Nash actually had an above average defensive game. I dont think it will be a problem
He is very good defensively... you wouldn't be able to tell from watching CBJ games though. I've never seen a player cherry pick as much as Nash in recent years.
I think Erixon is a lot better than people are giving credit for. Comparing him to Connauton or Tanev is silly; this is a guy who scored at a 50 pt pace as a 20 year old rookie in the AHL.
Not a great package at all, but teams probably weren't willing to sell the farm for Nash given his cap hit. He asked to be traded to one of 5 teams and none of them were evidently willing to give up any quality for a 65 point $8 million player.
He is very good defensively... you wouldn't be able to tell from watching CBJ games though. I've never seen a player cherry pick as much as Nash in recent years.
Sure you have, unless you've missed every Van-Cgy game in the last few years.
I'll be interested to see what Torts thinks after watching Nash float around the ice for a few games.
I am anxiously awaiting the same.
On the trade: I think it's ok return. Howson didn't get ripped off here IMO. 7.8m with an NTC. Not really a two-way player (-4..80 Corsi On, but a positive 1.445 Corsi QoC)... Gets big money off the books for CLB.
Instead of Erixon, perhaps they should have held out for another 1st, but it's not bad.
Last edited by Bleach Clean: 07-23-2012 at 03:27 PM.
Not too bad.
The 3rd is negligible, and the prospect is probably low level or comp fodder.
I think this deal is pretty good.
Those 3 gives the Blue Jackets more balance and makes the team a lot better, in the long run and short.
It is missing either another first or another top prospect to make it great.
I guess I'm the only one who thinks that Columbus did well in this trade. Nash is still super overrated. People like to point to his international numbers, but if you exclude games against France, Ukraine, Slovenia, Latvia, Norway, and Belarus, he's still only scored 32 points in 40 games (stolen from mc79 on Twitter). I'd say the over/under on his point production next season is still around 65.
Columbus just traded a guy who is going to produce at market value at best for a few very good cost-controlled pieces. Erixon is a defense first defenceman who just scored at a better pace than Jordan Schroeder in the AHL (same draft year). Anisimov is also terribly underrated - he's already a good puck possession player who just turned 24. His career trajectory looks a lot like Ryan Kesler's (or any other player that gets plugged in a defensive role to start his career) - he destroyed the AHL at 20 and has three seasons of very good even strength production playing reasonably tough minutes for a player of his age. I wouldn't be surprised to see him break out into a quality second line centre as early as next season.
I don't think Columbus made out like bandits either, but I think this this trade is more fair than people are perceiving it to be.
Nash gone, Suter gone, Weber potentially gone, Lidstrom retired, not much in the way of incoming free agents...the Central's sure gone downhill in a hurry this offseason.
^ I think Nash is a bit overrated too, but he simply is an unique offensive talent who is hard to knock off the puck and has silk hands - getting to be with an elite playmaker (Richards) and speedy sniper (Gaborik), he has a good shot at potting 40+.
But then again, some have pointed out that his floating in CBJ could put him in bad terms with Torts. It'll depend whether if he adjusts now that he's playing for a contender or keeps doing the same **** because he's getting paid anyway.
