Nashville Predators Trade Target: Rick Nash
by Dirk Hoag on Feb 14, 2012 3:44 PM EST
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To be honest, I didn't even plan on including Rick Nash in our series of Trade Target articles, but given the tidal wave of discussion taking over NHL circles today, in light of recent developments, he's worth talking about. As TSN's Bob McKenzie put it this morning:
Last week, in no uncertain terms, NHL teams were told Nash was not available and this week, he is. For the right team, anyway.
Less than two weeks to the NHL trade deadline, that is nothing less than a seismic shift.
That doesn't mean he'll necessarily be traded by the deadline but it does mean there has been a significant change in his status from last week to this week.
And while sources have confirmed to TSN what Lavoie and Portzline respectively reported in the last 12 hours, the real story is this:
None of this would or could be happening if Rick Nash didn't want it to happen.
So let's get down to business... should the Predators pursue what would be the biggest catch of the NHL trade market this winter?
What Rick Nash would bring to the Nashville Predators
The total package - speed, size, skill, competitiveness, work ethic... you simply can't find many faults with this guy outside of his address. He's topped the 30-goal mark six times in the last seven seasons, which includes 2005-6 when he only played 54 games. In the past he's shown a willingness to take on whatever role a coach gives him (including a fair amount of PK work under Ken Hitchcock), so ego doesn't seem to be a problem, either.
And he's 27. There's plenty of tread left on those tires.
Simply put, he would instantly be the best winger in franchise history.
And just think, what if they got Ville Leino from Buffalo, too? We could actually have a Nash-Ville combination...
Contract Situation
This is where things get dicey. Nash's cap hit is $7.8 million through the 2017-2018 season, and his annual salary is higher than that average during the final four years of the deal. That's a massive chunk of cash that would likely crowd out the oft-cited goal of keeping Pekka Rinne, Shea Weber & Ryan Suter all wearing Predators Gold.
What he might cost in trade
A king's ransom, you can be sure, and it wouldn't just be picks & prospects.
Young, proven NHL talent would be required going the other way. Think Colin Wilson, not Taylor Beck or Blake Geoffrion. Think Ryan Ellis or Roman Josi, not Jonathon Blum or Mattias Ekholm.
As @Cellblock303 noted on Twitter earlier, there's little to no chance anyway that Columbus would trade Nash within the division, and watch him come back into their building several times each season. Even when you consider the proposed realignment that the NHL nearly pushed through a few months ago, that would have made it even less likely, since teams will be even more likely to meet current divisional opponents at playoff time.
I see this conversation sparking up in the comments of several other articles here, however, so let's bring all that talk together in one place:
Can the Predators pursue a deal for Rick Nash, and how far should they go to achieve it?
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would be nice
But not at the expense of what we would give up right now. This does open the market though for other big name guys not officially on the market like zp and bobby ryan so the next week or so will be fun to watch.
The reason i say no is cause cbj hates us and we are probablly last on their trade to list. I also feel this team needs minor tweaks rsther then some big time name right now. A solid d guy and a guy with a nose for the back of the net with some experience but that wont cost an arm and a leg like these big guys will
by Shadow23 on Feb 14, 2012 4:00 PM EST via iPhone app reply actions
I think it would take...
Wilson + Ellis + Beck + Blum + at least a 2nd round pick. a.k.a. a king’s ransom
“As @Cellblock303 noted on Twitter earlier, there’s little to no chance anyway that Columbus would trade Nash within the division, and watch him come back into their building several times each season”
For the right price, there is always a chance. However, I don’t think Poile is willing to part with young players that look to be awesome in the coming seasons nor is he willing to fork out that much money. Looks like we’ll sit this one out.
"I am you, you are me, and we are all together" Beatles
No
I don’t think we need to make or try to make that big of s splash. A Ruutu, Whitney, BR, ZP or a Roy type would due just fine. I know there are others out there but I would take any of these or a combination of any of these players.
Ruutu is out 3 weeks
60% of the time it works every time
by Creeping Death on Feb 14, 2012 5:33 PM EST up reply actions
Columbus may be looking at some major rebuilding in order to get out of the basement of the standings in the future They bet the farm on Nash and now realize that one lone player is not going to do it. I dont know their cap situation but revealing themselves of Nash with any teams offer may be their best course of action. I assume that Nash has to agree and he probably want to go only to a team with realistic playoff chances.
Mortgage-the-farm trade of the year
IDC what Nash’s cap hit is, you trade anyone but Pekka, Shea, or Suter to get him. With those four guys to build around, anything is possible. bubye Wilson, Ellis, Blum, Lindy, 1st round picks, et al.
hockey connoisseur. t-shirt addict. not famous. nerd.
