Nash could make sense if Alfredsson retires
Penny for your thoughts, Senators fans, on this Rick Nash thing.
Are you sending general manager Bryan Murray encouraging texts about his Nash flirtations, or is the message more along the lines of . . . For God’s sake, Bryan, no Nash – keep the cash. You will need it down the road.
Assistant GM Tim Murray, speaking on the Team 1200′s Healthy Scratches show on Monday said the club has merely inquired of the Columbus Blue Jacks what they would want in a deal for Nash. There have been reports out of Columbus that Ottawa is not on Nash’s list, but Murray said the Senators haven’t heard that from Nash.
“They haven’t told us if we’re close, or asked what we’re willing to part with as far as the parameters of the trade,” Murray said. “And we aren’t close to knowing if Rick Nash wants to come to Ottawa or not, he’s the property of Columbus. That’s all I know.”
Generally speaking, Murray said, the Senators would not try to “talk somebody into coming to Ottawa,” beyond the usual pitch of this being a competitive club, a good city, with a friendly travel schedule.
“If you have to beg, it’s probably the wrong player that you’re talking to,” Murray said.
They may come from rural Shawville, but there are no flies on the Murray boys. In addition to the fluid Nash situation and Tuesday’s development camp for prospects, Tim Murray disclosed that the club is pursuing defenceman Justin Schultz. Schultz, of course, refused to sign a contract with the Anaheim Ducks team that drafted him in 2008 and became a highly-sought free agent Monday evening.
Murray says the Senators feel they “have a shot” at landing Schultz, a B.C. native, after being told by his agents that the hunt is down to three to five teams. Ottawa believes it is in that mix.
Personally, I would worry about a player that makes a big deal out of trying to join an NHL team that employs some of his former Wisconsin pals (where are Dany Heatley and Brian Elliott when you really need them?). Good thing the Senators traded for Kyle Turris last season. Turris went to Wisconsin, but only for a year before Wayne Gretzky summoned him to Phoenix to play for the Coyotes.
But c’mon, joining ex-college pals is a priority? No wonder the Ducks are beyond miffed at this kid.
Which brings us to Nash, another player making his list and checking it twice.
The Senators interest in Nash is intriguing for a bunch of reasons. For one, expensive, long-term deals for veteran NHL stars were supposed to be as obsolete around here as the Alex Kovalev fan club.
The Senators were turning the page on that way of doing business. They were going to re-build from within, through the draft, with a few judicious trades (Turris for David Rundblad, for example) thrown in.
This new model of taking a hard, honest look at veteran contracts is what caused Bryan Murray to let Filip Kuba walk, despite the fact he had a rebound season as phenom Erik Karlsson’s sidekick on the blueline.
Nash, then, with six years remaining on a contract with a $7.8-million cap hit, would seem to run contrary to this blueprint – drafting the likes of Karlsson, Jared Cowen, Mika Zibanejad,
Jakob Silfverberg etc. and patiently building around them.
Except that, Murray never promised this was going to be a lengthy turnaround. Remember what he said after dealing off Mike Fisher, Chris Kelly and Kovalev – that the Senators could do a lot in one year. He was right, and now he has a surplus of prospects.
Murray, himself, would like to be here when the Senators threaten. He turns 70 in December, his contract expires in the spring of 2014 and he isn’t sure if he will work past that point.
How close are the Senators? It’s so hard to tell in this league, when a No. 8 seed wins the Stanley Cup and one year’s challengers might as easily fall back as step forward the next year.
The Senators were close to contention in Year One of the rebuild. Would the acquisition of Nash speed up the process or derail it?
It depends how much the Senators would have to give up for the 6-4, 220-pound winger. If it doesn’t take more than two young players off the current roster, Murray would likely do the deal. Beyond that, the price becomes too steep.
Nash, of course, hasn’t yet consented to having Ottawa on its list of teams he is willing to join, and until he does, Murray can capitulate to Columbus general manager Scott Howson until he is Blue (Jackets) in the face.
That, despite have a brilliant world championship tournament with the Senators Jason Spezza as his centre.
Is it a Canadian thing?
If he does change his mind and consents to an Ottawa move, what would it take to satisfy Howson, who turned down the entire New York Islanders buffet of draft picks for the Blue Jackets second pick?
This may turn out to be the best deal Murray doesn’t make.
But if Daniel Alfredsson were to retire, the need for Nash changes dramatically.
wscanlan@ottawacitizen.com twitter.com/ @HockeyScanner
i don’t see the Wisconsin connection as a big deal at all, especially when much ballyhoo is made of Swedish connections and friends when that is on the table.
One is great the other up for debate? Strange…
Anyway, I would rather Murray NOT tie himself up with Nash’s contract. Nash is a soulless point-sucking machine with no leadership and no ability to elevate his team to the next level. This is a team is eventually going to try advancing in the playoffs right? You’re not going to get that from Pretty Boy Nash, but he will get his points…like so many others on this team (Spezza and Karlsson come to mind).
We need less stat-obsessed players and more players that will just show up, put in their shifts, get whatever happens on the ice then go back to the bench, doing their jobs without fanfare and parade but doing it well enough to make the playoffs and grind out 2-3 rounds. All the star power in the world will never supplant work ethic, effort or the grit and determination that are truly necessary for sustained playoff success.
