2012 NHL Trade Deadline: The Negatives Of Not Getting Rick Nash

Earlier today we discussed all the positives that came from Scott Howson rejecting Glen Sather's trade offer for Rick Nash Monday afternoon. But there are some negatives to deal with as well. Here they are:

Brandon Dubinsky: Here is the bad part about very public trades that don't happen: Sometimes the players find out. While we do know that Glen Sather upped his ante for Nash in the dying moments of the trade deadline, we also know that Dubinsky was part of the trade talks from the beginning. So here's the thing, Dubinsky knows that if Sather's day went according to plan yesterday, he would be a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

This is a situation that obviously couldn't be avoided. Dubinsky was truly the only player the Rangerswere willing to part with off their roster due to both his contract and his poor offensive output. Not that offense is the only thing Dubinsky brings to the table, but for the money he's making the Rangers want to see more. Regardless, you would hope this whole situation doesn't leave a bad taste in his mouth. Dubinsky and management haven't exactly seen eye to eye over his career and this could be more fuel to the fire. Let's hope it is not.

Join me after the jump for more.

Tim Erixon: Erixon remains one of the Rangers top prospects, maybe the top prospect depending on who you ask. He basically forced his way out of Calgary and gifted Glen Sather a situation where the Flames had no leverage and had to trade him. It allowed Sather to hold onto last year's first round pick which eventually became J.T. Miller. Erixon wanted to be a Ranger, and now, if the reports can be believed, Sather was willing to ship him off. Sather played his cards right after the deadline passed however, and we'll never really know if Erixon was part of the deal. Which is good. Hopefully this doesn't put a sour taste in Erixon's mouth either, although I can't see how since nothing was confirmed in terms of exactly who was offered in the deal.

The Rangers' Offense: There is no doubt that management was at least concerned about the stretches where the offense has gone cold and the power play has shot blanks. Nash would have solved that problem. The price was too high, however, and it wasn't worth Sather cutting core players from this team's future for a player who wants out of Columbus and will be available again this summer. Hopefully the offense stays hot and the power play covnerts in the playoffs. This is a risk the Rangers are simply going to have to live with this season.

Scott Howson: Not even an hour after the NHL trade deadline ended Larry Brooks leaked the Rangers' final offer to Howson, which he denied. The deal was reportedly Dubinsky, Tim Erixon, J.T. Miller, Christian Thomas and a first round pick.

Where does Howson think he's going to get another deal like that?
In Dubinsky he gets an NHL ready player who knows what it takes to win and has 50-point potential. In Tim Erixon he would have gotten a highly touted offensive defenseman who has truly wowed the organization. The only reason Erixon isn't with the big club this year is because John Tortorella and the rest of the coaching staff correctly decided that it was more important for him to play major minutes in the AHL rather than 10 minutes a night on Broadway.
That wasn't all though. Howson also spurned an OHL sniper who has tremendous upside in Christian Thomas. Thomas has 60 points (30 goals) in 48 OHL games this year. In his past three seasons (178 games) he has 125 goals and 225 points. He also turned down J.T. Miller, this year's first round draft choice, an all around player who has 58 points in 52 OHL games, a guy who is proving everyone who questioned his offense wrong every day.
Really?
Not only did he turn away two instant NHL players, but he turned away two top prospects and a first round pick as well.
As if that wasn't enough, Howson then threw Nash under the bus during his trade deadline press conference and basically destroyed any chance he had at convincing Nash that he should remain in Columbus. Not that Nash was going to, him requesting a trade severed that tie, but now that Howson has publicly bad mouthed his top player, things are going to get real interesting.
Which brings me to my next point: Howson TANKED any value he had for Nash himself. Sather won't even offer the same package if he makes another run at Nash this offseason (where he will assuredly be traded to someone).

Which GM is going to pay top dollar for an unhappy star who is not only itching to get out but was publicly berated by his own general manager? Answer: Not a single one.

Second answer: Certainly not the general managers who are on Nash's short list of teams he will accept a trade to.

Here's the thing, the Rangers know. Sather knows he is one of a few teams that Howson (or whichever GM replaces him if he gets fired) can work with. Him and a few other teams. You really think any of those teams are going to pay top dollar now that it's publicly known that Nash wants out and won't accept a trade to just anyone? I didn't think so.
So where does that leave Howson now? I don't know. I honestly can't see him retaining his job to even oversee the Nash negotiations once the year is done.
Him denying the Rangers' offer might have been the dumbest thing he could have done (aside from his performance at the press conference) and now he'll need to answer for it.
Thankfully, however, the Rangers won't have to.