Rick Nash Trade Rumors: Several Teams Reportedly Interested in Blue Jackets Star

A report from Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch says that several teams have real interest in Columbus Blue Jackets superstar Rick Nash with the 2012 NHL draft one week away:

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NHL sources have told The Dispatch that as many as seven teams have had “significant” trade conversations with Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson about Nash during the past 10 days and that a handful of other clubs—three or four, maybe more—have “kicked the tires” to see what a deal might cost them.

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Portzline named a few teams that have interest in Nash, including San Jose, Philadelphia, Toronto and Carolina.

If these are the teams that are interested, then the Blue Jackets will be able to have a nice bidding war for their superstar winger.

Carolina's interest in Nash is certainly intriguing. The Blue Jackets captain would be the perfect power forward for the Hurricanes' left wing position. However, would Nash want to play there right now since Carolina is still a few years away from being a legitimate Stanley Cup contender?

Nash would be exactly what San Jose needs. The Sharks need Nash's goal scoring and size on the wing, but if young star Logan Couture has to be part of the deal, then it's not a good move for San Jose.

The Flyers have been rumored to be in on Nash over the last week or so, but if I'm Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson, Sean Couturier has to be part of any deal.

When the Flyers traded Jeff Carter to the Blue Jackets last summer, one of the pieces going back to Philadelphia was the No. 8 pick in the 2011 NHL draft, which turned out to be Couturier. He is a spectacular young forward whose two-way game is fantastic. He shut down Pittsburgh Penguins star Evgeni Malkin in the first round of the playoffs.

You have to imagine that young forwards Jakub Voracek and James van Riemsdyk, as well as goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, would be part of a Flyers deal for Nash.

Nash isn't the No. 1 center that Toronto has to acquire for next year, but the Blue Jackets captain has the truculence that Leafs general manager Brian Burke wants from his team next season. Can the Leafs acquire Nash without giving up Phil Kessel? Probably not. Kessel is the most attractive piece that the Leafs can offer given his young age and proven scoring ability at the NHL level.

As always, the pressure of playing in Toronto is incredible, and I can't see Nash wanting to step into that fire.

Damien Cox of the Toronto Star shared the latest Nash/Leafs news on Friday:

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Lots of chatter, btw, Rick Nash no longer has the Leafs on his short list. Who knows what the big fella is thinking?

— Damien Cox (@DamoSpin) June 15, 2012"

Other teams that could use Nash's services are the New York Rangers, Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings. New York giving up Ryan McDonagh and Chris Kreider in a deal for Nash would be insane and incredibly stupid. Those are two franchise players just starting to develop into elite players.

The Bruins' roster doesn't need any drastic changes to get back to the Stanley Cup. If the Red Wings make a major move this summer, adding an elite defenseman, not a star forward like Nash, would probably be their plan of attack.

The Blue Jackets certainly have a lot of options to consider if there are this many teams with real interest in Nash. The pieces they get back in this deal will determine the future of the franchise for the next 10 years.

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