Report: San Jose Sharks are very interested in Rick Nash

The San Jose Sharks are doing what they always seem to do: finding a way to win the Pacific Division and remain in the mix as potential Stanley Cup favorites.

Still, the team is strangely heavy on centers after shipping Dany Heatley and Devin Setoguchi out of town but GM Doug Wilson might just change that up in a big way. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that the team is coming on strong in the Rick Nash sweepstakes.

The San Jose Sharks are emerging as a strong contender for Rick Nash. Sources say Columbus initially targeted Logan Couture, but was quickly told that was a non-starter. But, make no mistake, San Jose will stay in the mix until Monday’s deadline.

Wilson isn’t shy to make big moves

For all the knee-jerk criticisms for the Sharks’ playoff struggles – which should probably be downplayed at least a bit after two conference final finishes – Wilson isn’t afraid to swing for the fences with big deals. The recent Heatley and Setoguchi deals are just the most recent examples of his itchy trigger finger, as you may remember Brian Campbell spin-o-rama’d his way through San Jose before Chicago gave him that ridiculous contract.

An appealing potential story

One thing that could make Nash work out especially well in San Jose is his chemistry with Joe Thornton. The two played on the same team overseas when the NHL locked out and they’re logically two parts of a hockey one-timer equation. To paraphrase a line from the movie “Miracle,” Thornton is the “pass” and Nash is the “shoot, score.”

If you’re rooting for drama, this might just be the most interesting possibility for Nash. The Sharks are notorious for “not getting it done” while Nash has never really had a chance to prove himself with a great team in a huge pressure situation. If they failed with him there, it would just give critics that much more ammo. Of course, the flip side is that there would be dual retribution if they succeeded together.

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Anyway, that’s more of a discussion if a trade actually happens. For that to happen, the big questions are: what will Nash cost and would he be worth it?