From the Rafters: Rick Nash Requests to be Traded in the Offseason

"I am all about being loyal and all, but my shelf life as an NHL player at my peak is about five to seven years tops...and if I am going to go out and bust my hump night after night for 'the man,' all I ask is that 'the man' put some talent around me so that I could have a remote chance in he** of winning.”

How many more years can pass you and me by before this kind of statement goes from merely a tongue in cheek sarcastic shot of mine directed squarely at a certain GM to a jaw dropping reality leaving a bunch of front office staff baffled at what they would call a move “out of nowhere”?

And frankly, who could blame him.

When I heard the first whispers about Brad Richards having whittled down his suitors to three (with Columbus still in the running), I began to develop cautious optimism. This was not the right move. The better move in this case was no move at all.

I was being duped into thinking that talk at this stage was a sign of good things to come. Richards was a name, Columbus was in the hunt...interesting.

Trade day was going to be memorable. Or so I thought. Eventually Dallas picked up the Island boy, but all was still good. The ball was rolling.

I started picturing Hossa on the right side, Nash on the left, and Vaclav Prospal up the middle. I could envision the highlight reels—two star wingers blasting and wristing home puck after puck. Just when you see them head off, the second line hops the boards. Zherdev, rocketing past his own shadow, leaving a vapour trail somewhere back in the neutral zone, flinging the puck across to Chimera for a backhand, the ever developing Brule draped around the goalie, jamming for a rebound.

Don’t stop there. A move on the backend like adding Campbell would be outstanding—they have cap room. And for a final touch, maybe shake a tree and add the goon Steve Downie who fell out of it to the lineup, for no other reason then because the fans deserve it after this long. Next thing you know you would have had a team worthy of the Cup semi-finals. But instead we get this...

"The Columbus Blue Jackets have acquired forward Nate DiCasmirro from the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for forward Steve Goertzen," Blue Jackets General Manager Scott Howson announced Feb. 28.

At the end of the day there are about 19 games left and I am apathetic. I can only wonder how the players feel. Do they care anymore? Hockey players may not be curing cancer or splitting atoms, but they certainly know that they just played the role of sellers, not buyers.

Soon I will have another summer ahead to evaluate whether my loyalty is in vain. Perhaps to humour me they will at least call up Nason and let him get his feet wet in goal. I’ll still be pulling for them, but John H. McConnell is soon going to be off my Christmas card list if he doesn’t start spending.