I dont think anyone available is really worth giving up Wilson for. He is 22 and looks to be getting better every season. But that is just me.
by Joel Ward is my Homeboy on Feb 14, 2012 4:55 PM EST reply actions
when you talk elite forwards in the NHL
you think of Crosby, Stamkos, Ovechkin, and yes… Nash. Every one of those players came into the league like gangbusters. Wilson isn’t going to reach those heights. He might reach 30 at some point, but he’s never going to score above that. Nash scored 40 in his 2nd NHL season and has been droppin 30s ever since… FOR THE BLUE JACKETS! The time to win is now. Besides, Wilson is an RFA and is probably due a raise in the 2.5-3m range. Take his new contract $$s and apply them to the Nash deal and you’ve basically picked up that pricey winger you were looking for all off-season.
hockey connoisseur. t-shirt addict. not famous. nerd.
I know having him in a deal for Nash is probably what it would take but I still don’t think getting rid of our top young offensive forward is worth it. I know he may not ever be the same caliber as Nash but he is still a good young player who we shouldn’t dump/give up on yet.
JMO
by Joel Ward is my Homeboy on Feb 14, 2012 5:33 PM EST up reply actions
trading Wilson for Nash
isn’t giving up on Wilson. I don’t think anyone would argue that Wilson isn’t a good young forward. What we’re talking about is, is it worth trading a good young forward for an elite all-time talent in his prime? And the answer is yes. You make that trade 100% of the time. Gretzky took LA to a cup, Messier won the Rangers one. Sid brought the Penguins back to relevance. Those kind of elite talents you go after no matter what. We could win a Cup with an elite forward like Nash. He’s in a category of his own. As much as I’d love to get Ryan out of Anaheim, Nash is the trump card to everything.
hockey connoisseur. t-shirt addict. not famous. nerd.
by Shawn Kehoe on Feb 14, 2012 11:55 PM EST up reply actions
I’ve seen enough of Wilson to know he will never be in Nash’s class. If it takes giving up Wilson to get a Rick Nash it would be insane not to do it.
The truth is neither libelous nor slanderous.
Reason and logic instead of hope and faith.
Pro athletes--it's not what they say, it's what they do.
General managers--it's not what they say, it's what they do.
by shoot the puck on Feb 15, 2012 10:26 AM EST up reply actions
Money
How do yall expect to pay the other 10 or so players on the teams?! just curious. No on Nash if it means giving up Wilson along with these crazy proposals that also include Blum or Ellis, Lindback, a 1st round pick and another pick. Thats just out of control. A top 6 forward is needed, yes, but not at the expense of blowing up our current team and also the future ones too.
by ajs3677 on Feb 14, 2012 5:29 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
last time I checked
we’re dead last in payroll. W/O having to give Wilson a 2.5-3m or more salary increase, only the extra 5m it would cost us to keep Nash, as well as signing everyone else we are still under the cap. We’d be passed the midpoint, but we’re still under the cap.
hockey connoisseur. t-shirt addict. not famous. nerd.
by Shawn Kehoe on Feb 14, 2012 11:58 PM EST up reply actions
for what we would have to give up
To get 1 (one, uno, un) player on a team this year that has been very good and seems to click well. Its NOT worth it. The price for is would be even higher because we constantly beat them in the division. We will have better luck draggin a potato through south boston, thanks for comin out.
Why sell the farm for one animal when the farm is doing great?
by Shadow23 on Feb 14, 2012 6:04 PM EST via iPhone app reply actions
because as you saw last year
we don’t have the horses in the barn to run with the herd. Vancouver whipped us because their defense and goaltending was equal to ours, but they had better scoring.
hockey connoisseur. t-shirt addict. not famous. nerd.
by Shawn Kehoe on Feb 15, 2012 12:00 AM EST up reply actions
Cant wait to see some of the offers for him though and laugh (heres hoping he goes east)
by Shadow23 on Feb 14, 2012 6:05 PM EST via iPhone app reply actions
Don't need it... Don't want it.
Nash is too expensive to get and too expensive to keep! Parise or Carter are much better options. Parise, in-particular (or Perry or Ryan). Keep the Nash out of NashVegas! (nothing personal, of course).
by GodBlessLordStanley on Feb 14, 2012 6:08 PM EST reply actions
He would fit great here. But not at that cost or what we would have to give up
by Shadow23 on Feb 14, 2012 6:11 PM EST via iPhone app up reply actions
NOT CARTER
hes a head case and his contract is moronic while nash is only expensive. doesnt matter cause c-bus aint sending either to nashville
by predswilrule on Feb 14, 2012 10:53 PM EST up reply actions
GodBless, please explain to me how Parise and Carter are much better options than Nash.
The truth is neither libelous nor slanderous.
Reason and logic instead of hope and faith.
Pro athletes--it's not what they say, it's what they do.
