About a week ago, it was reported that the Columbus Blue Jackets wanted four big pieces for Rick Nash: two prospects, an impact player, and a first round draft pick. So it’s not surprising that Nash is still a member of the Blue Jackets as we approach the final day of the trade season. However, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger, the Blue Jackets actually increased their demands on Sunday, which is one of the reasons the New York Rangers pulled out of the sweepstakes.
The Blue Jackets’ latest move is bad news for the teams that might still be interested in him, like San Jose, Philadelphia, and Nashville. It sounds like Columbus is playing a high stakes game where they’re betting that a desperate team will ultimately give them what they want on Monday. We’ll find out soon enough if the Blue Jackets’ tactics work or if Nash will end up staying in Columbus despite his agent’s desires to the contrary.
