NHL Rumors: Senators Perfectly Suited to Land Rick Nash

The Columbus Blue Jackets knew if they waited for the offseason, the amount of teams looking to trade for Rick Nash would be through the roof.

They were right.

They are fielding offers from all over the NHL, and now a perfect match has emerged in the Ottawa Senators.

According to Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun, multiple sources can confirm that Ottawa is interested in the 28-year-old scoring machine.

Nash has registered at least 40 goals in two seasons and is coming off a 2011-12 season where he scored 30 goals and 29 assists for a Blue Jackets team that was by far the worst in the league.

The price tag is going to be high, but that’s why Ottawa is the perfect fit.

The report states the Senators are prepared to offer their 2011 first-round pick Mika Zibanejad, winger Nick Foligno and goalie Ben Bishop. A steep price tag, surely, but it’s the going rate for an experienced scorer still currently in his prime.

The Columbus Dispatch has reported that 11 teams have inquired about Nash’s services in the last month, and a trade around the NHL draft later this month seems likely.

Ottawa surely will be giving up a lot for Nash’s services, but this team is on the cusp of making a serious run in a rather wide-open Eastern Conference. The difference between the Senators and the New Jersey Devils is certainly rather slim, and adding another weapon to an already potent offense will make Ottawa one of the top three teams in the conference.

With plenty of other teams with valuable assets like the New York Rangers making a run at Nash as well, there is plenty of competition. But this deal is certainly strong, and it is one of the more realistic options on the table for the Blue Jackets.

The next few days could really put a drastically different spin on the outlook of the 2012-13 season for the Ottawa Senators. 

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