If the Rick
Nash dilemma wasn’t hard enough to solve already, a couple new variables entered
the equation at the 2012 NHL Entry Draft when Anaheim’s Bobby Ryan asked for a
trade and Philadelphia dealt James van Riemsdyk.
Ryan’s
request came as a shock to the Ducks and the rest of the league as the 25-year
old winger’s contract does not expire until 2014. His wish to be moved hinged
on a feeling of insecurity that he claims to had played with for the past year.
While
Anaheim was upset with the way Ryan publicly handled the situation, GM Bob
Murray is now in a position of power. The Ducks own a player with a similar
skill set to Nash though he is three years younger and the price to acquire him
is much lower.
According
to Ryan, moving to Philadelphia would be ideal, though Columbus GM Scott Howson
would probably prefer the forward stays in Anaheim. The Flyers, after all, were
top suitors for Nash before Ryan complicated matters.
Philadelphia
would probably favor a deal for Ryan rather than a deal for Nash considering
their difference in age and cost of acquisition. Ryan’s outward praise of the
Flyers adds to the attraction.
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| Bruce Bennett/Getty Images |
However, the
news from the Ducks’ organization is not the only setback the Blue Jackets have
endured. Columbus absorbed a blow when commissioner Gary Bettman announced that
Jordan Staal would join his brother Eric in Carolina. The trade essentially put
the Hurricanes out of the bidding for Nash. One day later, the Flyers sent van
Riemsdyk to the Maple Leafs for defenseman Luke Schenn in a move that showed Philadelphia
GM Ed Holmgren would no longer hold one of his main trade assets to barter with
Howson.
It appears
that Nash will be traded sometime after free agency opens on July 1. His most
viable destinations include New York and the Ottawa, however according to The Columbus Dispatch, the Senators did not
make the approved list of teams Nash submitted prior to the trade deadline.
Though Nash
approving a trade to Ottawa would contradict his agent’s comments that no team
would be added to the approved list, the 28-year old winger’s willingness to
end the grueling, drawn-out process may override his reluctance to play for the
Senators.
Trading Nash to
Ottawa could bring a slew of prospects and to the Blue Jackets’ organization.
Perhaps the most enticing part of negotiating with the Senators is the prospect
of acquiring forwards Mika Zibanejad and Nick Foligno who would fulfill
Howson’s wish bolster the team’s offensive production.
If Nash
denies a move to Ottawa or Columbus still wishes to deal with New York, Howson
may be in a better position now than he was in at the trade deadline. Because the Blue Jackets selected a top
defenseman in Murray, they may be more likely to back off their demands for one
of the Rangers’ blue liners. If this is the case then Howson could be more apt
to strike a deal.
The madness
will resume soon. For now, Howson sits with a fish on the line waiting for a
team to bite.
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