Okay, pretend you are [Columbus GM] Scott Howson. You make one move prior to the deadline. What's it going to be?
-- Aaron, Ohio
A legitimate center for
Rick Nash. As well as he's performed at times, Nash may be the player who offers less of his full potential than anyone in the league. That's not a knock on his effort (although it's been called into question in the past) as much as it is the team's inability to match him with a player who can optimize his considerable skills.
Most teams putting out the shingle prior to March 4 aren't exactly overstocked with that type of player, but there's one clear possibility. If Ottawa decides to break up the Big Three as part of its plan to move forward, the Jackets should set their sights on
Jason Spezza. For all the nitpicking he faces at home, he is a sublime passer and ideally suited to getting Nash over the hump.
Of course, if you want a young, talented, signed player like Spezza, you're not going to find him in the 50-percent-off bin. The Sens will want a significant piece for their rebuild, and their asking price likely would start with
Nikita Filatov and
Cody Goloubef and go from there. Considering how desperate the Jackets are to join the postseason party for the first time, though, it's a deal worth pursuing.
