Bad Blood?!?

1) This is clearly what is happening in Columbus. To review for folks not up to speed on the issue. Rick Nash the captain, and face of the Columbus Blue Jackets franchise (contrary to Howson's assertion) was approached BY THE TEAM last fall about possibly waiving his No Movement Clause (NMC) in his contract to facilitate a possible trade. As regular readers recall we at Fauxrumors were FIRST to break the story that Nash was being shopped as early as last November http://newfaux.blogspot.com/2011/11/blue-jackets-looking-to-make-big-move.html. Nash consented, but gave a limited list of teams he'd agree to be traded to. Fast forward to the middle of this month when Howson had a deal in principal to obtain LA Kings star defensemen Drew Doughty along with Penner and back up goalie Bernier among others (we wrote about this earlier this month)

2) The problem is that Los Angeles was NOT among the teams that Nash had on his list. When Howson approach Nash's agent he/his client did not give the team permission and this pissed off Howson greatly. Eventually they did manage to iron out a deal with LA (Carter to Kings), but not the one Howson originally wanted. Additionally the franchise, once the news that their star was being shopped was out AND they didn't have a return (yet) on their player, needed to avert a PR nightmare (especially when season ticket renewals just went out!) So Scott Howson made Nash out to be the bad guy to cover his buttocks. Stating that it was Nash who requested to be traded. A bold face lie to be sure. Thus making an already uncomfortable situation into a nearly intolerable one. Nash has the remainder of the season with the Jackets to get through.

3) Undoubtedly he WILL get traded this summer, but by making this into a huge media circus Scott Howson has not only alienated his star attraction (FORCING A TRADE) making an enemy of Nash and in the process probably diminished any trade return he might have otherwise received. Much like the Heatley/Ottawa fiasco of a coupe of years ago when GM Murrray publicly outed Heatley's refusal to go to Edmonton and then was forced to trade the disgruntled winger, Howson has done much the same by making this matter a publicly known spat. No doubt Nash will be calling the shots and deciding where he goes and Howson (assuming he isn't fired for incompetence) will have to take less than he might have recieved. Bad blood indeed!