Fans were set on their ear Wednesday as Rick Nash was none to happy about the first offer that GM Scott Howson presented, or so it would seem. Remember, contract negotiations are almost exactly like dating!

Did you really think that Nash would come out of the first offer like the local town floozy and jump in the back seat with the Blue Jackets right out of the gate?

Men will recognize this scenario, your in a bar and you see this hot girl just get done totally rejecting a guy and maybe even a slap across the face. But by the end of the night, you see both of them in the corner playing tonsil hockey.

Very same situation with Nash, it wouldn't have mattered if the CBJ came out with a 50 year contract worth $500 million, he would have said the same thing. It probably would have taken a little more acting ability but he still would have said the same thing. Nash knows that on the first offer that there is still more to get and it wouldn't be prudent for Howson to throw all his best pickup moves on the first dance.

On the reverse, Howson knew when the Nash camp countered with their offer that it was more than they expected to get. Based on reports in the Dispatch, the 2 sides are working on 2 deals. The deals on the table are a 7 year deal that's between $8 and $9 million per year and a 10 year deal worth between $7.5 and $8.5 million per year. Both deals have some sort of no trade clause in them.

My guess on the whole deal before they even started to negotiate was that it would be a $8 million per year over 8 years. It looks like I might have been pretty close. Nash is not worth $9 million and the $8 million may be even a little high but when you have a player that is the face of the franchise, captain, big in the community and with charity work and was home grown talent; you will overpay a little to keep that in your organization but Howson will not overpay by a lot.

Rocker_71 posted on my last blog, "The highest cap hit in the coming season is OV with 9.5 or something.. Next is Crosby and Malkin, deservingly enough at 8.7 each. Did Nash score 100 points last season? Did he score 60 goals? Does he deserve 9 MILLION dollars?! He had 40 goals, 79 points and was/is our captain and leader, but that doesn't call for an extreme overpayment."

He brings up some good points and it made me start to think. How much is Nash worth to the team. If Nash would get $8.7 million a year and you could trade straight up for either Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin, would you do it. Uhhh...in a heart beat! So, I think we have set the bar that Nash should not get anything close to the $8.7 million that the Pens duo is getting.

So, let's take a look at someone that compares stat wise with Nash. Mike Richards from the Flyers put up 80 points this year and 75 the year before and he is also a combined plus 36 over that 2 year span. Richards is 24 years old.

Nash on the other hand had 79 points and 69 points in the same 2 year span and was a combined +13 over the 2 years. Nash is 25 years old.

The wild card in all of this is Richards will be this 30 goal and 80 point guy for the foreseeable future. Nash on the other hand has never played with a legit center for an entire season. If Derick Brassard comes back healthy this year and plays the entire season, Nash COULD be a 50 to 60 goal scorer and knock on the 100 point door.

Oh, that's right I forgot to tell you that Richards signed a long term contract with a annual cap hit of $5.75 million a year. How much are you willing to spend over that for the COULD? Is it worth $3 million more a year? How about $2 million more? When you take your heart out of the situation and look at it in black and white, it makes it a little harder to justify some of the numbers thrown around. Why has Howson made such good moves since his time here, because he looks at everything in black and white. There is no over payment or roster spots held for fan favorites or just because their good guys (i.e. Jody Shelley & Manny Malhotra). Howson has one goal and one goal only. Give Ken Hitchcock the absolute best COLLECTION of players to win with. That's it, win and last time I checked, it's hard to win with 1 player on the ice. That's why drastic overpayment for Nash can't and shouldn't be in the cards.

This deal will get done, I have little doubt. Once it is, will Nash be able to handle the additional pressure that comes along with the big money. The microscope really zooms in when the big money comes, ask ARod. We will certainly see soon enough.

***Blue Jackets update - July 3rd - 11:40 am

he Columbus Blue Jackets have signed center Trevor Frischmon to a to one-year, two-way NHL-American Hockey League contract, General Manager Scott Howson announced today. As is club policy, terms were not disclosed.



Frischmon, 27, scored five goals and added 20 assists for 25 points with 57 penalty minutes in 80 games for the Syracuse Crunch, Columbus’ American Hockey League affiliate in 2008-09. He has spent the past three seasons with Syracuse and has collected 10-38-48, 105 penalty minutes and a cumulative plus/minus rating of +11 in 172 career AHL games. He has also added 6-12-18, 16 penalty minutes and was +4 in 31 career ECHL games with Dayton and Charlotte, including 3-5-8 and 24 penalty minutes in 20 playoff games to help the Bombers reach the 2007 Kelly Cup Finals.



The Ham Lake, Minnesota native played four seasons at Colorado College from 2002-2006 and registered 30-36-66 and 121 penalty minutes in 160 career games. Prior to his collegiate career, Frischmon notched 31-47-78 and 91 penalty minutes in 117 games for Lincoln of the United States Hockey League.

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Eric Smith
Eric.Smith@HockeyBuzz.com

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