The Ottawa Senators wanted Rick Nash and they apparently got further along in the negotiating process than any other franchise. However, Nash doesn’t want to play for Ottawa, so Senators GM Bryan Murray has pulled himself out of the running.
Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson is having a hard enough time finding a team willing to meet his high demands for Nash. It doesn’t help that he has to negotiate with a hand tied behind his back because of Nash’s no-movement clause.
The good news for Howson is that things might get a little easier pretty soon. The Ottawa Sun is reporting that Nash might be willing to expand the list of teams he’d accept a trade to if he’s still a member of the Blue Jackets by mid-July.
It’s not clear if Nash will expand his list of preferred destinations to include the Ottawa Senators, but any additional flexibility on his part would increase the odds of him being dealt.
Of course, the big question is if Howson is willing to go into the 2012-13 campaign with Nash, even though he wants to be traded. Unless Howson is okay with Nash playing for them under those circumstances, he will probably have to lower his asking price at some point.