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Welcome the Nashville Predators to the Rick Nash rumor mill

Rick Nash

We’ve been hearing all about how the Maple Leafs, Rangers, and Sharks are all hot after Blue Jackets trade bait Rick Nash. What if there was a team sneaking up on the outside to land him?

Enter the Nashville Predators.

David Boclair of The City Paper in Nashville says that sources have told him that the Predators have made an offer to Columbus for Nash.

The Predators have made an offer of their own for the 27-year-old power forward, multiple sources have confirmed. While it seems unlikely the Blue Jackets would want to deal their best player to a division opponent that regularly whips up on them, the attempt to get Nash speaks to Poile’s attempts to satisfy his top players’ desire for more elite talent and to strengthen the team’s chances to make a significant playoff run.

Boclair spitballs that an offer involving Colin Wilson, Jonathon Blum or Ryan Ellis as well as other prospects or draft picks would likely be in any offer.

Based on other rumors for Nash, a young defenseman seems to be a must-have for the Jackets, but whether or not Preds GM David Poile would pony up someone like Ellis as part of an offer is up for debate. There’s also the fact that Nashville might not be on Nash’s list of teams he’d OK a deal to but let’s put that aside for now.

Of course, none of this is taking into thought the effect landing Nash would have on the Predators’ salary cap situation. The Preds still have to get deals worked out with Ryan Suter and Shea Weber and Nash’s $7.8 million cap hit would make things really awkward at the negotiating table with both defensemen.