NHL Trades: Rick Nash Deserves Apology from Incompetent Blue Jackets

Rick Nash deserves an apology from Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson for his unprofessional comments on Monday's NHL trade deadline and for his incompetence throughout the entire process over the last few weeks.

Howson was unable to move Nash before the deadline, and then at the team's press conference, he threw his captain under the bus and said that it was Nash who in fact started this process by asking to be traded.

""With respect to Rick Nash. He approached us and asked us to consider trading him," Howson said. "We agreed to accomodate his request, as long as we could get a deal that would provide us with cornerstone pieces to help us compete with a Stanley Cup championship in the coming years.

"This is too important to our franchise and our fans to do a deal that is not in our best interest. We pursued a number of options, but none provided the value back that we could justify to trading a player of Rick's caliber."

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Revealing this trade request now and not when the process started makes Howson look awful and it reveals how unqualified he is to handle a situation of this importance. 

Nash confirmed to the Columbus Dispatch on Tuesday that he was willing to be part of the team's rebuild:

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I was informed by management that there was a rebuild, a reshape, of the team, and I personally felt I could be a huge part of that, toward bringing assets in. I think that was in my view that was the best thing for the team, the organization, and personally for my career.

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Even though Nash has admitted he's fine with being traded, Howson still didn't need to make him out to be public enemy No. 1 and look undeserving of the team captaincy.

Howson remained firm in demanding a high price for teams interested in acquiring Nash, but his demands were unreasonably too high.

According to the New York Post, it appears that Howson wanted just about every top young player in the New York Rangers organization for Nash. 

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There is a difference though between lusting and sinning, the latter the impulse Sather ultimately resisted by rejecting Howson’s laughable demand the package include Dubinsky—plus either Ryan McDonagh or Michael Del Zotto—plus either Derek Stepan or Carl Hagelin—plus 2009 first-rounder Chris Kreider, the Boston College winger who conceivably could join the Rangers when his college season ends—plus a 2012 first-round selection.

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Wow, that's some package. Why doesn't Howson ask for Henrik Lundqvist while he's at it? If this is the kind of return Howson wants for Nash, then the Blue Jackets captain isn't going anywhere soon. No general manager in his right mind would part with this many assets for Nash. Howson couldn't even get the Rangers, a franchise that loves big-name stars, to part with the young talent required to get Nash.

Howson's comments will make what was already going to be an uncomfortable last few months of the season into a period of unneeded distractions and angry feelings.

Nash has gone through multiple rebuilds in Columbus and hasn't complained despite the team having repeatedly failed to surround him with enough talent.

By throwing Nash under the bus and screwing up these last few weeks in regards to trading him, it's clear that Howson does not have the management skills required to lead the Blue Jackets back to respectability.

This is the same GM that traded Jeff Carter, a proven 30-goal scorer and offensive star, for Jack Johnson and a first-round pick. Howson blew that deal, and he's made a mess of the Nash situation too.

Not only do the Blue Jackets need to move Nash in order to rebuild, Howson needs a ticket out of town as well.

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