NHL Trade Rumors: New York Rangers Shouldn't Sacrifice Blueliners for Rick Nash

The New York Rangers remain among the most likely NHL contenders to pry Rick Nash from the Columbus Blue Jackets, though doing so may come at too high a cost to the Blueshirts' Stanley Cup hopes.

According to the Columbus Dispatch, Jackets GM Scott Howson has been busy meeting with representatives from clubs seeking Nash's considerable services, though he's yet to meet anyone acting on behalf of the Rangers.

That figures to change, assuming Rangers GM Glen Sather ramps up his pursuit of Nash, or even misfit winger Jeff Carter, as the February 27th deadline approaches. The Blueshirts could certainly use some dynamism on the attack—they currently rank 12th in hockey in goals scored.

But the question remains, at what cost? Despite a middle-of-the-road offense, New York still owns a nine-point cushion atop the Eastern Conference standings, thanks in large part to tremendous play by Henrik Lundqvist and the Rangers' blue line, all of which adds up to the second-fewest goals allowed and the best save percentage in the NHL.

Sather could attempt to bring back Nash without seriously hamstringing his team's defense—perhaps with a package including Brandon Dubinksy and some top-notch prospects and draft picks—though, chances are, he'd need to part with either Ryan McDongah or Michael Del Zotto to get a deal done.

As great a player as Nash is, that price may be too high in the Rangers' minds. Again, their offense isn't particularly strong, but it's not as though the Blueshirts are exactly scraping the bottom of the barrel for goals.

More importantly, their success this season has been so strongly predicated on their superb ability to stop the puck, and will likely remain that way in the postseason, deal or no deal. To mess with that advantage now would be to curb the Rangers' chances of hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup come spring.

Surely, Sather won't put John Tortorella's team in that sort of bind, even for a superstar like Nash.

Nor should he, unless he'd rather not bring joy to the long-suffering fans at MSG this season.

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