With the NHL trade deadline just nine days away Columbus Blue Jackets forward Rick Nash continues to be in high demand by many NHL teams. The Vancouver Canucks, New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings and Toronto Maple Leafs are said to be in the running for Nash’s services, along with the Philadelphia Flyers and San Jose Sharks. The Sharks and Flyers seem to be getting the least amount of press in the Nash Rumors, while Vancouver, New York, Los Angeles and Toronto seem to be the most logical destinations—all things considered. When evaluating what the Blue Jackets could potentially net in trading Nash one must consider Nash’s hefty $7.8 million salary which could potentially play havoc with any team Nash joins. According to capgeek.com, the Vancouver Canucks will have $407,359 available at the deadline. The Los Angeles Kings will have

TSN’s Bob McKenzie is reporting that at least two sources, (TSN’s French language sister station) reporter Renaud Lavoie and Columbus Dispatch reporter Aaron Portzline have reported that Columbus Blue Jackets forward Rick Nash is on the trade market. In order for any of these claims to be true, Nash, who owns a No Movement Clause, would have to give the Blue Jackets a list of teams he would like to join, which means, despite the trade rumors, Nash is very much in control of his future. Of course, just because Nash has presumably given the Blue Jackets permission to listen to trade offers, there is no guarantee that he gets moved. Clearly, a player with Nash’s impressive resume would command a large return, a return which few NHL teams are willing or able to offer the Blue Jackets. Let’s face

When Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke brought Swedish goaltending sensation Jonas Gustavsson to the Toronto Maple Leafs’ organization there was great hope from Burke that “the Monster”—as Gustavsson was so aptly nicknamed—would solidify the Blue and White’s goaltending for years to come. Fast forward three seasons later and the Maple Leafs goaltending situation is still a question mark in many ways. While both Gustavsson and on again/off again number one starter James Reimer have evolved into a decent duo, neither one has emerged as a dominant figure between the pipes, which has to concern Burke on some level. Quietly, and without much fanfare, Gustavsson has put together his best season as a Maple Leaf, posting a 16-11-1 record to go along with a 2.75 goals against average and a .909 save percentage and three shutouts—all career bests for Gus. Within the

For those of you familiar with the Toronto Blue Jays organization you’ll remember a time when Blue Jays general manager Pat Gillick was referred to as “stand pat” for his long standing refusal to make a move at the deadline, or at least refusing to make a deal of any consequence. To all the haters, Gillick always contested that he would make a splash on the trade market when the right opportunity came around and not before, which is exactly what Gillick did when he shipped Tony Fernandez and Fred McGriff to the San Diego Padres in return for future Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar and home run hitting World Series Hero Joe Carter. The New York Times called the deal “one of the most stunning trades in years”, and deservedly so. Of course McGriff and Fernandez failed to live

The Toronto Maple Leafs will have a couple of familiar faces in the lineup tonight when they face off against the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Air Canada Center. Both Colby Armstrong and John-Michael Liles are expected to be in the lineup Wednesday night, which should give the Buds an element of grit in the form of Armstrong and a shot in the arm offensively in Liles. Armstrong has suffered through a number of injuries this season, limiting him to just nine games. Meanwhile, Liles will be coming back from a concussion that saw him miss five weeks of game action. To the Leafs’ credit, they have found a way to keep their offense and power play hot in the absence of Liles, but the team has sorely missed the physical game that Armstrong plays for most of the season. With

With the NHL trade deadline just four weeks away, plenty of rumors have surfaced, including the likes of Columbus Blue Jackets forward Jeff Carter joining the Toronto Maple Leafs. While no Maple Leaf players have been mentioned as possible candidates to join the Blue Jackets, the names of Clarke MacArthur, Luke Schenn and Mikhail Grabovski have been front in centre in just about every rumor involving the Maple Leafs. So, will Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke attempt to land Carter? At first glance, Carter, who stands 6’3” and weighs in at just under 200 pounds, has the size that Burke so desperately needs down the middle. That said, Carter is hardly known as a physical player, which is what Burke needs most. A former first round draft choice of the Philadelphia Flyers (11th overall) in the 2003 NHL