Suddenly on Sunday afternoon, just a day before the 2012 NHL Trade Deadline, the Nashville Predators popped up as a potential trade destination for Columbus Blue Jackets captain Rick Nash. The Predators certainly are interested in the forward, but a deal doesn't make sense for a lot of reasons.
Rick Nash Trade Rumors: Nashville Predators Interested, But Does That Make Sense?
For starters, Nash holds a no-movement clause and has to approve any trade. He’s reportedly given Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson a list of teams to which he’d accept a trade, and there’s a strong possibility that Nashville is not on that list. Besides, if Howson were to send Nash to a team in the division, he’d have to face him head-to-head six times a season. That doesn’t seem like a smart move.
The Predators are adamant that they're on healthy financial footing and that they're willing to spend in order to win the Stanley Cup. By holding on to defensemen Ryan Suter and Shea Weber, and by acquiring Hal Gill and Andrei Kostistyn ahead of the deadline, the commitment to winning this season is tangible. But even for a team that spends to the salary cap, adding Nash's $7.8 million salary might not be a wise move.
That’s just another reason why a Nash trade to Nashville doesn’t make all that sense. (But on the flip side, think of the NASHville puns we’re missing out on. Shame.)
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