he's only 25), and sign him to a long-term contract, the Jackets would finally have someone that they could build a team around. I know they tried this with Steve Mason already, but sometimes you have to cut your losses and restart.

And if they can get some young talent or a few draft picks as well, it would only help the cause of rebuilding their franchise.

Cons for Columbus

You lose the face of your franchise, and marketing your team now becomes extremely difficult. From a business perspective it is hard to find a way to market your team to the city and draw in fans.

There is also the possibility of Cory Schneider being the next Steve Mason—so much promise, but never living up to the hype. Ever since he won the Calder trophy in 2009, Blue Jacket fans have expected him to grow into his own, and couldn't have imagined him being outplayed by Curtis Sanford three years later.

The biggest challenge with a Nash-less organization in Columbus would be finding a way to redefine their team, and not only find a way to win, but also get people to come watch them play.

The Big Picture

Nash has to go, he just does. And the biggest need for Columbus right now is goaltending, and Vancouver is really the only team that can give them a goalie who is capable of starting right now.

The hard part is finding the other ends of the deal because Columbus is going to need to require a fair amount of young talent for this trade to make sense.

This year they tried to make a move by bringing in Jeff Carter, and he hasn't even came close to panning out, so now it's back to the drawing board and time to rebuild once again. Nash's trade value is as high as it's ever been and now is the time to utilize that.

Prediction

Columbus receives: Cory Schneider, Dale Weise, 2012 first-round pick, 2013 first-round pick

Vancouver receives: Rick Nash