General managers--it's not what they say, it's what they do.
by shoot the puck on Feb 15, 2012 11:00 AM EST up reply actions
OK...
1)Parise is a UFA at the end of this season so the cost of talent in trade will be lower.
2)NJ is not in our division so the cost of talent in trade will be lower :-P
3)Nash’s contract is already written and there’s no changing it. Maybe we end up paying Parise the same $$ if we can sign him, but at least we control that (he’d still make a great rental player).
4)Carter is a proven 30+goal scorer and is MUCH more affordable at $5.3M/yr.
5)Carter’s name is not “Rick Nash” so the cost of talent in trade will be lower.
I understand that Carter might be somewhat of a head-case, but it seems like I heard the same thing about SK74, so I’m betting on Trotzy in that match-up.
by GodBlessLordStanley on Feb 15, 2012 4:51 PM EST up reply actions
Oh... and I forgot...
New Jersey is BROKE!
by GodBlessLordStanley on Feb 15, 2012 4:53 PM EST up reply actions
Parise isn’t getting traded and we need a player NOW.
Nash is also a proven 30 goal scorer, but for a longer period of time.
Nash isn’t a head case, party monster with a 10 year contract.
Rick Nash > Jeff Carter
Jeff Carter Stats
Rick Nash Stats
hockey connoisseur. t-shirt addict. not famous. nerd.
With all due respect...
…if the Preds were broke and couldn’t afford to sign one of our A-list UFA’s, what would we do? We’d trade him for what we could get. This is exactly the position NJ is in. Parise will be traded to somewhere; might as well be here.
by GodBlessLordStanley on Feb 15, 2012 5:42 PM EST up reply actions
I think the Devils being 6th in the East right now means Parise won’t be on the move. The Devils can make more money off 2 guaranteed home games, rather than stocking the cupboard with prospects and picks. And although it doesn’t appear Poile will resign Suter before he goes to free agency, it doesn’t mean he’s going to get traded before the deadline either. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to have Zach here… I just find that scenario highly unlikely. More unlikely than us trading for Nash or Ryan.
Of Nash, Parise, Ryan, and Carter, Carter is far and away the least expensive to trade for. I don’t believe he’s worth the hastle, but if (and only if) noone else is available by the 27th you make Carter your last ditch effort and see if you can get him on the cheap. If not, you stand pat.
hockey connoisseur. t-shirt addict. not famous. nerd.
Nash
Looks like Nash might be headed to LA. Jonathan Bernier, Dustin Penner, Trent Hunter and a pick! If this happens and that’s all Columbus can get than I would say the Preds really dropped the ball here!
No Way No Day
He either goes to the Kings or Rangers. No way he comes to Nashville. Keep looking. I’ll bet in the next week, trades will start exploding all over the place. Semin might be able to be had for cheaper than usual. Might be a nice stop-gap.
Semin?
Why give up anything for a rental? Besides, he’s an underperforming head case.
The truth is neither libelous nor slanderous.
Reason and logic instead of hope and faith.
Pro athletes--it's not what they say, it's what they do.
General managers--it's not what they say, it's what they do.
by shoot the puck on Feb 15, 2012 10:49 AM EST up reply actions
hate him, hate him, hate him
but… yeah. he’d be fun to watch in Predators Gold. As was said before though, CBJ WILL NOT trade him to US! We wont/can’t give them enough players to make it worth THEIR while.
by Whamba on Feb 14, 2012 7:09 PM EST via Android app reply actions
I talked with Willie [Daunic] at the game. He seemed to feel after talking with Scott Burnside, the price for Nash may not be as high as everyone here is anticipating. Probably an existing player, a top prospect, and a pick. I’d say a Wilson, Ellis, and 1st was what he was hinting toward. Unfortunately he didn’t think Poile would pull the trigger because he’s in love with our young prospects too much. IMHO, if Poile is unwilling to make that kind of a move, we better get to puckering b/c we can kiss Suter and Weber goodbye. I’m sure Poile won’t be far behind them if that happens. I know I’d fire him if I were an owner and both those guys leave.
hockey connoisseur. t-shirt addict. not famous. nerd.
Wouldn't it take one of Weber or Suter to make this deal happen?
I think that’s where discussions between the Preds and Jackets would have to start, and I think Columbus would likely ask for more.
This would be a huge move, but it would be ridiculously expensive.
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by Peter Raaymakers on Feb 15, 2012 9:48 AM EST reply actions
As for Rick Nash,
I have been a fan of his game for some time now. I would love to see him in a Predators sweater. But for the length and large amount of money that he will be owed – it just gives me pause. That said, I’d rather have him at this point in the contract instead of the back end when he’s older.
Not the best, but it kind of sums up how I feel about the contract side of things. It’s over there in my movie posters fan post as well.
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