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Rick Nash might have to put up with Columbus going into training camp

Rick Nash, Martin Erat

Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Rick Nash (61) is defended by Nashville Predators left wing Martin Erat (10), of Czech Republic, in the first period of an NHL hockey game on Saturday, Nov. 19, 2011, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

AP

There’s no progress on the Rick Nash trade front. There’s not even so much as a rumor concerning a team interested in acquiring him. GM Scott Howson’s demands are reportedly sky high and some teams, like Carolina, have taken themselves out of the hunt. Meanwhile, Nash’s list of teams he’d agree to go to has Canada feeling left out.

If that sounds awkward, it might just get more uncomfortable soon enough. Aaron Portzline of The Columbus Dispatch notes today that things might wind up being uneasy if Nash is still a Blue Jacket when training camp arrives in September. Portzline says Nash would have a couple of options if this turns out to be the case.

Nash could attend training camp, which would be an awkward scene, attracting widespread media attention. Or he could stage the first Blue Jackets’ training camp holdout since Nikolay Zherdev missed three weeks while threatening to play in Russia before the 2006-07 season.

Nash and Zherdev in the same sentence? There’s an unlikely and ignominious pairing in Columbus history if there ever was one. Zherdev wound up being a frustrating first-round bust for Columbus while Nash has easily been the best player the organization has had. About the only thing that could help slow down a potentially awkward autumn is a lockout and that might wind up happening whether he’s dealt or not.