The good news for the San Jose Sharks is that they're one of the six teams on Rick Nash's approved destinations list, and the Columbus Blue Jackets winger would waive his no-trade clause to go to San Jose if Columbus general manager Scott Howson can get the kind of deal he wants from the Sharks.
The bad news is that the kind of deal Howson wants apparently involves Logan Couture, which isn't going to fly with Sharks general manager Doug Wilson.
There's a good reason for that, of course: the 23-year-old Couture put up 65 points last season (31 goals, 34 assists) compared to 30 goals and 29 assists for the 28-year-old Nash. Still, though, if there's a reasonable way for the Sharks to get Nash, it may behoove Wilson to explore all his opportunities.
It bears mentioning of course, that part of the reason Nash has San Jose on his list of acceptable destinations is the opportunity to play alongside Sharks center Joe Thornton, who's the kind of center that Nash has never had in his Columbus tenure. The other teams on Nash's list - the Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, etc. - are similarly stocked with prime time pivots. It's reasonable to assume that wherever he goes (if he does, in fact, go), Nash will be much more productive than he's been in Columbus, where he's still one of just five NHLers with 30 or more goals in the last five seasons. While that still may not be enough to justify giving up Couture, it's worth taking into account.
Meanwhile, San Jose is at a pivotal point in the franchise's history. The Sharks have finished first or second in the Pacific Division in each of the last eight seasons, but have gained a reputation for underachieving in the playoffs. This season, they underachieved all the way through, barely scraping into the playoffs and bowing out in five games to the St. Louis Blues. Given San Jose's contract situation, time may be running out for the Sharks to break through.
Four key members of the Sharks will be unrestricted free agents in the summer of 2014: Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Joe Pavelski and bruising defenseman Douglas Murray. While there's no guarantee that the Sharks would lose any or all of them to free agency, there should be (and likely is) a sense of urgency about making something happen in the next two years. Nash could certainly be a part of that,
Wilson can hardly be faulted for not wanting to part with Couture, but at the same time, he needs to make a move to shed San Jose's reputation as a team that could never get over the hump. Nash could be that move.