RECALLSENTRANT… Like seriously where are you basing this from? No leadership? Absolutely right not sure what Team Canada Brass were thinking making him an assistant captain, the Jackets had to be pathetic too for giving him the captaincy. What’s Nash suppose to do? The fact he was able to score 60 points and the best supporting cast he had was Prospal and Umberger and only Umberger scored 20 goals. This has been the caliber of talent Nash has been given since becoming a Blue Jacket 8 years ago. 8 years of losing and 8 years of absolutely no help.
Sorry but in the end a team littered with point producers will demolish a team of grinders come playoff time. It was Spezza, Heatley, and Alfy that carried us to the Finals. Wasn’t the like of Fisher, Kelly, McAmmond…. It was the big boys he took us there. It was when they got shut down that Ottawa fell…..why? because the guys you believe who win playoff series weren’t there to help. That’s the truth.
As for the Nash contract? Why are you all so worried? QWho in the hell is going to command these big dollars that Nash would tie up? We have no Karlsson-type prospects in the system, and that includes the likes of Zibanejad, Stone, and Silfverberg. In fact if you people can read between the lines the Sens will more than likely need Nash’s contract on the books just to reach the floor next season. Zibanejad, Stone, and Silfverberg don’t come close to equalling the cap space removed thanks to Alfy, Gonchar, and Neil. With the trend of UFA the crop is only to get worse and worse. So we should overspend on some cverage talent just so we don’t have any realy big contracts????? Smart thinking guys…..lets overspend on m,ultiple players so that when we do have prospects ready we can’t bring them up because not only will cap space be spent but roster spots will be eaten up to??? Smart thinking guys…..
The other issue with Alfy retiring do you really think Spezza is chomping at the bit to saddle up between the likes of Michalek (glorified 2nd liner) and Colin Greening and believing he’s in for a spectacular year? Truth is the Sens need to get him someone to play with or he’s going to leave to find someone to play with him. No one likes having a ton of big contracts but the Sens would have 3 (Spezza, Nash, Karlsson) Unlike teams like Pit, Philly, NYR, Bos….. if we want to compete we need the horses. We don’t have the horses and we won’t have them before the contract of Spezza is up. So start thinking and don’t get so hung up on the contract.
Nash playing along side Spezza and Michalek is definitely capable of scoring between 40-45 goals a season. Could likely hit 85-90 points as well, and gives the team it’s first power forward since losing Marian Hossa. He helps fill the building, persuades people to buy jerseys, and would make playing hockey enjoyable for both Nash and Spezza and that’s a bonus. Sure the price is high but EVERY SINGLE CUP WINNER made a massive trade like this at some point to win it all. Most the key pieces aren’t obtained in the year they win it, or at the deadline it’s often a season or two before. So Murray get on it and bring us a weopon virtually no other team has….a 6’4 225 pound force that can score 40-45 goals, and make magic on the ice.
Brian Murray will be opening another “can of worms” by taking on Rick Nash’s contract. Why hasn’t a sports journalist anywhere in North America shown the pros and cons of the long-term contracts with the stats to show how a player performs once given the financial security he’s looking for? Where’s the incentives when you’re gonna be paid $7.8 per season. How is that kind of money spent going to improve your team even in the short-term?
When do these fat-cat high-priced overrated me-first players ever work out to be a benefit to a team? Certainly that wouldn’t happen if the Senators ever managed to finagle a way to obtain Nash. In the process, they would have to gut the team of most of their young talent, so it would end up being Nash and Spezza and a bunch of pluggers. No thanks!
I see a lineup that looks something like this & I begin to salivate.
Nash – Spezza – Silvferberg
Michalek – Turris – Alfie
Stone – Regin – Greening
Condra – Smith – Neil
Karlsson – Cowen
Hjalmersson – Shultz
Phillips – Gonchar
Anderson/Lehner
Using a combination of the below (mostly) NHL talent to aquire the likes of Nash & Hjalmersson.
Bishop/Foligno/Noesen/Puempel/Zibanejad/DaCosta/O’brien/Konopka/Butler/Daugavins/Winchester/Carkner/Borowiecki/Wiercioch/Gryba
Also, If Ottawa were to aquire Rick Nash, I think Alfie would come back for another year.
If the Sens desperately want to spend a bunch of money on a player then throw a $35-40M 5-year deal at Parise. He’s already accomplished more than Nash and we could keep the players/prospect/picks.
I think you’re looking more at a 10 year $85 – $90 million deal for Parise than a 5 year $40 million.
Kevin – i dont think you were listening to Howson’s demands for Nash – no combination of players on your list would get him out of CBJ without throwing in a top 6 player in return. Howson is expecting someone like Michalek or Turris, plus another roster player ie a Konopka type, probably Bishop too and a prospect and/or draft pick.
Until CBJ and specifically Scott Howson lower their demands there will be no trade with anyone, and any trade he makes will have to be to the destination of Nash’s choice or at least on a very small list.
Never would i like Rick Nash here. Too much money, too much “me”
Alfie should make a decision before july 1st, to make it easier on Murray to decide who to bring in, cause if Alfie decides that he wants to retire late in the summer and then it cancelles on the potential of offering a contract to a good player, we might loose out. A decision now, would make sense for the team.